Del Potro back in the winners circle

Juan Martin del Potro has won his first title in 33-months, with a 7-5 6-1 win over Jack Sock at the If Stockholm Open.

The Argentine, who has been stricken with injury problems for the last couple of years, last set foot in the winner’s circle at the Sydney International in 2014.

“I’ve been trying to fix my problems for the past two years and I didn’t expect to win a title at this moment in my career,” del Potro said. “I am so happy to get the trophy here. It’s motivation for looking forward to the future.”

Del Potro was in dominant form all week in Stockholm. The Argentine powered through the draw without losing a set, and was only broken twice in the entire tournament.

Sock, meanwhile, had been forced to work on his way to the finals. By the time he squared off against Delpo, the American had been on court for three hours more than the Argentine, including battling through a tough three-set semifinal against Alex Zverev.

In a tight first set Del Potro made his move at 5-5. Attacking the Sock serve, the Argentine broke and duly held to take the opener 7-5. The American would only hold once more in the match as Del Potro cruised to the win in just 80 minutes.

“It was a tough match,” reflected Sock. “His serve is massive and very tough to read, which put more pressure on my serve. He just played well today. I’ve had a long week here and it might have caught up with me a bit.”

Del Potro, meanwhile, was left celebrating another important milestone in his comeback.

“I don’t really mind the rankings or the numbers,” Delpo reflected. “I just want to play better. When I’m 100 per cent I know I can be dangerous.”