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MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAU


March 26, 2015


Juan Martin Del Potro


MIAMI, FLORIDA

V. POSPISIL/J. DEL POTRO
6‑4, 7‑6


THE MODERATOR:  Questions, please.

Q.  You were obviously so frustrated toward the end.  Just in general, how did you feel your backhand and the double fault on set point, how upset were you with that?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  First, I don't feel frustrated.  No.  I have to take the positive things on my comeback.  I think just play another official match after one year, it's a good signal for the future.
What I said before, it doesn't matter the score for now.  Obviously down there I wanted to win the match, and I had few chances in the first set; then in the second set I know I have set points, but I couldn't close the set because I had easy efforts and easy mistakes.
I didn't serve well in the special moments, which is tough for me with all of these things.
But now I'm okay.  I don't have any physical problem after the match, and I will be recovering soon for the future.

Q.  Are you playing pain‑free?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  No, no, it's not 100% free, but I felt even better than Sydney tournament.  It's only two months after my second surgery and my left wrist.  I feel better week by week, but it's still very early to feel 100%.
I think just playing the tournament and being here means a lot for me, and I'm looking forward to stay here and play the next tournament.

Q.  Clearly you weren't hitting your two‑handed backhand with much force today; went to the one‑hander many more times.  First of all, do you agree with that?  Is that because you're not confident yet in it?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  It's both.  Both of that things.  I'm not confident 100% to hit my best backhands yet.
And I also need time to improve my backhand again.  I already been hitting backhands the last 10 days in one year, which is very ‑‑it's very bad to play in this level.
But I am working hard.  I am working hard every day little more on my backhand.  I think it's the only way to get to pass through all of the things and get well for the future.

Q.  Good to see you back.  When you have this injury, is it more psychological with the wrist as opposed to a physical thing?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  No, it's just a wrist problem.  Of course mentally you must be strongest enough to deal with the problem and get up every morning to do your treatments and rehab and stay calm, looking forward for the future.
I'm not hurried to be in the top 10 very soon.  I want to play tennis.  It doesn't matter how long it's take me to be in the top again.  Just wanted to play tennis and without pain.

Q.  In certain points throughout the match when you were down maybe 30‑Love or in the tiebreak, the fans were really chanting your name and trying to pick you up and get you going.  What were those moments like for you?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  Well, it's amazing tournament for me.  The atmosphere, it's great, as always.  Argentinian fans, South American people come to watch me play here once again.
And also here in the United States I have a lot of fans after winning the US Open.
But it was great for me enjoying with the crowd for a little bit.  It's only one match, but it was enough for the beginning.

Q.  Good to see you back.  You may or may not be aware, Britain has a lady player, Laura Robson, who had a similar operation to you, and with the same surgeon.  She's set five comeback dates and pulled out of every one so far.  How important is it to be patient and to be absolutely clear in your mind that you're ready to play again?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  I think it's the most important be patient and stay calm, and also try to be positive.
I got depressive for a while in the past.  I have been talking with Tipsarevic, as well, at the locker rooms.  He knows a lot about the injuries, about comebacks, and doesn't make it.
But in the end, I want to play tennis.  If I have to learn a different backhand to keep playing, I will do it.
But now I'm trying to do all my things to fix the problem and hitting my backhand as I did in the whole‑‑ all my career.  I am still positive.
I think is the biggest goal for me trying to keep trying and stay mentally strong enough to go through all of the injuries.

Q.  There was a point in the second set where you were like bent over and were adjusting your shoes and kind of bent over a bunch of times.  Did you fix something, or was it just like a shoe issue?
JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO:  No, I twisted my ankle.  (Smiling.)  That's it.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports




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