World No. 9 Juan Martin Del Potro earned a hard-fought victory over Spaniard Albert Montanes with a 6-2 6-7 (7) 6-2 6-1 scoreline on Monday and advanced into the second-round of the 2012 French Open, this year’s second Major tournament, being played here in Roland Garros, Paris.

Juan Martin Del Potro won this contest in three hours and ten minutes. The Argentine made a fine start to the match and easily won the first set, but then the struggle began in the second-set, as the lanky Argentine looked pretty feeble - physically. Montanes made the most of the situation and won the second set. But, then the Argentine availed the medical time-out and also gulped a few pain-killers to subside the pain. After that, he won the next two sets and sailed through.

After 38 minutes of play, ninth-seeded Juan Martin Del Potro clinched the first set. After earning the early breakthrough in the first set, Del Potro easily maintained the lead - till the sixth game, where Montanes did relatively well to test the lanky Argentine. But, finally, Del Potro unleashed the raw strength of his forehand and won the first set - on a comprehensive note.

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After playing tremendous tennis throughout the second-set - Montanes finally managed to earn the equalizer in a tie-breaker. Interestingly, Del Potro looked in some kind of disarray in the final stages of the second-set, as he failed to execute some easy shots and the Spaniard earned the equalizer.

The Argentine availed the medical time-out and consumed a few pain killers to get going in the third set. And, he defied the odds working against him to win the third-set. Del Potro thoroughly dominated the proceedings in the fourth set and won this contest – easily.