Del Potro, Osaka Capture Indian Wells Titles

March 19, 2018 | By Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
Juan Martin del Potro (11)

 

Juan Martin del Potro captured the BNP Paribas Open title on Sunday as he outlasted world number one Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2) in Indian Wells, Calif.

“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,” said Del Potro. “Roger and me were nervous during the whole match, and we felt that on court…Unfortunately I couldn’t stay calm in the tiebreak of the second set, but then the calms come again in the end of the match and I played good in the tiebreak.”

Del Potro saved three match points late in the third set as Federer attempted to serve for the match at 5-4. The Argentine would come back to get the break, and after a trade of holds, the Indian Wells final was headed to a deciding third-set tiebreak.

The errors piled up for Federer in the tiebreak including two early double-faults which gave del Potro the opening he needed to close out the match and claim the title.

“It’s so big,” del Potro said of winning the Indian Wells title, the first Masters 1000 of his career. “I cannot believe I won this tournament, beating Roger in a great final and level of tennis. We played great tennis today.”

In the women’s final on Saturday, Japan’s Naomi Osaka rolled past fellow 20-year-old Daria Kasatkina 6-3, 6-2 to win the first title of her career.

“It was hard for me to get my nerves in check in the first game, especially since—I don’t know why I decided to serve first,” said an honest Osaka. “We were playing some long points, and I wasn’t really trying to hit hard today, because I felt like it would be better for her to take my pace.

I wanted her to do whatever she wanted to do, and I was just going to sit back and see what she does. I felt like I wasn’t that aggressive today. I was just more consistent.”

Osaka was broken in the match’s opening game, but found her footing after that. After storming through the first set, Osaka broke to open up the second set and never looked back.

According to the WTA, Osaka is now the first player to win her first WTA singles title at Indian Wells since Daniela Hantuchova did so in 2002.

 

 

 


Long Island Tennis Magazine Staff
USTA NTC
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