AFP, Delray Beach :
Injury-nagged 2009 US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro advanced to the ATP Delray Beach Open semi-finals on Friday by defeating French fifth seed Jeremy Chardy 6-2, 6-3.
In his comeback event after sitting out for nearly a year, the 27-year-old Argentine wildcard entrant earned a Saturday berth against 61st-ranked Sam Querrey, who rallied to dispatch fellow American Tim Smyczek 6-7 (1/7), 7-6 (7/4), 6-4.
Bulgarian fourth seed Grigor Dimitrov will face American Rajeev Ram in the other semi-final. Ram, ranked 89th, won their only prior meeting at Atlanta in 2011.
Del Potro, ranked 1,042nd in the world after missing most of the 2014 and 2015 seasons with a left wrist injury, underwent surgery last June and had not played an ATP match since last March until this week.
The South American standout served well and was effective with his two-handed backhand, attacking 30th-ranked Chardy’s second serves and winning 14 of those 22 points over the 80-minute match.
