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Juan Martin Del Potro returned to action after a 10-month injury layoff at the Apia Sydney International. The Argentine couldn’t defend his title, but is upbeat at the way he played during the tournament.
“I did more than what I expected,” said del Potro. “I played three matches in a row and I played against good players in this tournament, which means a good comeback for me.”
The Argentine beat top seed Fabio Fognini before being knocked out by Mikhail Kukushkin in the quarterfinals. He was surprised to last three matches after a long break from the game.
I didn't expect to play three matches in a row in this tournament,” he said. “I just wanted to play my first round and see what happens. But I got lucky playing three matches in this tournament against good players. I'm still here. I'm still alive. I feel tired, but okay.”
Del Potro is looking forward to the Australian Open and can cause a few surprises in Melbourne. “It's not easy, but everybody has to know I'm 338th player in the world at the moment,” he said. “I just beat the Top 20 player here, Top 50; so I'm happy for that.”
The 2009 U.S Open champion says he needs some time to challenge the top players. I need couple of months. I want to have the chance to play them, but in good shape. Not like today, because they will be [the] favourite for sure. But when I will be fit, I want to play against them again.
“I don't have a magic solution. Just be patient, stay calm, and do my best every day to come back. This is my biggest challenge in my new career again”, he said.
