Juan Martin del Potro says he is excited about the opportunity to play a top player again. The Argentine won his first-round match at Indian Wells to set up a meeting with Tomas Berdych.
Del Potro, who received a wild card into the event, defeated Tim Smyczek, 6-4, 6-0, in the first round. The former U.S. Open champion returned a few weeks ago from a third procedure on his left wrist, reaching the semifinals of the ATP 250 event in Delray Beach.
"I think I surprised myself with my level, too," said del Potro. "But I've been working hard to get competitive before I came here."
Though he looked reluctant to hit his backhand in his first match back, del Potro has been increasingly more confident with the shot in each match.
"It's a little better,” he said. “I have to be patient.”
He played down the prospect of beating seventh-ranked Berdych, but having competed only intermittently over the last two years, he said he wanted to compete against a top player in a big stadium again.
"To play the top guys, I have to get in shape and be 100 percent," he said. "I would like to enjoy myself, because I didn't expect to play a Top 10 player in this moment.''
Either way, it will not affect his comeback effort.
"I'm very positive,” del Potro said. “I have a lot of power to keep working.
Del Potro is 4-3 for his career against Berdych.