First serve
No matter what Juan Martin del Potro does at the U.S. Open, he doesn't have the power to make Argentina feel too good about its sports right now, not with the national soccer team in danger of missing the World Cup.
Del Potro's impressive quarterfinal victory over Marin Cilic on Thursday, when he rallied from behind to win in four sets, was greeted more with relief than joy in his homeland – a welcome respite from the gloom surrounding the national sport.
Del Potro (pictured right) is still a symbol of hope across South America, and he's the only man from his region threatening to bust the total European stranglehold on men's tennis.
He's a different breed, a bona-fide outdoor hard-court specialist, instead of the clay dwellers normally associated with his nation. He burst onto the scene last summer, winning four straight ATP events and striding up the rankings. His progress has been steady ever since.
This represents his best chance in a major, with the Flushing Meadows
Read More »from U.S. Open Slice, Day 11: Del Potro's best shot