Federer loses to Del Potro

California : Juan Martin del Potro ended Roger Federer’s best ever start to a season to become the first Argentine to win a top-tier Masters series event.

Del Potro saved three match points in the deciding set in Indian Wells as the Swiss great failed to serve out for his 18th consecutive win at the start of 2018.

The 36-year-old Federer won his 20th grand slam title at the Australian Open in January and also triumphed in the Netherlands for his 97th ATP Tour victory last month.

“I’m so happy to win a title like this,” Del Potro told the ATP website, dedicating his maiden Masters 1000 victory to his beloved dog Cesar who recently passed away.

“I lost many finals in Masters 1000s but today was the day for me. I played unbelievable tennis, almost three hours, and beating Roger for the first time this year, that means a lot to me.”

The 29-year-old Del Potro, who beat Federer in the US Open quarterfinal last September, also won in Mexico earlier this month as he continues his rehabilitation from a series of injuries.

Del Potro has struggled with injury since beating Federer in the 2009 US Open final to win his first grand slam, missing almost the entire 2010 season after undergoing surgery on his wrist.

After slipping outside the world’s top 400, Del Potro returned to the top five in 2013 but another wrist injury meant more surgery and led him to miss the majority of the 2014 and 2015 season.