SHANGHAI - Argentine culinary creature of habit Juan Del Potro won’t bow to local sensitivities as he plays as third seed at the Shanghai Masters, with the new US Open champion insisting he’ll stick to his habitual Italian diet while competing in one of the world’s great Asian food cities.
“I always eat Italian, Italian food,” said the South American Sunday after training as the new event got underway with a handful of first-round matches.
Del Potro, like the remainder of the top eight seeds at an event missing fatigued Roger Federer and injured Andy Murray, has a first round bye, with his first test to come against the winner from Frenchman Jeremy Chardy and Austrian Jurgen Melzer.
Del Potro is still getting used to the idea that he actually won the Open over Federer a month ago. And the last thing the 21-year-old wants to do is changes a winning tradition.
At the table, he plans to stick to what he knows best - even in one of the heartlands of one of the planet’s major cuisines.
“I will try to eat China’s food - but not before the match,” he warned.
Del Potro is already looking forward to the end of another breakthrough season.
As world number five on the ATP, he knows his current place in the pecking order.
“It’s very good be like a star - a little star - because the biggest stars are our Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray,” he said.
“I’m still the same person, the same player even though I won a Grand Slam.
“I do the same things every day. I know my way is to work hard, to be a better player, and of course I feel the matches. I’m tired but I will try to win here.
“I have to win more Grand Slam to be similar to Rafa or Djokovic, maybe Roger. They are biggest players. They are the superstars in this moment.”
Chinese home crowds got an opening-day treat when 396th-ranked Zeng Shao Xuan rose to the big occasion at the inagural home Masters 1000, upsetting Israeli Dudi Sela 2-6, 6-1, 6-4.
It was the first ATP match win for the 28-year-old Asian in five attempts going back to 2003 - all of them in China and the last at the Beijing Olympics against David Nalbandian.
German Andreas Beck advanced as Argentine Jose Acasuso quit trailing 7-6 (7-2), 1-0 with a knee injury which will send him home for tests.
“I broke his serve 2-0 and then I felt pain all the time, I can’t run,” said the number 51, first-round loser in Tokyo to retiring Russian Marat Safin.
The outdoor Shanghai event, played at the same Qi Zjong venue which hosted the year-end Masters Cup with a new showcase stadium added, replaces the event played a year ago indoors in Madrid which was switched to clay and moved to the spring.
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