Roger Federer slays Juan Martin Del Potro to clinch the title – World Tennis Tournament 2012
World number three, Roger Federer grabbed his first title of the season, crushing the world number 10, Juan Martin Del Potro, in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, in the final at the 39th ABN AMRO World Tennis
Tournament in Rotterdam, Netherlands on Sunday. The top seed took an hour and 26 minutes to claim victory in the one-sided affair.
Del Potro had entered the title match in top form and fans were expecting a tight contest. However, Federer did not allow the Argentinean to make any impact in this encounter.
The Swiss Maestro made a stunning start, breaking Del Potro in the second and fourth game to run to a 5-0 lead. The Argentinean avoided a bagel set and succeeded in holding his serve in the sixth. Federer didn’t take too
long in serving out of the set at 5-1.
Federer dominated the set but his serve faltered on a number of occasions. The 30-year-old hit a couple of double faults and just 47 percent of the first deliveries. However, the Swiss saved both break points he faced in
the opener.
Del Potro and Federer prevailed in their first four serves to even out the score at 2-2. The Argentinean could not hold his serve in the fifth game. This single break was enough for Federer, as he capitalised on the opportunity
to capture the set 6-4.
Federer smashed four aces but his first serve percentage remained low once again. The former world number 1, however, converted most of them into points. The Swiss stood strong against break threats, saving all five of them
in the second set.
The 16-time Grand Slam champion commented, "He couldn't pull the trigger the way he wanted to. Just like yesterday, I had a good mindset. I really believed I was going to make it difficult for him, especially on the break
points. I know the second set could have been a whole lot different."
Federer improved his FedEx ATP Head-2-Head record against Del Potro to 9-2. The Argentinean had beaten Federer in the final of the 2009 US Open to capture his only Grand Slam so far.
Del Potro said, "He played much better than me today. I didn't take the break points when I had them. It's really difficult to beat Federer if you have the chances and don't take them. He was more confident and concentrated
than me in the important moments and I think that was the key."
With this win, Federer has continued his supreme form on Indoor hard courts. The Swiss has extended his winning streak to 24 straight matches on the surface, winning five consecutive tournaments.
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