Del Potro crowned at BNP Paribas Open with victory over Federer

WASHINGTON -- Argentina's Juan Martin del Potro captured his maiden ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Indian Wells on Sunday, becoming the 2018 BNP Paribas Open men's singles champion with a victory over No 1 Roger Federer.

In one of the best matches of the season, del Potro, who beat Federer at the US Open last year, erased three match points against the five-time champion 6-4, 6-7(8), 7-6(2) and took home 1.3 million US dollars winner's check with the win.

After the 6'-6" Argentine won the first set 6-4 with a break, he had a match point in the second but was not able to convert.

In the third set, defending champion Federer broke for a chance to serve for the match at 4-4. But this time it was Del Potro's turn to save match points, as he erased three during Federer's 5-4 service game, including two consecutively from 15/40 down.

It was the first since 2014 to go to a third-set tiebreak.

The No 8 won the first five points of the third set tiebreaker, then closed it out when Federer missed a forehand long, ending a two hour, 42-minute marathon contest on the main stadium court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.

The 29-year-old Argentine returned to the BNP Paribas Open final for the first time since 2013, when he fell to Rafael Nadal in the title match, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

"I'm still shaking I'm so nervous," del Potro told ESPN on court after the match. "It's like a dream. It's difficult to describe with words."

"After all my problems, after all my surgeries, I couldn't believe I'm here winning a Masters 1000 and beating Roger. It's amazing."

36-year-old Swiss superstar Federer was into the final in Indian Wells for the fourth straight time, having missed the event in 2016.

"It was a great match, honestly," Federer said in his press conference after the match.

"Juan Martin was a bit better at the end. It was maybe a point here or there, maybe a shot, maybe a forehand, maybe a chip. So that's how it goes. It's unfortunate, but I'm happy for him. Well done to him."

Federer was handed his first loss of 2018, now 17-1. He has 27 career ATP Masters 1000 titles and has held the No. 1 spot a record 306 weeks, as of 12 March.

"I hung tough and put a lot of effort into it to get the record, " he said in a press conference on Saturday.