Del Potro doubtful for semi-final clash with Federer
Juan Martin del Potro could be forced out of his Shanghai Masters semi-final against Roger Federer today after falling and hurting his wrist in his victory over Viktor Troicki.
If the Argentinian does miss out, it will be just the latest injury heartbreak for the 29-year-old, who has had four previous operations on his wrists.
The 2009 US Open champion clambered off the court floor to knock out Serb Troicki 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the quarter-finals yesterday.
But 16th seed del Potro, who has suffered years of wrist injuries that have threatened his career, took a nasty tumble at 2-2 in the deciding set and most of the weight of his body ended up on his outstretched left hand.
Immediately after battling to victory, he was off to see a doctor to have the injury looked at.
"I felt something wrong in that moment, but I continued to play with slices to try to finish the match, but now it's time to look at the MRI scan and also see what the doctor says," del Potro said.
"I'm a little worried, but I know how to deal with all of these things as I have been through them in the past, but I will see what the doctor says now and then we will take a decision for tomorrow.
"Of course I would like to play, I would like to be 100 per cent, but we will see what's happened."
Federer, 36, was relatively untroubled as he eased to a 7-5, 6-4 victory over unseeded Frenchman Richard Gasquet yesterday.
Rafael Nadal will play Marin Cilic in the other semi-final after the world No. 1 was forced to fight past Grigor Dimitrov 6-4, 6-7 (4/7), 6-3.
Nadal, who has never won the Shanghai showpiece, is chasing a seventh title in a brilliant season and a hat-trick of triumphs on the trot, having been crowned US Open and China Open champion in recent weeks.
"Very happy, it was a very tough match, both of us played a very high level of tennis," said the 31-year-old Spaniard.
Meanwhile, Maria Sharapova equalled her best performance since returning from a doping suspension as she breezed into the Tianjin Open semi-finals yesterday.
The Russian easily defeated Swiss qualifier Stefanie Voegele 6-3, 6-1 and the former world No. 1 will face China's Peng Shuai in the last four. - AFP
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