Sydney: Juan Martin Del Potro launched his comeback from a serious wrist injury with a convincing 6-3, 7-6 (4) win over Sergiy Stakhovsky in the first round of the Sydney International on Tuesday.
The former US Open champion is currently ranked No. 338 after undergoing surgery on his left wrist last year and missing more than 10 months on tour. He needed a wild card to enter the main draw in Sydney, where he's the defending champion, but looked fit and sharp in beating 69th-ranked Stakhovsky in 88 minutes. He will face top-seeded Fabio Fognini in the second round.
Del Potro delayed his comeback a week after pulling out of the Brisbane International tournament with residual pain in his wrist. But he looked unimpeded against Stakhovsky on Tuesday as he served seven aces and never faced a break point.
"These guys are playing all year. It's time to get back on the train again," del Potro said. "This tournament is very special to me."
It was del Potro's second extended layoff with a wrist injury. After capturing his only Grand Slam title at the 2009 U.S. Open, he underwent surgery on his right wrist and was sidelined for eight months.
Bernard Tomic, who was runner-up to del Potro in last year's final, needed only 43 minutes to beat Igor Sijsling of the Netherlands 6-1, 6-2. The Australian, ranked 71, served eight aces and converted four of six break points to swiftly progress to the second round.
In other results Tuesday, Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro upset sixth-seeded Ekaterina Makarova of Russia 4-6, 6-1, 6-4, and Tsvetana Pironkova of Bulgaria advanced when American Madison Keys retired trailing 4-1 in the second set after winning the first.
The women's top seed, Simona Halep, withdrew from the tournament Tuesday with gastroenteritis. In the Hobart International tournament, American Sloane Stephens, the fifth seed, fell to Heather Watson of Britain 6-3, 6-1.
Americans Bob and Mike Bryan, the world's top-ranked doubles combination, suffered a shock 1-6, 7-6 (4), 11-9 loss to unseeded Andre Begemann of Germany and Robin Haase of the Netherlands in the first round of the ATP Tour's Heineken Open in Auckland.
In singles, sixth-seeded Colombian Santiago Giraldo was beaten 6-2, 6-3 in the first round by qualifier Kenny de Schepper of France. Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta beat Croatian teenager Borna Coric 6-4, 6-3.
Diego Schwartzman of Argentina defeated seventh-seeded Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 while qualifier Jiri Vesely downed Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil 6-3, 7-6 (4).
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