After a tournament of upsets, the greatest upset of them all came as 20-year-old Juan Martín del Potro of Argentina defeated Roger Federer for the men’s tennis 2009 U.S. Open championship.
The win is del Potro’s first Grand Slam title ever. Federer, the world’s number one player and possibly greatest of all time, was attempting his sixteenth Grand Slam title win and sixth straight at the U.S. Open. Unfortunately for Federer, del Potro played the greatest game of his career and bested Federer in five sets.
Del Potro Defeats Federer
Del Potro’s ride to the championship game wasn’t easy, no matter how much he made it look so. The Argentine was seeded sixth and played his opening match against fellow countryman Juan Mónaco, winning 6-3, 6-3, 6-1. Del Potro then worked his way through his next three matches rather uneventfully, beating Melzer, Kollerer, and Ferrero to make it to the quarterfinals.
In the quarters, Juan met Marin Cilic of Croatia. After losing the first set, he rebounded to win the match 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-1. His semifinal match against previous number one player Rafael Nadal was expected to be a close game, but del Potro won the match handily 6-2, 6-2, 6-2 against an ailing Nadal.
In the championship game, del Potro played his toughest opponent in the tournament by far. Federer, who had not lost at the U.S. Open in 40 matches, was defeated 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-7(4), 2-6.
Promising Start for del Potro
Del Potro was born in Buenos Aries, Argentina and has said that he began playing tennis at the age of seven. With his 6’6 frame, he is one of tallest players on the tour and known for his fast serves and ability to move around the court quickly, despite his height.
At only 20 years of age and already with one Grand Slam tournament win, he is one the most promising young players on the ATP tour right now and appears to only be improving his game.
Federer and Nadal at 2010 Australian Open
The U.S. Open is the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, occurring after the Australian Open, the French Open, and Wimbledon. With no major tournament until the 2010 Australian Open in late January, Rafael Nadal has more time to heal from his injuries, from which he did not appear to be fully recovered.
Federer will also be given time to train hard for the Australian tournament. After a heartbreaking loss to Nadal at the 2009 tournament, Federer will undoubtedly hope to win the championship, a feat he he has not done since 2007.
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