INDIAN WELLS – Juan Martin del Potro, playing his first match since winning at Delray Beach, defeated former top-10 player Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-0 on Thursday at the WTA and ATP Masters event. Argentina’s Del Potro beat the Czech and former world number eight in a controlled and powerful fashion to reach the second round as he continues a comeback from surgery on his right wrist that forced him to miss most of last season. This marked the first time Del Potro has beaten Stepanek in three career meetings. He lost to the Czech twice in 2009.
Del Potro, 22, advanced to the second round, where he will face defending champion Ivan Ljubicic, who received a bye through the first round of the $9 million dollar hardcourt tournament. Del Potro’s victory highlighted the opening day of the 96-player men’s draw. Like Ljubicic, three-time former champion Roger Federer has a bye. Federer will face the winner of a first-round match between Japan’s Kei Nishikori and Igor Andreev of Russia. The men’s draw also features world No. 1 Rafael Nadal, hard serving Ivo Karlovic of Croatia and reigning Australian Open champion Novak Djokovic. In other first round men’s matches on Thursday, Xavier Malisse of Belgium defeated Flavio Cipolla of Italy 6-1, 6-4, Germany’s Rainer Schuttler stopped Robin Haase 7-6 (7/4), 7-5 and Ryan Sweeting of the US swept past Spain’s Marcel Granollers 6-4, 6-1.
Somdev Devvarman of India defeated Adrian Mannarino of France 6-2, 6-3, Victor Hanescu of Romainia stopped Andreas Seppi of Italy 4-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-3 and Janko Tipsarevic beat Tobias Kamke 6-2, 6-0. On the women’s side, China’s Peng Shuai defeated Czech Renata Voracova 7-5, 6-1, Simona Halep of Romania defeated Nuria Llagostera of Spain 0-6, 6-2, 6-4 and Britain’s Elena Baltacha ralled to beat Italy’s Roberta Vinci 2-6, 7-5, 6-2. Second-seeded Belgium Kim Clijsters begins her run at Indian Wells when she faces Russian Alla Kudryavtseva.
