DEL POTRO SNAPS FEDERER’S HOT STREAK
Del Potro ends Federer’s streak, Osaka wins first title of her career
INDIAN WELLS: Juan Martin Del Potro saved three match points in a thrilling final at the Indian Wells Masters before handing world No. 1 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 (8-9), 7-6 (7-2) 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.”
The Argentine seized the opening set and had a match point in the second set tie-break but misfired on a forehand – usually his most dependable weapon – to allow the 36-year-old Swiss back into the match.
“I was thinking about (that) forehand miss the entire time,” Del Potro said.
In the women’s singles match, Naomi Osaka had just won the first title of her career and was waiting to be introduced for her postmatch comments.
The 20-year-old from Japan had prepared, knowing what she was going to say and in what order.
But then her name was called, “I freaked out”, she said.
“I just started saying whatever came into my mind first, which is why I think I kept stopping halfway through my sentences, because I just remembered something else I had to say. That was pretty embarrassing.”
The crowd of 18,347 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden on Sunday seemed to sense Osaka’s nervousness, something she worked hard to hide during a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Daria Kasatkina of Russia in the final.
“I was extremely stressed and extremely nervous,” Osaka said.
“But my plan was to, like, fake that I’m very calm.”
As hesitant as she was behind the mic, Osaka was polished and professional in dismantling Kasatkina, a fellow 20-year-old who also enjoyed a surprising run to the final. — Agencies