Del Potro extends win streak to 16 games

Washington, Aug 14: Second seeded Juan Martin del Potro beat Dudi Sela 6-0, 5-7, 6-2 in the second round of the ATP Legg Mason Classic on Wednesday, pushing his winning streak to 16 matches. The 19-year-old is enjoying the most productive stretch of his career, having won his last three tournaments.

Del Potro was passed over for Olympic consideration because he was ranked 64th when Argentina selected its team in early June. But times have changed for del Potro in the past six weeks as he captured his first career title in Stuttgart and went on to win in Kitzbuhel a week later. On Sunday, he secured another trophy with a solid straight sets win over ninth-ranked Andy Roddick in the Los Angeles championship. Defending champ Roddick is the top seed at this 508,000 dollar hardcourt event. The 25-year-old American could face del Potro in the final for the second straight week if both players keep winning. A pair of promising American players took centre stage when John Isner downed Donald Young, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) in 1 hour, 17 minutes and gained the right to face del Potro. In other second-round play Wednesday, No. 4 Tommy Haas of Germany overcame an erratic serve to dispatch Frenchman Nicolas Mahut 7-6 (7/4), 6-3. The German advanced to the quarter-finals to face Colombia's Alejandro Falla, who outlasted Florent Serra 7-6 (7/2), 7-6 (13/11). Bureau Report