Del Potro digs deep to hand Federer his first defeat of the year

INDIAN WELLS: Juan Martin del Potro saved three match points in a thrilling final at the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday before handing world number one Roger Federer his first loss of the year and claiming his maiden Masters 1000 title.

The Argentine stunned a raucous 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) 7-6(2) victory.

Federer, the defending champion, 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.

Del Potro arrived in the Californian desert on the back of a title win in Acapulco but had far from a smooth ride against an agitated Federer, who simply would not give up.

The Argentine seized the opening set and had a match point in the second set tie break but misfired on a forehand to allow the 36-year-old Swiss back into the match.

With Federer on top 6-5 in the second set tie break, he appeared to fire an ace to clinch the set, but a late challenge by del Potro overturned the call and the Swiss was double faulted.

An annoyed Federer barked at the umpire during a changeover and, fired up by his grievance, took the second set to even up the contest before pushing del Potro to the limits in the final stanza.

The third set went with serve until Federer blasted a cross-court winner to break del Potro’s serve and take a 5-4 advantage.

The Swiss maestro served for the set, and the title, but del Potro dug deep to save three match points, two at 40-15 down, before breaking back to send the stanza to a tiebreak, which the Argentine dominated. – Reuters