LONDON: Juan Martin del Potro admitted he felt “alive again” after the injury-plagued former US Open champion sent Swiss fourth seed Stan Wawrinka crashing out of a wet and wild Wimbledon here on Friday.

On a day when rain caused a 10th delay of the week, forcing organisers to consider playing on the middle Sunday for the first time since 2004, the giant Del Potro shone beneath the Centre Court roof.

Playing in his first Grand Slam tournament since the 2014 Australian Open, his 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3 second-round victory over Wawrinka brought back memories of his stunning 2009 US Open win before a series of wrist injuries pushed him to the brink of retirement.

The world No.165 from Argentina, who was a semi-finalist in 2013 in what was his last appearance at Wimbledon, next faces French 32nd seed Lucas Pouille.

“It feels amazing, it’s a great sensation,” said the 27-year-old who has undergone three wrist surgeries in the last two years.

“I enjoyed the crowd. It’s an incredible feeling, that’s why my hands are still shaking. I feel alive again. After sitting at home for two years, this feels like a second or third career,” added the former world No.4.

Wawrinka, a quarter-finalist in 2014 and 2015, fired 47 winners past Del Potro but was undone by 48 unforced errors.

“We are happy that he’s back. He’s a great guy off the court. He’s amazing player on the court. He’s big champion,” said Wawrinka.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon suffered a third day of rain delays.

Only one minute of action was possible on the outside courts in the first four hours.

The tournament already had a backlog of 16 second round ties and with more rain expected Saturday, organisers admitted that play may take place on Sunday for the first time since 2004 and only the third time overall.

“Sunday play is being considered but a decision won’t be made until tomorrow,” a spokesman told AFP.

All men’s second-round doubles matches were reduced to best of three sets rather than five in an effort to get the tournament back on the schedule.

Around two hours of play was possible in the afternoon but was halted at 5pm (1600GMT) with five-time champion Venus Williams holding match point against Russia’s Daria Kasatkina on Court One.

The 36-year-old American was 7-6, 40-30 ahead in the third set of the third round clash when a stoppage was called.

By that stage, only eight matches had been completed with Czech 10th seed Tomas Berdych beating Benjamin Becker 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 and French 12th seed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga getting past Juan Monaco 6-1, 6-4, 6-3, also in the second round.

Defending champion and top seed Novak Djokovic, bidding for a third successive Wimbledon title and fourth in total, was due to take on America’s Sam Querrey later Friday on Court One.

Third seed Roger Federer, the seven-time champion, saw off world No.772 Marcus Willis in the second round and Friday was to face another British player, 91st-ranked Daniel Evans under the Centre Court roof.

Defending women’s champion Serena Williams, chasing a seventh Wimbledon title and Open era record-equalling 22nd major, was scheduled to face fellow American Christina McHale on Centre Court.

Results (prefix number denotes seeding):

Men’s singles:

Second round: 32-Lucas Pouille (France) bt Donald Young (US) 6-4, 6-3, 6-3; 12-Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) bt Juan Monaco (Argentina) 6-1, 6-4, 6-3; 10-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) bt Benjamin Becker (Germany) 6-4, 6-1, 6-2; Juan Martin Del Potro (Argentina) bt 4-Stanislas Wawrinka (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(2) 6-3.

Women’s singles:

Third round: 12-Carla Surez Navarro (Spain) bt Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) 6-2, 6-2.

Second round: Annika Beck (Germany) bt Aliaksandra Sasnovich (Belarus) 6-2, 6-1; 21-Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (Russia) bt Yulia Putintseva (Kazakhstan) 7-5, 6-1; 24-Barbora Zahlavova (Czech Republic) bt Evgeniya Rodina (Russia) 6-4, 6-0.

Thursday’s remaining results:

Men’s singles:

Second round: Jiri Vesely (Czech Republic) bt 8-Dominic Thiem (Austria) 7-6(4), 7-6(5), 7-6(3); 7-Richard Gasquet (France) bt Marcel Granollers (Spain) 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-1; 2-Andy Murray (Britain) bt Lu Yen-Hsun (Taiwan) 6-3, 6-2, 6-1; 31-Joao Sousa (Portugal) bt Dennis Novikov (US) 6-4, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

Women’s singles:

Second round: Eugenie Bouchard (Canada) bt 16-Johanna Konta (Britain) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1; 27-CoCo Vandeweghe (US) bt Timea Babos (Hungary) 6-2, 6-3; 3-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) bt Ana Konjuh (Croatia) 6-2, 4-6, 9-7; Elena Vesnina (Russia) bt 32-Andrea Petkovic (Germany) 7-5, 6-3; 19-Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) bt Daria Gavrilova (Australia) 6-3, 6-2; Marina Erakovic (New Zealand) bt 22-Jelena Jankovic (Serbia) 4-6, 7-6(1), 8-6.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2016