Del Potro stuns Federer in title clash

By AFP

March 20, 2018

INDIAN WELLS, United States: Former US Open champion Juan Martin Del Potro stunned top-ranked Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-6 (7/2) Sunday to win his first Indian Wells title and second consecutive ATP crown.

The 29-year-old from Argentina handed Federer his first match defeat of 2018 and extended his own win streak to 11 matches, including a title run earlier this month at Acapulco. Del Potro, nagged by wrist injuries throughout his career, survived three match points before claiming the championship in a third-set tie-breaker, ending a two hour, 42 minute marathon contest.

Del Potro won the first five points of the deciding tie-breaker then closed it out when Swiss superstar Federer, who had won a career-best 17 straight matches to start the year, smacked a forehand long.

It was an emotional match for both players as each took turns questioning the chair umpire. Del Potro urged him to stop the pro-Federer crowd from making noise on his serve and an irritated Federer also had a couple of lively conversations with the umpire.

Del Potro was competing in his first Indian Wells final since 2013, when he lost to Spaniard Rafael Nadal.It was Del Potro’s seventh victory over Federer in 25 career meetings, one of those wins coming in the 2009 US Open final.

World number eight Del Potro is back in the rankings top 10 after dropping to 1,045th before beginning his comeback from three left wrist surgeries in 2016.

ATP rankings (change in ranking in brackets):

1. Roger Federer (SUI) 9660 pts

2. Rafael Nadal (ESP) 9370

3. Marin Cilic (CRO) 4905

4. Grigor Dimitrov (BUL) 4600

5. Alexander Zverev (GER) 4505

6. J Del Potro (ARG) 4155 (+2)

7. Dominic Thiem (AUT) 3675 (-1)

8. Kevin Anderson (RSA) 3235 (+1)

9. David Goffin (BEL) 3190 (-2)

10. Lucas Pouille (FRA) 2420 (+2)

11. Jack Sock (USA) 2335 (-1)