The biggest tennis player in Argentina is most certainly 6-foot-6 Juan Martin del Potro, the so-called “Tower of Tandil” and winner of the 2009 US Open.
Diego Schwartzman, 27, has long and understandably lived in Delpo’s shadow.
Pro tennis has clearly become a big-man’s game, in which power, reach and court coverage are at a premium. Height is especially critical on the serve, one of the principal weapons in the men's game.
Schwartzman, just 5-foot-5, has footspeed, but otherwise is gifted with none of those attributes. Yet in his fourth-round victory over 6-foot-6 Alexander Zverev of Germany, the diminutive Argentine was demonstrably the better server. Zverev committed 18 double faults, nullifying his natural advantage in that department.
Though Schwartzman hit zero aces, he won a higher percentage of both his first- and second-serve points.
But that’s nothing new. Schwartzman has been overachieving most of his professional life.
As a junior in Buenos Aires, Schwartzman couldn’t afford to travel around the expansive country to junior tournaments. So he played in Futures events–against pros–at the age of 14 and 15.
Schwartzman has been ranked as high as No. 11 in the world. He became the highest-ranked player to stand at 5-foot-7 or shorter since Harold Solomon made it to No. 10 in 1981. That’s nearly four decades during which the game has only gotten faster, stronger and taller.
Yet Schwartzman has overcome the odds in tennis to make a name for himself. With his defeat of the sixth-seeded Zverev here, the Argentine has now claimed a second No. 6 scalp; his first was Kei Nishikori at this year’s ATP Masters 1000 in Rome.
"I have the confidence to beat many guys when the match is going many hours on court," said Schwartzman.
Schwartzman has an aggressive baseline game and gets surprising pop on his forehand and, occasionally, on his serve (which he can bump up to 116mph or so).
The Argentine ranks in the Top 5 in every return category. "I have a lot of confidence in my return," he asserted. "I was trying to study where my opponents are going to serve in important moments, in every single moment.
"I know it's a weapon in my game. I need to use."
Schwartzman knows his service delivery is less of a weapon. "Okay, I'm not doing aces," he said. "[But] the guy, my opponent, need to play every single point."
No matter whom he plays in the quarterfinal–Rafael Nadal or Marin Cilic–his opponent will be bigger and stronger. Asked if he takes special pleasure in beating much taller guys, Schwartzman said, smiling, "No, no, no. Maybe for you, I don't know. You enjoy it more.
"I think for the people, it's helping to be with me on court," he continued. "They see the small one and the big one, they are going with the small one."
