Juan Martin Del Potro has withdrawn from the tournament in Cincinnati this week due to fatigue and that is completely reasonable. Either the guy has major fitness issues or there’s something wrong with him because if you have seen him play in any of his matches over the past two weeks, it has looked like he was going to pass out after making it through one set. If it wasn’t for his serve and little bursts of energy, he definitely wouldn’t have made it to the past two finals.
Hopefully this rest will be good for him going forward. He won’t be in New Haven for the Pilot Pen tournament, so he’s looking at two weeks of rest and a less intense tennis schedule. This will only benefit him going into the US Open. He is positioned to do well due to his 6th seed ranking – a rank that is secure from being overtaken by 7th seeded Tsonga (who is also likely fare well in the draw) – and if he continues to play at the level he has over the past two weeks and is well rested then he could be a dark horse to win the event.
Julien Benneteau will be stepping in to replace Del Potro. Receiving a bye through the first round, Benneteau will already be further along in the tournament than he was last year, when he was ousted in the first round by Robin Soderling. Benneteau will face the winner of Feliciano Lopez and Jurgen Melzer.
