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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 14. Silver medalist Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina waves during the medal ceremony for the men’s singles on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
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RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – AUGUST 14. Silver medalist Juan Martin Del Potro of Argentina waves during the medal ceremony for the men’s singles on Day 9 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at the Olympic Tennis Centre on August 14, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Juan Martin del Potro will battle it out against fellow countryman Federico Delbonis in the first round of the Argentina Open today. The 2022 Argentina Open is a clay-court event in Buenos Aires.
This will be an exciting match-up as fans will witness the former US Open champion in action after more than two and a half years. Undoubtedly, the match is going to be worth watching.
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Juan Martin del Potro Vs Federico Delbonis: Match preview
Last week, del Potro had hinted that his appearance at the Argentina Open in Buenos Aires could be his farewell tournament. The former World Number 3 has been troubled by injuries over the last few years. As a result, he hasn’t been able to compete on the ATP Tour consistently. His last appearance was at the Queen’s Club in London way back in June 2019.
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LONDON, ENGLAND: Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina looks on during his First Round Singles Match against Denis Shapovalov of Canada during day Three of the Fever-Tree Championships at Queens Club in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Moreover, his absence from tennis has had a major impact on his rankings. He has dropped to No. 753 on the ATP rankings chart. The towering Argentine has been handed a wildcard entry at the Argentina Open.
DIVE DEEPER: WATCH: Roger Federer Hyped Up by Juan Martin del Potro’s Monstrous Forehand at Flushing Meadows
On the other hand, Federico Delbonis has had a poor start to the 2022 campaign. He began this season at the ATP Cup in Sydney, Australia. The 31-year-old won two of the three matches over there. However, he bowed out in the first round against lower-ranked opponents in each of his next three tournaments, including the Australian Open 2022.
del Potro Vs Delbonis: Head to Head
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The two fellow countrymen have faced each other only once, with del Potro coming out on top. They played against each other in the second round at the ATP Masters 1000 Indian Wells in 2017. Juan Martin del Potro won that match 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 in an hour and 51 minutes.
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Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina returns the ball during his men’s singles fourth round match against Borna Coric of Croatia on Day Seven of the 2018 US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Prediction: Federico Delbonis in straight sets
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With del Potro short on match practice, it will be a tough ask for him to even take a set against the 42nd ranked Delbonis. Even though Delbonis is not in great form, he is expected to prevail over his countryman on the clay court.
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