• What the Deuce

A race against time

At 6'6", Juan Martin del Potro is the tallest man to win a grand slam © Getty Images

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Such was the nature of Juan Martin del Potro's 2009 US Open victory, that a similarly triumphant return to action after an eight-month absence did not seem out of the question.

Never before had a player had to overcome both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam, but the Argentine swept past Nadal in the semi-finals before outmuscling Federer in the final to end the five-time defending champion's dominance at Flushing Meadows.

Before Rafael Nadal burst onto the scene, Roger Federer's record in grand slam finals was phenomenal: played seven, won seven. Even now, he has won 16 of 22 finals, and when you take Nadal out of the equation, Delpo is the only man to beat Federer in a grand slam final.

It takes something special to beat the 16-time grand slam champion in a major championship, and even more so in the final. But when the young pretender, who hadn't even got a Masters title to his name, swept past the five-time defending champion, eyebrows were raised.

Del Potro's impressive ascent to glory in New York is directly proportional to his track record against Federer. Having never even taken a set off the Swiss in three defeats before the start of the 2009 season, Del Potro fell 6-3 6-0 6-0 to Federer at the Australian Open in January. By the time the pair met on clay in Madrid, Federer was still able to claim a straight-sets win, but by no means without a struggle.

Just a month later, the pair were destined to meet again in the French Open semi-finals. Federer would go on to beat Robin Soderling in the final to complete his career Grand Slam, but not before having to battle past an aggressive Argentine playing in his first grand slam semi-final in a thrilling five-setter.

Del Potro was sidelined for eight months by a wrist injury © Getty Images

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Like Fibonacci's sequence, Del Potro's results were on the rise, and it was inevitable that he would go onto record his first victory over Federer in New York. Following that pattern, a straight sets win over the world No. 1 at the ATP Tour Finals in London seemed almost unavoidable.

But the Argentine's meteoric rise was cut agonisingly short by a wrist injury that would not go away, and after opting to undergo surgery in May, he was unable to defend his US Open title.

After eight months out, Del Potro made his long-anticipated return to the court in Thailand last week, only to be sent packing by Olivier Rochus in straight sets. A week later in Tokyo, it was a similar story, as he recorded just three games in a comfortable victory for Feliciano Lopez.

Lack of match practice means del Potro was an unlikely candidate to challenge for the title in Thailand or Japan, and having dropped out of the world top 20, his lowly ranking meant he was unable to avoid seeded players. But regardless of how rusty he may be, a player who has the potential to be a future world No. 1 should have the ability to grind out results against lesser players.

It remains to be how much damage the injury has done to his game. Just like Nadal will always be at the mercy of his knees, Del Potro's ferocious forehand may never be the same again. The question remains - can the Argentine recapture his form and power and return to the top of the men's game?

He insists his wrist is 'perfect' and it is only a matter of time before he rediscovers his form. But with just a handful of tournaments remaining before the end of the season, it is crucial he gets back into the swing of things if he is to hit the ground running in 2011.

And what better way to kick-start his season than with victory in Melbourne?

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