The world’s top-ranked player is out at Indian Wells, as Juan Martin Del Potro beat Novak Djokovic in the semifinals of the BNP Paribas Open 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 Saturday night.
BNP Paribas Open 2013 results: Juan Martin Del Potro beats Novak Djokovic to advance to final
Juan Martin Del Potro beat the top-ranked player in the world Saturday, knocking off Novak Djokovic to set up a showdown with Rafael Nadal in Sunday’s finals.
Stephen Dunn
It’s only the third win against Djokovic for Del Potro in 11 matches, with Djokovic winning every match since a win in the bronze medal match at the London Olympics.
The match went about as evenly as one could expect. Del Potro saved six of seven break points in the first set, but it was the one game he lost that ended up hurting him, as he dropped the set 6-4. But Djokovic’s serve wavered in the second game, as he only won 5 of 12 points on second service, being broken twice as Del Potro won the set 6-4.
They played relatively evenly in the decisive set, working to 4-4, with the ninth game getting to deuce on Djokovic’s service. Del Potro won the next two points, giving him the opportunity to serve for the match and seized, getting the 6-4 win in the final set.
The Argentine has had a nice run at Indian Wells, knocking off No. 3 Andy Murray and Djokovic in back-to-back matches. The 2009 US Open winner will now face a now-healthy Rafael Nadal, who has won 13 matches in a row, in the finals Sunday.
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