Del Potro out of Australian Open

US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro’s bid for back-to-back Grand Slam titles has come to a sticky end in the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.

Del Potro struggled most of the way through the 4-hour, 38-minute five set match against No14 ranked Marin Cilic, losing 5-7, 6-4, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3.

The 21-year-old Croat lost to del Potro in the fourth round here last year and in the US Open quarter-finals.

The four other leading men continue apace.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray held off two of the tallest men and biggest servers in tennis earlier on Rod Laver Arena to set up a quarter-final meeting.

Nadal, who beat Federer in the 2009 final, had a 6-4, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over 6-foot-10 Ivo Karlovic of Croatia, the tallest man on the tour.

No5 Murray overcame 6-foot-9 American John Isner 7-6 (4),6-3, 6-2 to reach the final eight in Australia for the first time. The 22-year-old Scot hasn’t dropped a set in four matches.

No2-ranked Russian Dinara Safina was forced to retire hurt while she was down 4-5, serving at 30-40 in the first set against Maria Kirilenko, who’d ousted 2008 champion and fellow Russian Maria Sharapova in the first round.

No3-ranked Svetlana Kuznetsova lost 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 to Nadia Petrova, who went into the match on a stunning, 6-0, 6-1 third-round victory over US Open champion Kim Clijsters.

While the seeded players dropped, former No1 Justine Henin continued her
run in her first Grand Slam tournament for two years with a 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3 win over fellow Belgian Yanina Wickmayer, setting her on course for a quarter-final against Petrova.

Favourite out

Del Potro had an upset win over top-ranked Roger Federer in the US Open final last September, ending the Swiss star’s streak of five straight titles in New York.

The 21-year-old Argentine was the first man since Novak Djokovic won the 2008 Australian Open to interrupt the Federer-Rafael Nadal domination of men’s Grand Slam titles, and started the season’s first major with the No4 seeding and among the favourites.

Del Potro had been bothered by right wrist pain that forced him out of a warm-up tournament and was undoubtedly weary from a five-set, second round win over James Blake – the longest of the tournament in terms of total games at 62.

He said the wrist and the foot were only part of the problem. What hurt? “The whole body.”

The increased expectations on him weren’t a bother, he said.

“No, I really enjoyed that pressure. The crowd is unbelievable with me.

“They support me every match, every point,” said del Potro, who plans to go home and recover.