Top seed and defending champion Novak Djokovic celebrated his 50th singles title on Sunday at the BNP Paribas Open in a repeat of last year’s championship match in the desert.
The world no.1 beat second seed Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-2 in two hours and 17 minutes to capture his fourth Indian Wells crown and 21st ATP Masters 1000 title.
Novak broke for a 4-2 lead and closed the opening set three games later after 32 minutes.
The Serb was up a break in the second set, but the Swiss fought back in the eighth game to level at 4-all. Nole led by a mini-break twice in a tie-breaker, but made two double faults in a row at 5-4. Roger capitalised on the slip-up and took the set to get back in the match.
Djokovic grabbed an early break in the deciding third set, but Federer broke back immediately tying up at 2-2. The 27-year-old Belgrade native regained his composure and won four games in a row to wrap up the victory and successfully defend his title.
It was the 38th time that Novak and Roger crossed paths on the professional tour. Federer is 20-18 in the rivalry.
Nole lifted his second trophy from three finals this season, adding to his victory in Melbourne, and became the 12th player in the Open Era to win 50 tour-level titles.
Match statistics: aces (8-6), double faults (5-3), winners (26-27), unforced errors (35-43), total points won (110-89).
Novak next heads to Miami for the second Masters 1000 event in 2015, the Miami Open, presented by Itau, where he was triumphant in 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2014.
In last year’s final, Djokovic beat Rafael Nadal 6-3, 6-3, becoming just the second player to win the Indian Wells-Miami title double for a second time.
The two-week combined tournament is taking place from March 25 to April 5, at Crandon Park. Singles main draw will take place on Monday at 12.15 local time (17.15 CET).
Photo: AP
