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 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 U.S. Open title triumph with a 6-4 6-7(8) 7-6(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.

Source: Reuters