There was a little tennis at the Garden yesterday as Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro and Victoria Azarenka hit balls into the upper reaches during a timeout of the nationally televised Heat-Knicks showdown.
Tonight, the tennis gets more serious as the BNP Paribas Showdown is staged with Del Potro facing comebacking Rafael Nadal in the main event following the 7 p.m. opening act of Serena Williams vs. Azarenka. The latter is a rematch of the 2012 U.S. Open Finals, won by Serena in three sets.
Nadal missed the U.S. Open with knee trouble and plays his fourth event in five weeks after a seven-month injury layoff.
Del Potro, who won the 2009 Open, attended his first Knicks game yesterday and, according to a source, met with fellow countryman, Knicks PG Pablo Prigioni for 20 minutes following the game. Del Potro and Prigioni became friendly during the London Olympics as members of Team Argentina.