“We’ve had a lot of close matches.”
So said Roger Federer of a rivalry with Juan Martin del Potro that is 11 years old—and a long story, given that the big Argentine is still only 29. The Indian Wells defending champion was not wrong.
That they were now heading to the 25th match in that rivalry was also something of an achievement given the backstory of del Potro.
Four lots of wrist surgery took him out of the tour just as he reached the peak of his powers, winning the US Open title just before he turned 20 and reaching the No4 ranking three months later in January 2010. By then, he had already denied Federer the defence of his US title in a thrilling five-setter and beaten him at the World Tour Finals, also undoing the world No1 in a deciding set.
But time and again he underwent surgery, time and again he lost months at a stretch, yet time and again he came back to reproduce that formidable form, and was twice named Comeback Player of the Year by the ATP. One can only surmise how often he and Federer might have met had the Argentine had more good fortune, but even so, when they did meet, it evolved into one of the most compelling rivalries in tennis.
Take 2012: they would meet no fewer than eight times, including their second five-setter at Roland Garros, when Federer had to fight back from two sets down in the quarters. A couple of months later, they would be part of a record-making Olympic battle in London, with Federer surviving 19-17 in the decider. Del Potro went on to beat Federer in the title match at the Swiss champion’s home town, Basel—and would repeat the feat the following year—and once again, del Potro got the better of Federer at London’s O2.
Indeed, since that 2012 Roland Garros tussle, nine of their 11 matches had gone the distance, most recently in Shanghai and Basel last autumn, and del Potro, still ranked just 28 in his most recent comeback to fitness, doled out one of only five losses suffered by Federer since the start of last year. Again, it was at the US Open.
And while Federer’s form this season was making all kinds of headlines—his 20th Major title, his best streak to start a season, 17, reclaiming the No1 ranking, now into his 147th final, a record eighth at Indian Wells—there was no doubting that del Potro was also hitting his best form in a long while.
In sealing his 400th career match-win over Milos Raonic in the semis, he extended his own unbeaten run to 10 after winning the ATP500 in Acapulco, and beat three top-10 players there to do so. It took him back inside the top 10 for the first time since August 2014, and win or lose, he was already looking at No6 before next week’s Miami Masters.
And where Federer had come through some of the biggest young talents in the draw, del Potro had survived some of the best from the over-30s club—and showed just how fit he now is in surviving three-setters against Leonardo Mayer and Philipp Kohlschreiber.
Both men, then, brought realistic hopes of victory to this 25th showdown, and both relished the chance to take the other.
Federer: “We have had a lot of close matches. Big matches, close matches. I just tried to think back at the French Open semis, US Open final, Olympic semis, Basel finals… a few World Tour Finals matches, Shanghai—just three-setters and five-setters the whole way.
“I think we have an interesting matchup. We both know what the other is trying to do, and we try to stop the other person from doing it… It’s basically an arm wrestle the whole time, and I think we enjoy that.”
Del Potro had expressed his desire to play friend and foe Federer in another title match right at the start of the tournament. He went on to say:
“We’ve played great matches together. I love to play against him. He’s the favourite to win tomorrow, but I will try to bring my best tennis. I’ve beaten him in the past and I know how I can repeat that, but it’s not easy.”
It did indeed prove to be not easy, as del Potro said, and another ‘arm wrestle’, as Federer put it. a compelling, tense affair with emotions erupting from both these usually temperate men. Calm and courteous they may be away from the heat of competition, but the passion to win is deeply engrained.
In the early stages, Federer came under concerted pressure from the ever-heavy del Potro forehand, and seemed to struggle to settle—much as he had against Borna Coric in the semis. The errors poured from his racket, not helped by the pace and penetration coming from del Potro. So as soon as Federer missed a few first serves, he was vulnerable, and in the fifth game the Argentine pounced. A poor forehand into the net, and Federer was broken.
The Swiss was up against it again in the seventh game, making first a forehand then a backhand error, but survived. However, del Potro twice held to love to take the set, 6-4, in just 34 minutes.
Federer had to dig deep to save two break points in the first game of the second set, and then had to find his most resilient defence to live with del Potro. Eventually the Swiss got his chance to break, at 15-40 with a couple of aggressive plays, but the Argentine hung firm, came through deuces with a couple of aces, held for 5-5. It would take a tie-break.
Federer had already made an uncharacteristic 16 unforced errors on his forehand alone, but it was a winner off that wing that got the first edge, 4-3, and he served for the set at 6-3. However that, like the rest of the match, would not be so straightforward. Three times, the Swiss failed to seal the set, the last of them on a double fault, and he then faced match-point on del Potro’s serve, 7-8.
He survived as the noise and drama cranked up to fever pitch, and both let off steam at the umpire, were agitated by the crowd, and thrown by their opponent’s play. But a net cord error from the Argentine gave the set to Federer, 7-6(8).
The final set would become a seesawing, nerve-jangling affair, but now with both playing high-grade tennis. Federer looked ready to break in the first game but made three backhand errors. Del Potro played clutch to hold with three forehand winners at 3-2. The Swiss had looked on the back foot for much of the match, but he now seemed to be taking the initiative, came forward, and pulled off a cross-court backhand winner to secure his first break of the match. It was timed to perfection, too: He would serve for the match.
Yet the defending champion, usually so clinical in execution, seemed to have a brain-freeze. With two match-points on his serve, he twice attempted drop shots—and lost. He failed to convert a third chance, too, and del Potro coolly fired off his infamous forehand to break back: 5-5.
Come the tie-break, Federer looked tight, del Potro calm, and so it panned out: the Swiss twice double faulted, thumped a forehand wide, a forehand long, and the Argentine played clean and clear. In the blink of an eye, he had his reward, 7-6(2)—his first Masters title, a full nine years after winning his first Major.
The adversaries, who had stared each other down, barked their anger, vent their frustrations for much of the previous two and three quarter hours, now embraced warmly.
Federer told del Potro:
“Congratulations, you were the better player in the end. Not much between us, but you deserved it. Enjoy the moment.”
The Argentine replied:
“I cannot believe I’m here with this trophy and beating Roger in a great battle… I had a chance to win in two sets but I made a mistake with my forehand. I survived, and in the tiebreak, I said ‘It’s my time or never,’ so I did.”
He certainly did. It has been a long time coming, has been achieved after great adversity, and earned by grit and determination—and perhaps the best forehand in tennis. But at last the big man from Tandil has his Masters crown.