Tennis: Juan Martin Del Potro wins Swiss Indoor title

By EVE FODENS
Published on 29/10/2012 02:08

JUAN Martin del Potro upset the odds to defeat hometown favourite Roger Federer and win the Swiss Indoors title in Basel.

The big-hitting Argentine, who was beaten in the London 2012 Olympics semi-finals by Federer, secured revenge to beat the world No 1 6-4, 6-7 (7/5), 7-6 (7/3).

Federer was chasing his sixth Swiss Indoors title and his third tournament victory in a row, but Del Potro took the first set to give him confidence after losing his previous six meetings with Federer this year. The 31-year-old Federer was competing in his ninth Swiss Indoors final and hit back in the second set to set up a decider.

The third set, like the second, went all the way to a tie-break as both players took the strain of a match that lasted two hours and 44 minutes. But it was Del Potro who secured his second successive title, having also won in 
Vienna last week.

Meanwhile, Serena Williams continued her good run of form over Maria Sharapova to beat the Russian in straight sets and win the final of the WTA Championships in Istanbul. The 31-year-old American never looked in trouble as she won inside an hour and a half in Turkey. The 
success saw Williams win her third WTA Championships title and was her seventh title of a highly successful 2012.

There was better news for Russia in the double’s 
tournament as qualifiers Maria Kirilenko and Nadia Petrova completed a weekend of upsets to beat the second seeds 
Andrea Hlavackova and Lucie Hradecka.