After a shaky start of the year, Roger Federer found the winning formula in February 2012, conquering Rotterdam and Dubai and gaining momentum ahead of the season’s first Masters 1000 event. Struggling against Milos Raonic and Thomaz Bellucci a bit, Roger settled into an excellent rhythm from the Indian Wells quarter-final stage.
The Swiss beat Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal to advance into the final, seeking the first Indian Wells title since 2006! On the other side of the draw, John Isner used a favorable outcome to reach the semis in front of the home crowd, facing world no.
1 and the defending champion Novak Djokovic. The American prevailed 7-6, 3-6, 7-6 to book a place in the first Masters 1000 final and crack the top-10 on Monday regardless of the final. Motivated to lift the first trophy in the desert in six years, Roger ousted John 7-6, 6-3 for the 19th Masters 1000 crown.
The Swiss matched Rafael Nadal’s record, sealing the deal in an hour and 22 minutes for the third win over Isner in four encounters. The American defeated the Swiss in the Davis Cup on clay in February. Still, he could not repeat the same outcome in California, taking only nine return points and suffering two breaks in set number two to finish runner-up.
Federer controlled the pace with almost 30 winners and 15 unforced errors. He reduced his opponent to only four aces and left him far behind in the more advanced rallies to bring the victory home in straight sets.
Roger Federer defeated John Isner to win the 2012 Indian Wells title.
John had 23 service winners, but that was pretty much everything he showed that day.
The home star battled to stay in touch in the opener and lost ground completely in set number two to hand the trophy to the Swiss. Federer held at love with an ace in the first game before offering two break chances to John at 1-1.
Roger fended off both following the American’s backhand mistakes and erased another one with a smash winner to avoid an early setback and remain on the positive side. Nothing could separate them until the 12th game when Isner faced a set point, firing a service winner to stay alive and closing the game with another to reach a tie break.
We saw four straight mini-breaks before Federer grabbed another at 5-5. After a backhand error, Roger squandered the first set point to keep John in contention. The Swiss wasted the second set point thanks to a loose forehand.
Still, he made no mistakes in the next point, placing a backhand lob winner to open an 8-7 gap and seizing the fourth set point for a massive momentum. They stayed in touch until 3-3 in set number two, and Roger pulled the trigger there.
He secured a break and confirmed it with a hold at 15 that sent him a game away from victory. Serving to stay in the match, Isner netted a forehand in the ninth game to get broken for the second time, propelling Federer over the finish line and settling for the second prize.
