Fernando Verdasco plays Juan Martin Del Potro for a place in Sunday's San Jose final.
For the Del Potro fans out there, there have been some very encouraging signs this week. The Argentine has been looking pretty sharp, reaching the last four without dropping a set. His fitness has yet to be seriously tested as none of his opponents so far have been able to provide a serious challenge. Even former champion Lleyton Hewitt subsided meekly 6-2, 6-3 in the quarters.
Del Potro is delighted with how his comeback is going and he's feeling confident for the rest of the US hard court swing leading up to next month's Masters Series events.
“I need matches to play better. To play four or five matches this week would be fantastic for the comeback. I hope to be in good shape for tomorrow," he said. "I am feeling good this week but I am still far off my best level. I can play better and I am getting better slowly. I am working day by day for the future and I hope to be in good shape for a real comeback."
However defending champion Verdasco is not going to give up his crown easily and it will be interesting to see how Del Potro faces up against a top ten opponent in his current form.
Verdasco played a very tactically intelligent match to see off fifth seed Denis Istomin 6-4, 6-4 in the last eight, using plenty of heavy topspin to push his big hitting opponent back in the court.
However he's anticipating a tough semi-final against the former US Open champion. “It’s going to be the toughest match for me this week," Verdasco said. "He really played unbelievable with Lleyton and I think it’s going to be a very difficult match. I hope tomorrow that he won’t have his best day and maybe make more mistakes than he did today and I can take advantage of that, be able to win, and be back in the final again here.”
Prediction: Del Potro in two
