How many of these matches will del Potro be able to handle?

Tough to answer and del Potro seems to still have reserves to last the whole tournament.

Even though the previous match against James Blake and a narrow five-set victory over the American, left its marks – and Mayer’s stubborness showed once again that the Argentine is vulnerable, but resilient.

If there is a sign which might prove to be fatidic to Juan Martin del Potro in this Australian Open 2010, nothing better than the bizarre 0-6 second set as he advanced through to the fourth round to overcome Germany’s Florian Mayer 6-3 0-6 6-4 7-5.

Another close 5 set match in the next round and del Potro might as well say goodbye to any hopes of an Australian Open title in 2010!.

Florian Mayer world No. 60 5-1 proved to be far stickier than del Potro ever imagined.

The first set was clear but del Potro ran far more than he wished to.

That showed immediately in the second set, which swung in favor of the German, who made only three unforced errors in the set and leveled the score with a 6-0 win in a bare 28 minutes.

The unflappable Argentine did not let this 0-6 result bother him and carried on with his business of serving big and hitting forehand winners!

Along the way he powered five aces and 13 winners to claim the third set 6-4.

Sticky as ever Mayer broke del Potro in the middle of the fourth set and it look as though a fifth set was in sight.

But, that was not part of del Potro's plans, Juan Martin stepped up the pressure on Florian Mayer broke back and took the set 7-5 dashing all hopes Florian might have had.

Marin Cilic and Stanislas Wawrinka or their coaches were certainly watching del Potro and some notes where taken, I believe a five set match might be in the wings for Juan Martin, that is, if he can sustain the on coming the barrage that long!

Sergio Cruz  

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Men's Singles - 3rd Round   Andy Roddick USA (7) 64 6 6 77     Feliciano Lopez ESP  77 4 4 63    Men's Singles - 3rd Round   Florian Mayer GER  3 6 4 5     Juan Martin Del Potro ARG (4) 6 0 6 7    Men's Singles - 3rd Round   Philipp Kohlschreiber GER (27) 4 2 6 5     Rafael Nadal ESP (2) 6 6 2 7    Men's Singles - 3rd Round   Andy Murray GBR (5) 7 6 6       Florent Serra FRA  5 1 4     Men's Singles - 3rd Round   Ivo Karlovic CRO  6 3 6 79     Ivan Ljubicic CRO (24) 3 6 3 67   Men's Singles - 3rd Round   Marin Cilic CRO (14) 4 6 6 6     Stanislas Wawrinka SUI (19) 6 4 3 3   Men's Singles - 3rd Round   John Isner USA (33) 6 4 77 77     Gael Monfils FRA (12) 1 6 64 65   Men's Singles - 3rd Round   Evgeny Korolev KAZ  77 3 6 3 4   Fernando Gonzalez CHI (11) 65 6 1 6 6

Women's Singles - 3rd Round
	Angelique Kerber GER				6		5		4
	Svetzlana Kunetsova RUS (3)				3		7		6

Women's Singles - 3rd Round
	Elena Baltacha GBR				1		2
	Dinara Safina RUS (2)				6		6

Women's Singles - 3rd Round
	Justine Henin BEL				3		6		6
	Alisa Kleybanova RUS (27)				6		4		2

Women's Singles - 3rd Round
	Kim Clijsters BEL (15)				0		1
	Nadia Petrova RUS (19)				6		6

Women's Singles - 3rd Round
	Jelena Jankovic SRB (8)				2		3
	Alona Bondarenko UKR (31)				6		6

Women's Singles - 3rd Round
	Sara Errani ITA				1		77		3
	Yanina Wickmayer BEL				6		64		6

Women's Singles - 3rd Round
	Jie Zheng CHN				5		6		6
	Marion Bartoli FRA (11)				7		3		0

Women's Singles - 3rd Round
	Maria Kirilenko RUS				7		77
	Roberta Vinci ITA				5		64