Del Potro's backhand fails him against Nadal


  • Tennis
  • Saturday, 09 Sep 2017

Tennis - US Open - Semifinals - New York, U.S. - September 8, 2017 - Juan Martin del Potro of Argentina walks off court after loss to Rafael Nadal of Spain. REUTERS/Mike Segar

NEW YORK (Reuters) - World number one Rafa Nadal knew powerhouse Juan Martin del Potro's biggest weakness was his shaky backhand, and the Spaniard exploited the vulnerability repeatedly at their U.S. Open showdown on Friday to advance to Sunday's final.

The left-handed Nadal's strategy of attacking the backhand, which had the added benefit of avoiding the Argentine's thunderous right-handed forehand, did not initially pay off as Nadal dropped the first set.

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