Juan Martin del Potro has scored the biggest win of his comeback, ousting in-form 14th seed Dominic Thiem in the opening round of the Mutua Madrid Open.
Del Potro, using a protected ranking to enter the draw as he continues his fledgling comeback from multiple wrist injuries, beat the Austrian 7-6(5) 6-3
The world No.274 saved a bundle of set points in the 10th game of the first set before holding firm in a topsy-turvy tiebreak.
He then moved more easily through the second set to wrap up victory in one-and-three-quarter hours, and was overcome with emotion in his court-side chair after sealing the win.
It was an impressive victory given Thiem’s record in 2016; the young gun came into the match with a 29-8 record, two ATP titles and one of the best claycourt CVs of any player in the past 12 months.
“This was a great match for me. The is my biggest victory after my comeback,” said del Potro, who is playing just his fifth event after 11 months on the sidelines.
“I’m so glad to beat this guy because he’s playing really well on clay courts and he was the favourite before the match.
“But I did well and I’m looking forward to playing even better in my next round.”
Next up for the Argentine is American Jack Sock, who saw off Benoit Paire in a third-set tiebreak.
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