Stan Wawrinka would've ideally liked the match to be shorter, but was tested at times against a plucky American teenager in the form of Taylor Fritz. At 18-years-old, the California-born starlet has flourished in recent years and continues to progress, so it was no surprise he soaked up the atmosphere on Court 1 at Wimbledon - giving Stan a challenging match in fairness too.
Using every ounce of his experience and expertise on the big stage, Wawrinka held his nerve and came through with a 7-6, 6-1, 6-7, 6-4 victory in just under 2 hours and 30 minutes of play on day two of this year's Grand Slam tournament at SW19.
Wawrinka cautious ahead of second-round encounter
Telling reporters after his win, Wawrinka was quick to avoid discussing del Potro's ranking (165th in the world currently), instead saying it would be "interesting" to play the Argentine, especially considering it's been "many years" since the two went head-to-head.
"For sure I think we are all happy that he's back on the tour, hopefully without any injury, and hope that he can play for long now."
Wawrinka, who is still yet to progress past the quarter-final stage at Wimbledon, admitted it'd be a "tough match" for him. In spite of his troublesome injuries, del Potro has managed to play some fantastic tennis and poses a credible threat - not only due to his "big serve, big forehand", but also his tall, imposing frame.
del Potro meanwhile, found it an easier task to prevail against Stephane Robert in straight-sets. 6-1, 7-5, 6-0 was the final score - his first encounter at Wimbledon since 2013 and plenty of the 27-year-old's supporters will be hoping he can maintain a clean bill of health as he's reaching his peak years.