FEDERER WINS HIS EIGHTH SWISS INDOORS CROWN
Federer battles past Del Potro to win Swiss Indoors title again
BASEL (Switzerland): Roger Federer displayed some rare flashes of temper as he battled past Argentina’s Juan Martin del Potro 6-7 (5-7), 6-4, 6-3 for an eighth Swiss Indoors title in front of a partisan Basel crowd.
The 36-year-old local favourite, beaten by Del Potro in consecutive Basel finals in 2012 and 2013, was ragged at times and looked in danger of an unwanted hattrick, but showed all his fighting qualities to turn the match around.
Fourth seed Del Potro, making a late run to try and qualify for next month’s ATP World Tour Finals in London, broke serve in the first game of the decider but wilted as Federer stormed back to the delight of a raucous crowd inside the St Jakobshalle.
World No. 2 Federer charged into a 5-2 lead and while Del Potro delayed the end by holding serve, Federer would not be denied and racked up his 95th career title as Del Potro fired a backhand long under pressure.
In edging past Ivan Lendl’s 94 Federer is now alone in second place on the all- time titles list which American great Jimmy Connors leads with 109.
However, his chances of snatching the world No. 1 ranking from Rafael Nadal before the end of the season are all but over as the Swiss pulled out of next week’s Paris Masters citing a back injury.
Federer, who trails Nadal by 1,460 points in the rankings, has taken regular breaks during the season to rest his body and no doubt opted to skip the Paris tournament to prepare for next month’s ATP Finals in London.
Del Potro would have moved into the eighth and final qualify- ing spot for London had he claimed a third Basel title, but now must reach the semi-finals at least in the French capital to make it to the season-ending tournament.
“All the best for Paris and then I’ll hopefully maybe see you in London, too,” Federer said after an intense battle with the 29-yearold Argentine who fell just short of claiming a second successive title after winning in Stockholm. — Reuters