Juan Martin Del Potro was a spectacular climber on the ATP rankings in 2008 and this year he's continued his impressive momentum to remain in the higher echelons of the men's game.

At a career high of five in the world, the Argentine can now consider himself as a realistic contender for major honours, although this will be the first time he appears on the grass of Wimbledon as a recognised force - and his booming serve certainly makes him a threat.

Last year, following a second-round exit at SW19 where he wasn't even seeded, Del Potro remarkably won four ATP tournaments back to back to climb from 65th in early July to ninth by the end of the season.

The 20-year-old reached the quarter-finals of the 2008 US Open and also reached the last eight at the Australian Open earlier this year, but it was his victories over Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray in Miami and Madrid respectively which raised further eyebrows in the tennis world.

At the recent French Open, Del Potro pushed eventual champion Roger Federer all the way in a gruelling semi-final before eventually being ousted in five sets after three hours and 28 minutes - more proof of his startling march towards the top.

This powerful competitor may well be a dark horse but he's obviously not one to adopt a patient route to success and he could be clinching a Grand Slam title sooner than anyone expects.