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Tennis

Del Potro sets sights on ATP World Tour finals

Juan Martin del Potro swept into the last eight of the Paris Masters on Thursday following a 7-5 6-4 win over Robin Haase. Del Potro’s victory in just under two hours took him closer to the eighth and final spot at the ATP World Tour finals in London from 12 November.

Juan Martin del Potro will reach the eight player ATP World Tour finals if he wins his next match at the Paris Masters.
Juan Martin del Potro will reach the eight player ATP World Tour finals if he wins his next match at the Paris Masters. Reuters/Arnd Wiegmann
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Before the US Open in September, Del Potro was 47th in the race for the elite event. But a run of scintillating form has taken him to the last four at Flushing Meadows as well as the Stockholm Open title and an appearance in the final at the Swiss Indoors in Basel on 29 October.

The 29-year-old needs to see off ninth seed John Isner in the quarter-final to secure his place in London.

“Getting to London will be an extra motivation for me,” said del Potro. “It is going to be a good battle. I have two ways to take: one is to London and the other is to home and the holidays and so both ways are great for me.

“But it would be great to qualify for London once again but I face a big test.”

Isner advanced to the last eight after coming from a break down in the final set against the sixth seed Grigor Dimitrov.

The American, who won the first set 7-6 before conceding the second 5-7, saved a match point while serving at 5-3 down in the decider. It was with his 20th ace of the encounter.

Dimitrov had the chance to wrap up affairs when he served for the match at 5-4. But he fluffed his chance.

“I was down and out when he was 5-2 up in the final set,” said Isner. “I thought that I had pretty much lost it but I think from there I loosened up and luckily my shots started landing in.”

Isner served his 25th ace of the encounter to take a 2-0 lead in the final set tiebreak. And though Dimitrov recovered to 2-2, Isner was the more aggressive of the pair and reeled off four consective points to hold four match points.

Dimitrov could only save one of them before dumping a backhand into the net to cede the match after two hours and 40 mintues of play.

Isner, who reached the final in Paris in 2016, added: “I’m very happy to be in the quarter-final. I love this tournament. It’s one of the best tournaments in the world and in one of the best cities in the world.”

Del Potro has won six of his eight meetings with Isner. He swept past him in straight sets in the first round at the Rogers Cup in Montreal in August.

“We always have tough matches,” said Isner. “Juan Martin won our last match and is playing well but I’m playing well too.”

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