MADRID:
Spain’s Rafael Nadal was given a walkover into the quarter-finals of the Madrid Masters when opponent Juan Martin Del Potro withdrew before their third-round match with a hip injury.
The unseeded Del Potro had been bothered by the problem since winning an Estoril semi-final last weekend. The 2009 US Open champion is making a recovery this season after missing more than eight months of play in 2010 after wrist surgery.
“I have experience with injuries, and I decided not to play,” said Del Potro as he prepared to fly home to Buenos Aires for medical checks.”
The Argentine will not play the Rome Masters starting on Sunday and could be in doubt for the French Open starting on May 22.
Meanwhile, world number two Novak Djokovic took his 2011 record to 29-0, equalling Ivan Lendl’s mark set in 1986, when he defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez 6-1, 6-2 in the third round.
World number three Roger Federer beat Xavier Malisse 6-4, 6-3.
Goerges stuns Wozniacki
German Julia Goerges defeated world number one Caroline Wozniacki for the second time in little more than a week, sending the top-seed out 6-4, 1-6, 6-3 in the third round.
Goerges, only the second German to win the Stuttgart WTA tournament, is making a solid Madrid debut and next plays Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who upset French Open finalist Samantha Stosur 7-6 (7/4), 6-3.
Fourth seed Victoria Azarenka overcame Spain’s Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-0, 6-3.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2011.
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