INDIAN WELLS: Former US Open champion Juan Martin del Potro has received a wild card into Indian Wells, the first ATP Masters tournament of 2015, organizers said Wednesday.
Tournament director Steve Simon announced the invitation to del Potro along with 11 other wildcards a week before women's first-round play begins in the combined ATP and WTA event.
Argentina's del Potro, who won the 2009 US Open, reached the quarter-finals at Sydney in January.
He then had left wrist surgery on January 19, and will be playing just his second tournament of 2015.
Del Potro has played in the hardcourt tournament in the California desert five times, with his best result a finals appearance in 2013.
Ten American wildcards were announced on Wednesday.
They include Ryan Harrison and Tim Smyczek, who battled Rafael Nadal in a four-hour, five-set second-round match at the Australian Open in which Smyczek was lauded for allowing Nadal to replay a serve late in the match after a disruption from the crowd.
Croatian 18-year-old Donna Vekic, who won the first WTA title of her career at Kuala Lumpur last season, has also received a wildcard.
A key women's wildcard was awarded earlier this year to world number one and two-time Indian Wells champion Serena Williams.
Williams had vowed not to play at Indian Wells again after she was booed en route to victory over Kim Clijsters in the 2001 final after her sister Venus had withdrawn from their scheduled all-Williams semi-final.
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