ARGENTEEN

 

Rafael Nadal isn’t the hottest player on tour. That distinction goes to Del Potro, who’s strolling through the summer on a 22-match win streak. The Argentine has won four tournaments since July – becoming the first player to win his first four titles in four straight tournaments.

As a reward, Del Potro has rocketed up the rankings. In July he was No. 65; by the start of the US Open, he had reached a career-high of 17. Along the way he has notched wins over Andy Roddick and Richard Gasquet.

Del Potro, from the small city of Tandil, five hours south of Buenos Aires, hardly looks the part of a newcomer. The lanky 6-foot-6 right-hander, nicknamed “Enano” (Dwarf) and “Palito” (Twig), has an imposing game of forceful groundstrokes and a big, 130-mph-plus serve. The Argentine takes a massive windup on his forehand and crushes the ball deep into the corners. Unlike most of his compatriots (of whom there were 10 in the draw at the start of the US Open), who are more at home on clay, Del Potro prefers hard courts (even though two of his titles this summer were on European dirt).

After his 3-hour, 47-minute third-round victory over Gilles Simon, another player who’s had a personal-best summer, Del Potro said: “It was punishing, a battle. At the end, neither of us had anything left.”