Ram, Dimitrov, Querrey, del Potro reach the Delray Open semifinals

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Del Potro comeback continues to roll at Delray Open

Juan Martin del Potro uses a two-handed backhand Friday at the Delray Beach Open.

By Palm Beach Business.com

DELRAY BEACH — Juan Martin del Potro remained perfect Friday, beating Jeremy Chardy of France 6-2, 6-3 in his quarterfinal match at the Delray Beach Open. In two appearances at the ATP World Tour event, del Potro has yet to lose a set, let alone a match.

Also Friday, Grigor Dimitrov of Bulgaria, the lone remaining seed, and Americans Rajeev Ram and Sam Querrey won their quarterfinal matches at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. Dimitrov will play Ram at 3 p.m. on the stadium court and del Potro will face Querrey at 8 p.m.

On paper, at least, Chardy appeared to be the toughest of the three opponents del Potro had faced this week at Delray. Chardy was the tournament's fifth seed. Before Tuesday night, Del Potro hadn't played a competitive match in nearly a year and was coming of wrist surgery in June. But he was never seriously challenged at any point during the match.

Del Potro won the 2011 Delray Beach Open, then known as the Delray Beach International Championships, without losing a set. He's continued that perfect string through three matches this year. But for del Potro, the tournament is really about that surgically repaired wrist, getting back into condition and getting his game together.

"This kind of match is a big chance to test my wrist and see how (it) improves," del Potro said. "I need to stay calm and be patient, because it's a long road to 100 percent.

"I'm so tired, so tight everywhere on my body. It's normal, nothing dangerous, nothing strange. In the end I will be better."

Del Potro said he is taking things a match at a time, resting and seeing how his body responds. He's in no rush to play the next tournament or worry about his ranking within the ATP. He came into Delray at 1,084 in the world. He won't be after the weekend.

The match between Americans Sam Querrey and Tim Symczek might have been the most compelling of the day. Querrey won 7-6(1), 6-7(4), 6-4, in a match that lasted two hours and 29 minutes. Even the last set looked like it was going to be settled with yet another tiebreaker until Querrey broke Smyczek in the 10th and final game. Querry had 13 aces.

Gusty winds affected play during the match, as it has the past few nights. The court surface itself plays differently at night as the heat that builds up during the day dissipates. Querry said his solution was trying "to try to hit through it and try to stay aggressive."

Ram earned his spot in the semifinals by defeating Benjamin Becker, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. Dimitrov, the four seed, beat Adrian Mannarino, the eight seed, 6-4, 7-5.

Also Saturday, the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike, face Chardy and Leander Paes at 6 p.m. in the semifinals of the doubles competition. The Bryans are trying to win Delray for a third consecutive year. At 1 p.m., Treat Huey of the Philippines and Max Mirnyi of Belarus play Oliver Marach of Austria and Fabrice Martin of France.