Del Potro to sit out remainder of 2010

BUENOS AIRES - Argentine Juan Del Potro will not return to tennis before January, blaming a slow recovery from wrist surgery which has stalled his optimistic comeback plans.

“I have decided to end my 2010 season and start training for the next two months to begin 2011 in good shape,” the 2009 US Open winner wrote on his Twitter account.

The decision rules Del Potro out of the Vienna ATP event starting Monday as well as Valencia, Spain the week following. “I want to be my best and keep working hard to achieve this as soon as possible,” the number 36 added in his tweet.

Del Potro underwent surgery on his right wrist last May and attempted autumn comebacks in Bangkok and Tokyo, where he lost in a pair of first rounds and withdrew from the Shanghai Masters.

“This year was very bad, very bad. I suffered a lot. People must for a long time know that I will be lacking in pace, away from my best tennis,” said the South American in a television interview.

“I began the Australia Open is one of the favourites with chances to be number one. Suddenly, everything collapsed. I went several months without getting a proper diagnosis.”

Del Potro expects to start 2011 with a clean slate as he has no computer points to defend. His last match before Asia was the Australian Open where he lost in the fourth round to Marin Cilic.