DEL PO SQUEEZES BY LOPEZ

SYDNEY, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- Juan Martin del Potro, winning his first match in about a year, survived a first-round battle with three tie-breakers Monday at a tennis tournament in Sydney.

Del Potro, whose play has been limited because of a wrist injury, came away a 6-7 (5-7), 7-6 (11-9), 7-6 (7-3) victor over sixth-seeded Feliciano Lopez at the Medibank International tournament.

The injury kept del Potro, who had just two matches since last year's Australian Open, from trying to defend his 2009 U.S. Open championship.

Del Potro and Lopez combined for 41 aces but only two service breaks -- one by each player in the first set -- in battling for 3 hours, 20 minutes. Lopez had one match-point chance at 7-6 in the second-set tie-breaker but del Potro fought that off. Del Potro also saved six break-point chances in the third set.

Read more: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2011/01/10/Del-Potro-wins-marathon-match-in-return/UPI-26521294666776/#ixzz1AeCBcQkY