Del Potro ends Federer’s streak to win Indian Wells title

Tuesday, 20 March 2018 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Juan Martin Del Potro holds the championship trophy after defeating Roger Federer in the men's finals in the BNP Paribas Open at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden

Reuters: Juan Martin del Potro saved three match points in a thrilling final at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday before handing world number one Roger Federer his first loss of the year and claiming his maiden Masters 1000 title.

The Argentine stunned a raucous Indian Wells crowd that had been loudly backing Federer to continue his winning streak and secure the biggest win in the nine years since his US Open title triumph with a 6-4 6-7(8) 7-6(2) victory.

Federer, the defending champion, had chalked up 17 consecutive wins in 2018, a run which included his 20th grand slam title at the Australian Open, but was unable to outlast his determined 29-year-old opponent. Del Potro was considered a genuine threat to Federer’s dominance of the game when he won at Flushing Meadows in 2009 but has been dogged since by a series of wrist problems which almost ended his career. “I’m still shaking I’m so nervous. It’s difficult to describe with words, it’s like a dream,” del Potro said on court after extending his own winning streak to 11 matches.

“I’ve been working hard to get this, and I did it after all my problems, all my surgeries. I can’t believe I’m here and winning a Masters 1000, beating Roger. It’s amazing.”

Beating Federer has never been easy – del Potro had succeeded just six times in 24 previous attempts – and the nailbiting final lasted almost three hours with both players taking occasional issue with the chair umpire.

Del Potro arrived in the Californian desert on the back of a title win in Acapulco but had far from a smooth ride against an agitated Federer, who simply would not give up on his quest for a sixth Indian Wells title.