Olympic Bronze Goes to del Potro in Win Over Djokovic
August 5, 2012 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro defeated second-seeded Novak Djokovic of Serbia 7-5, 6-4 to win the Bronze Medal at the 2012 London Olympics, capturing his nation’s first medal at the Games. The match was delayed twice due to rain. Del Potro has a 45-11 record this year, having won two ATP World Tour titles to date in 2012, at the Open 13 in Marseille and at the Estoril Open. He came into the match with a 1-4 lifetime record against Djokovic.
"[It is a] disappointing end, but I enjoyed it," said Djokovic after the loss. "It was a pleasure playing for my country."
Djokovic has a 45-7 match record to date in 2012, with two titles under his belt, the Australian Open and the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami.
"It’s our (Argentina’s) first medal at this Olympic Games," said del Potro. "It’s the first time in men’s singles. I think it means a lot for us. I wish a fantastic day for [Argentineans] to celebrate this with me .. It’s amazing. It’s history, I think. It’s time to celebrate all together."
