Juan Martin Del Potro and Lleyton Hewitt returned to the court where they both won their first grand slam title, giving glimpses why they once hoisted the championship trophy. Unexpectedly, however, only Hewitt, the 32-year-old, unseeded Australian will have another chance to reclaim the crown this year after last night's five-set upset win over the sixth-seeded, 6-foot-6 Argentine.
The two former U.S. Open champions gave a divided crowd at Arthur Ashe Stadium a rare, entertaining evening affair, but Hewitt's energetic, well-rounded play wore down an inconsistent Del Potro in a 6-4, 5-7, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1 win.
Hewitt will meet 23-year-old Russian Evgeny Donskoy in the third round.
"It's an amazing feeling. For me, just going back in the locker room afterwards I sort of had to pinch myself," said Hewitt, who hasn't advanced past the third round since 2006. "A year and a half ago I got told I probably wouldn't play again with the [foot] surgery I had. For me, I love being out in that atmosphere, sucking up every second of it."
The scene wasn't surreal so much as time travel.
Del Potro, who ended Roger Federer's string of five straight championships in 2009, came to New York off his first semifinal appearance in a grand slam (at Wimbledon) since his Open triumph, but for the second straight match, the assumed title contender struggled with a shaky backhand.
Hewitt, who knocked off five-time champion Pete Sampras in 2001, had Del Potro looking at the prospect of an unlikely early exit after the Australian earned two set points in the second set, but he failed on both opportunities to take a two-set lead.
Del Potro was frustrated, hitting himself in the head with his racket, but he recovered to win six straight games and finally showed flashes of the most fearsome forehand in tennis.
But flashes were not enough to overcome a weak backhand, impacted by a left wrist the oft-injured Argentine acknowledged is not 100 percent.
"[Hewitt is] a great champion and a great fighter," said Del Potro, a quarterfinalist at last year's Open. "For the second round, it's a really difficult player. I think he deserved to win. He's play[ing] like he has a chance to go far in this tournament."
After Hewitt failed to serve out the fourth set, leading 5-3, he bounced back to play a near-flawless tiebreaker.
As the match progressed, Hewitt outworked the fatigued 24-year-old, who was playing his second straight match exceeding four hours.
Though the two former champions were only separated by one winner (Hewitt, 42-41), Del Potro repeatedly handed points over to Hewitt with a 70-43 disparity in unforced errors.
howard.kussoy@nypost.com
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