Juan Martin Del Potro, leaving the court in Dubai on Tuesday, has struggled with wrist injuries for a long time. Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters
Juan Martin Del Potro, leaving the court in Dubai on Tuesday, has struggled with wrist injuries for a long time. Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters
Juan Martin Del Potro, leaving the court in Dubai on Tuesday, has struggled with wrist injuries for a long time. Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters
Juan Martin Del Potro, leaving the court in Dubai on Tuesday, has struggled with wrist injuries for a long time. Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters

Del Potro continues to be limited by wrist injuries


  • English
  • Arabic

DUBAI // There once lived an enormous elephant who was so strong and dominant that he ruled the animal kingdom. Few creatures could threaten the elephant’s command and fewer expected him to surrender his superiority. It appeared inevitable that the elephant would rule the kingdom for many years.

One day, while plodding without purpose around a sun-scorched field of grass, the elephant let out an almighty, trumpeted howl. He had stood on a thorn with all his weight and was in immense pain each time he put his colossal weight on the foot. Within weeks, as he hobbled around uncertainly, the other animals sensed his fragility and took command of the kingdom.

It was only when a tiny field mouse came along and offered to extract the thorn that the elephant could finally consider returning to his authoritative ways.

Juan Martin del Potro could be that elephant and, after withdrawing from Tuesday’s ATP Dubai Duty Free World Tennis Championships because of a recurring wrist injury, he hopes his mouse lives in Minnesota.

Del Potro, the 1.98-metre Argentine with the Herculean and hirsute body, won the US Open in 2009 and was at a career high world number four a few months later when he injured his right wrist. The problem required surgery that ruled him out for nine months.

When he returned in 2011, he failed to progress past the fourth round of any of the four grand slam tournaments, but over the next two years he steadily climbed back up the rankings, winning four titles and progressing deeper into the slam tournaments. He reached three quarter-finals in 2012 and went one round better to reach the semi-finals at Wimbledon last year.

Slowly, the elephant was reasserting his authority over his kingdom. But then the thorn returned.

At last month’s Australian Open, after slipping out in the second round, Del Potro required treatment for his left wrist, which had proved problematic since 2012 and required injections at the 2013 US Open. He arrived in Dubai this week noting that he was “still not fully confident to hit my backhand 100 per cent“ while acknowledging that “I feel this pain sometimes when I hit my backhand and it is hard to get it out of my mind”.

The medical advice was that Del Potro was fine to play Somdev Devvarman in Tuesday’s first round at the Aviation Club. That advice appears to have been wrong. After losing an opening set tiebreaker, the Argentine retired in what appeared to be great pain and went straight for treatment. Returning to speak with media “out of respect”, he said gravely that the wrist was “hurting a lot and everybody knows what’s happened to me four years ago with my other wrist”.

Visibly deflated, but wearing nothing but a wristwatch on the injured joint, he said: “It’s hurting all the time, sometimes less and sometimes more. I’ve been in contact with my doctor all the time. He’s trying to keep me motivated to keep playing, but I know my limit and today was enough.”

Against Devvarman, Del Potro looked shackled, hitting only his forehand and serve with any power. When the ball required a backhand, as it increasingly did once Devvarman spotted his opponent’s discomfort, Del Potro sliced it every time.

“I tried everything, but it’s very difficult playing in these conditions,” he said. “When I can only play slices, I cannot be the player I would like to be.”

Del Potro will make his way to the United States where he is to play Indian Wells from March 6. Before that he will visit his Minnesotan mouse, Dr Richard Berger of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. Berger is the hand surgeon who operated on his right wrist.

The world number five stopped short of saying surgery is certain and refused to consider his season could be over, but his dispirited demeanour belied his words.

“I cannot say that yet, but I’m feeling similar pains in the other hand to what I felt four years ago,” Del Potro said. “It’s not positive for my future, but the good thing is the doctor is still confident with himself. I believe in him and I will do what he says. I have to be as strong as ever.”

He has to be strong as an elephant and hope the mouse can help.

Additional reporting from John McAuley.

gmeenaghan@thenational.ae

Follow our sports coverage on @SprtNationalUAE

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%3Cp%3EHigh%20fever%20(40%C2%B0C%2F104%C2%B0F)%3Cbr%3ESevere%20headache%3Cbr%3EPain%20behind%20the%20eyes%3Cbr%3EMuscle%20and%20joint%20pains%3Cbr%3ENausea%3Cbr%3EVomiting%3Cbr%3ESwollen%20glands%3Cbr%3ERash%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Stan%20Lee
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Revibe%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Hamza%20Iraqui%20and%20Abdessamad%20Ben%20Zakour%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20UAE%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Refurbished%20electronics%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunds%20raised%20so%20far%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%2410m%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFlat6Labs%2C%20Resonance%20and%20various%20others%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
RESULT

Argentina 0 Croatia 3
Croatia: 
Rebic (53'), Modric (80'), Rakitic (90' 1)

Stage 3 results

1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 4:42:33

2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:03

3 Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:30

4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ

5 Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe         

6 Diego Ulissi (ITA) UAE Team Emirates  0:01:56

General Classification after Stage 3:

1 Adam Yates (GBR) Mitchelton-Scott 12:30:02

2 Tadej Pocagar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:07

3  Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ) Astana 0:01:35

4 David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:40

5  Rafal Majka (POL) Bora-Hansgrohe

6 Wilco Kelderman (NED) Team Sunweb)  0:02:06

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Haltia.ai%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202023%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECo-founders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Arto%20Bendiken%20and%20Talal%20Thabet%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20AI%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241.7%20million%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self%2C%20family%20and%20friends%26nbsp%3B%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 240hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 390Nm at 3,000rpm

Transmission: eight-speed auto

Price: from Dh122,745

On sale: now

Most sought after workplace benefits in the UAE
  • Flexible work arrangements
  • Pension support
  • Mental well-being assistance
  • Insurance coverage for optical, dental, alternative medicine, cancer screening
  • Financial well-being incentives 

 

 

Squads

Australia: Finch (c), Agar, Behrendorff, Carey, Coulter-Nile, Lynn, McDermott, Maxwell, Short, Stanlake, Stoinis, Tye, Zampa

India: Kohli (c), Khaleel, Bumrah, Chahal, Dhawan, Shreyas, Karthik, Kuldeep, Bhuvneshwar, Pandey, Krunal, Pant, Rahul, Sundar, Umesh

Match info

Wolves 0

Arsenal 2 (Saka 43', Lacazette 85')

Man of the match: Shkodran Mustafi (Arsenal)

Wednesday's results

Finland 3-0 Armenia
Faroes Islands 1-0 Malta
Sweden 1-1 Spain
Gibraltar 2-3 Georgia
Romania 1-1 Norway
Greece 2-1 Bosnia and Herzegovina
Liechtenstein 0-5 Italy
Switzerland 2-0 Rep of Ireland
Israel 3-1 Latvia

Pharaoh's curse

British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.

Disability on screen

Empire — neuromuscular disease myasthenia gravis; bipolar disorder; post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Rosewood and Transparent — heart issues

24: Legacy — PTSD;

Superstore and NCIS: New Orleans — wheelchair-bound

Taken and This Is Us — cancer

Trial & Error — cognitive disorder prosopagnosia (facial blindness and dyslexia)

Grey’s Anatomy — prosthetic leg

Scorpion — obsessive compulsive disorder and anxiety

Switched at Birth — deafness

One Mississippi, Wentworth and Transparent — double mastectomy

Dragons — double amputee

UK-EU trade at a glance

EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years

Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products

Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries

Smoother border management with use of e-gates

Cutting red tape on import and export of food

Results

2pm: Al Sahel Contracting Company – Maiden (PA) Dh50,000 (Dirt) 1,200m; Winner: AF Mutakafel, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer)

2.30pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,200m; Winner: El Baareq, Antonio Fresu, Rashed Bouresly

3pm: Shadwell – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,950m; Winner: Lost Eden, Andrea Atzeni, Doug Watson

3.30pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,000m; Winner: Alkaraama, Dane O’Neill, Musabah Al Muhairi

4pm: Keeneland – Handicap (TB) Dh76,000 (D) 1,800m; Winner: Lady Snazz, Saif Al Balushi, Bhupat Seemar

4.30pm: Hive – Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Down On Da Bayou, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

5pm: Dubai Real Estate Centre – (TB) Handicap Dh64,000 (D) 1,600m; Winner: Lahmoom, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence