Del Potro: I can’t believe I won Indian Wells

The next time he would meet Federer was in 2011. It’s not been vintage Federer-Nadal by any stretch of the imagination.

Just another March Sunday in the desert, right?

“I can not believe I won this tournament, beating Roger in a great final and level of tennis”, Del Potro said. It only took him 51 tries to capture one, but it was well worth it. He defeated one of his oldest rivals to get there. It felt like a rivalry. He closed out the win on his third match point when Federer’s forehand failed.

The tall Argentine with a rocket of a forehand has endured years of injury-induced heartbreak but on Sunday was back at the very top of the game, beating no less than Roger Federer in an enthralling Indian Wells final.

However the second set was much more intense, as Federer refused to back down, and hit another gear. He stood his ground on the baseline, as is his wont, anticipating, taking quick first steps, absorbing the pace on the short hop, and sending balls back at breakneck speed. “I had a great run and a great week on and off the court”. “Goalkeepers. Federer. Leg speed, yes, but not reaction time”.

Juan Martin Del Potro then outlasted Federer in a three-set, 2 hour and 48 minute men’s singles championship match that required two tiebreakers, 6-4, 6-7 (8), 7-6 (2) and featured some first class shotmaking (as well as the sight of both players yapping at the chair umpire).

The living legend moved to 17-1 on the year, coming up just short in his bid for a third title, after losing to del Potro, 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-2). He started in ideal fashion by claiming the first set, but if he hoped taking an early lead would get the crowd on his side, he was wrong.

Del Potro’s ranking is expected to climb two spots to No. 6, and he’ll take home $1,340,860 in prize money.

Seeded fifth in Miami, Del Potro will have his work cut out if he is to secure successive victories, facing either Yuichi Sugita or Robin Haase in the second round before a possible last-32 meeting with 2016 runner-up Kei Nishikori. Federer eventually made a formal challenge, and Hawk-Eye showed that the ball was clearly in. Del Potro described the close, tense match as an “arm wrestle”.

Federer had a chance to serve out the match, holding two match points. Del Potro trails in their series 18-7, but owns a 4-2 advantage in finals. I was still thinking about my forehand miss and my forehand error, mistake in the match point. It was maybe a point here or there, maybe a shot, maybe a forehand, maybe a chip.

Osaka dropped just one set in seven matches, knocking off two-time victor Maria Sharapova, No. 5 Karolina Pliskova and top-ranked Simona Halep against whom she won the last nine games of the match. After Novak Djokovic, the one serious threat to Roger in the tournament, bowed out in his first match, Federer’s triumph seemed a certainty. He also beat Federer in the quarterfinals of last year’s U.S. Open. The two competitors didn’t disappoint. He is 4-14 against Djokovic, and 3-7 against Murray.