DEL POTRO STUNS FEDERER AT INDIAN WELLS
ARGENTINIAN HANDS WORLD NO. 1 FIRST DEFEAT OF 2018
INDIAN WELLS: Roger Federer admits his thrilling Indian Wells Masters final loss to Juan Martin del Potro will “sting”, but not for long. Federer wasted three match points before suffering a 6-4, 6-7 (8-10), 7-6 (7-2) defeat to the Argentinian on Sunday.
The world number one served for a sixth Indian Wells title at 5-4 in the third set but Del Potro fought back before Federer played a poor tie-break. Federer said the defeat would hurt, but he took plenty of positives from the tournament as his record slipped to 17-1 this year. “I feel frustrated, you know, that I let an opportunity like this go by. Serving 40-15, any game I probably win --- I don’t know what the stat is --- 90-something per cent,” he said.
“So it should sting, like you said, for a bit. The question is how long? It won’t be long, but it’s disappointing talking about a great match like this, losing, even though I was right there.
“Obviously there is not too much time to dwell over it. Like I said, I’m happy for Juan Martin.
“It’s a tough one. And I still had a good week here. I still see the positives at the end of the day.”
Federer said he enjoyed the battle against Del Potro, who won for just the seventh time in 25 clashes between the pair. “It was a great match, honestly. Good fun. Good intensity. We enjoy that. And also it was tough and fair on the court. It was Juan Martin and myself,” he said.
“At the end you saw we are appreciative of the finals that we played against each other, which I think is really important for both of us.”
‘I CAN’T BELIEVE I WON’
Juan Martin del Potro was taken aback by his triumphant display at the Indian Wells Masters. Del Potro saved three match points as the 2009 US Open champion stunned world No 1 Federer. Del Potro’s brute power proved too much to handle as he snapped Federer’s 17-match winning streak to claim a maiden Masters trophy.
“It’s so big,” Del Potro said afterwards. “I cannot believe I won this tournament, beating Roger in a great final and level of tennis. We played great tennis today.
“I’m number six in the world, I think? Which is so good for me.
“And I’m excited to keep working... I just want to keep winning titles like this if I can.”
Del Potro, who upstaged Federer in the US Open decider nine years ago, needed almost three hours to see off the 20-time grand slam champion.
It was a memorable contest, which saw Del Potro waste a match point in a second-set tiebreak, though he remained focused to notch just his seventh win in 25 attempts against Federer.
“It was an unbelievable match in all the ways. I mean, we played a great level of tennis. The people were excited on every single point,” Del Potro said.
“Roger and I were nervous , and we felt that on court... Unfortunately, I couldn’t stay calm in the tie-break of the second set, but then the calms come again in the end of the match and I played good in the tie-break.”