Argentina could potentially be sending the maximum four players to the Olympics. Juan Martin del Potro, Federico Delbonis, Juan Monaco, and Guido Pella will be the four representatives should they be able to send all four. Delbonis and Pella are both set to make Olympic appearances while del Potro and Monaco will be subjected to an appeal by the ITF Olympic Committee.
Del Potro and Monaco Hope For Another Shot
Both del Potro and Monaco must appeal to the ITF in order to keep their Olympic hopes. Both competed in the last Olympics in London with both men on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of results. Monaco lost in the second round of the tournament to Feliciano Lopez. Though Monaco was seeded 9th which made it an upset to many people, Lopez was the favorite because of his grass court prowess.
Del Potro, on the other hand, was a bronze medalist. He cruised through his first two matches, defeating Ivan Dodig and Andreas Seppi. In his third round match, he was tested by Gilles Simon before escaping in three and would go on to book his semifinal spot after defeating Kei Nishikori in two tight sets.
In the semifinals, del Potro played in one of the longest matches that the 2012 Olympics saw. Roger Federer outlasted the hard-hitting Argentine in three sets, winning 19-17 in the third. The Argentine won the bronze medal match over Novak Djokovic.
First-Timers
Delbonis and Pella will be Olympic first-timers when they make their debuts in Rio. Though both are better on the clay courts, Delbonis might be one to potentially to play spoiler. The crafty left-hander picked up a notable hard court win over Andy Murray in Indian Wells this past spring.