Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro has the crowd’s love and a quarterfinal berth at U.S. Open

You don’t always have to be American to be embraced by New Yorkers at the U.S. Open.

Juan Martin del Potro, the 2009 Open champion, feels the love in places far from his native Argentina for many reasons. He has fought long and hard, coming back from injuries and surgeries.

The Olympic silver medalist was given a wild card into the Open and has made the most of his opportunity, reaching the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 3-2 (retired) win over Dominic Thiem of Austria on Monday.

Thiem has been hampered by blisters and now an ailing right knee, which forced him to retire from the fourth-round match.

Del Potro is in his first Grand Slam quarterfinal since Wimbledon three years ago. He will face No. 3-seeded Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland.

“I didn’t expect to be in the quarters in my second Slam after my comeback,” he said. “I was close to retired before my third [wrist] surgery but after that I always believed in myself to come back. When I made the decision to do the surgery, I always believe I will come back, for sure. . . . I don’t have any big problems in my wrist and that’s important.

“Sometimes bother me a bit, but I can deal with that.”

Learning Curve

Simona Halep of Romania will be the quarterfinal opponent of Serena Williams, who has yet to lose her serve at this year’s U.S. Open.

Halep is 1-7 against Williams in completed matches, her only win coming in 2014. After her fourth-round victory Monday, Halep said she “was dreaming” when she was a kid about playing against Williams.

What has she learned about playing Serena?

“Oh, she’s ambitious,” Halep said. “She gives everything to win all the matches. Her focus. She is focused and she doesn’t give up. Three things. And I’m not telling anymore.”