Duel Match Stats/Reports - del Potro vs Federer, Basel finals, 2012 & 2017

[Waspsting]

Juan Martin del Potro beat Roger Federer 6-4, 6-7(5), 7-6(3) in the Basel final, 2012 on indoor hard court

It was del Potro’s first title at the event. Federer was the double defending champion. The two would meet again in the final the following year, with the same result. Federer was the world #1. The two were playing for the 7th time in the year, with Federer having won the previous 6 (Australian Open, Rotterdam, Dubai, Indian Wells, French Open, Olympics). del Potro would go onto win their upcoming match in the Year End Championship round robin

del Potro won 115 points, Federer 107

(Note: I’m missing 1 point, a del Potro service point that he won
Missing point - Set 3, Game 1, Point 1)

Serve Stats
del Potro...
- 1st serve percentage (62/110) 56%
- 1st serve points won (54/62) 87%
- 2nd serve points won (29/48) 60%
- ?? serve points won (1/1)
- Aces 10, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 4
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (36/110) 33%

Federer...
- 1st serve percentage (75/111) 68%
- 1st serve points won (57/75) 76%
- 2nd serve points won (23/36) 64%
- Aces 18, Service Winners 1
- Double Faults 1
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (40/111) 36%

Serve Pattern
del Potro served...
- to FH 22%
- to BH 72%
- to Body 7%

Federer served...
- to FH 32%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 8%

Return Stats
del Potro made...
- 70 (21 FH, 49 BH)
- 1 Winner (1 FH)
- 21 Errors, comprising...
- 8 Unforced (3 FH, 5 BH)
- 13 Forced (6 FH, 7 BH)
- Return Rate (70/110) 64%

Federer made...
- 70 (21 FH, 49 BH), including 6 runaround FHs & 4 return-approaches
- 1 Winner (1 FH), a runaround FH
- 25 Errors, comprising...
- 10 Unforced (4 FH, 6 BH), including 2 runaround FHs
- 15 Forced (5 FH, 10 BH)
- Return Rate (70/106) 66%

Break Points
del Potro 1/2 (2 games)
Federer 0/5 (3 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
del Potro 30 (21 FH, 3 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 OH)
Federer 26 (11 FH, 4 BH, 3 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 BH1/2V, 5 OH)

del Potro's FHs - 7 cc (1 return, 1 pass), 3 dtl passes, 6 inside-out, 5 inside-in
- BHs - 2 dtl (1 pass), 1 running-down-drop-shot cc at net

- 1 FHV was a swinging, inside-in non-net shot

Federer's FHs - 2 cc (1 runaround return), 5 inside-out (1 at net), 3 inside-in, 1 longline
- BHs - 2 dtl, 1 drop shot, 1 net chord dribbler

- 2 from serve-volley points (2 FHV), both first volleys
- 2 from return-approach points (1 BHV, 1 OH)
- 1 other OH was a non-net shot from no-man's land

Errors (excluding returns and serves)
del Potro 37
- 21 Unforced (11 FH, 10 BH)... with 1 BH at net
- 16 Forced (5 FH, 9 BH, 1 BHV, 1 Back-to-Net)... with 2 BH running-down-drop-shot at net
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 47.6

Federer 47
- 35 Unforced (21 FH, 13 BH, 1 BHV)
- 12 Forced (8 FH, 4 BH)
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.6

(Note 1: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net. Half -volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke counts)

(Note 2: The 'Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is a measure of how aggressive of intent the average UE made was. 60 is maximum, 20 is minimum. This match has been scored using a four point scale - 2 defensive, 4 neutral, 5 attacking, 6 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
del Potro was 7/12 (58%) at net, with...
- 1/2 forced back

Federer was...
- 20/26 (77%) at net, including...
- 2/2 serve-volleying, both 1st serves
---
- 3/4 (75%) return-approaching

Match Report
Quick court, two excellent servers and shot-makers and a point-here, point-there affair. del Potro is a tidier in his aggressive shot choices, less in a hurry and dependent on position sacrificing, move-around FH play and comes out on top

1 break in the match and 2 sets go to tiebreak lottery. Both of them end up going to the player who’s had shorter end of the stick in reaching the ‘breaker. Just 1 point against serve decides the first in Fed’s favour, while he plays a poor one to lose the second. If there’s not much in the result, Delpo does have better of things at least

With these 2, serve and FH are likely to be at center of result

Its Fed who serves a little better, with Delpo cutting back into that advantage by shading the return
Delpo has sizably better of FHs. Fed cuts back into that a little with net play

Nice symmetary to FH numbers -
Winners - Delpo 21, Fed 11
UEs - Delpo 11, Fed 21

… with BHs roughly equal (Fed +1 winner, -3 UEs), that leaves Delpo well ahead. Back-cut by net numbers of Fed winning 77% of 26 approaches (including 6 combined serve-volleys and return-approches), Delpo 58% of 12 approaches

And freebies - Delpo 33%, Fed 36% (Fed also double faults just once to Delpo’s 4)

It all comes out almost equal. Fed’s looser in general (UEs read Fed 35, Delpo 21), but that looseness is amplified in the deciding tiebreak to blackmark terriroty. In simpler words, he plays a bad one to wrap up the match

Serve & Return
Good, strong serving from both. Delpo’s is brutish - powerful and heavy, Fed’s more precise, less brutish

Ace/Service Winner rate off first serves - Delpo 18%, Fed 25%

Not too important. Fed’s goes up in last set, where Delpo eases up a bit returning. His own in-count falls in the set, leading to relatively tough time holding (emphasis on ‘relatively’, by standard of match, anything less than clockwork is ‘tough time’)

Return errors and they’re breakdown are similar -
UEs - Delpo 8, Fed 10
FEs - Delpo 13, Fed 15

Fed leading freebies 36% to 33% and also with 1 double fault to Delpo’s 4 gives him advantage in terms of points won directly with the serve

Both draw weak and not-strong returns much of the time. Delpo’s able to get strong returns off more often - deep or/and slightly wide. Fed rarely

Delpo’s second serves high to Fed’s BH. Blocked and pushed returns from Fed that aren’t likely to trouble Delpo on third ball

Freebies being what they are means Delpo has a bit more work to do in rallies. Both players scoring enough with the serve to set good platform to hold from in main takeaway

 

[Waspsting]

Play - Baseline (& Net)
Efficiency would be key word in summing up Delpo’s superiority here

Winners - Delpo 30, Fed 26
Errors Forced - Delpo 12, Fed 16
(Aggressively ended points - both 42)
UEs - Delpo 21, Fed 35

And UE breakdown -
Neutral - Delpo 9, Fed 17
Attacking - Delpo 8, Fed 6
Winner Attempts - Delpo 4, Fed 12

21 of Delpo’s winner are FHs. Fed has 11 apiece of FH and at net
Good lot of weak returns that both players dispatch with FH - both very efficient on that front

Its on the not-weak return that difference emerges. Fed somewhat strains to look for quick point ender, Delpo doesn’t seem to. Back-away aggressive FHs by Fed against decent returns… its not a high percentage shot

To be clear, its not simply a case of Fed being in a wild hurry to end points and Delpo being relaxed about rallying a bit longer. Delpo dismisses not-obviously there for the shot balls for FH winners too. He just doesn’t seem to miss when he does, but he also doesn’t go for it too often

Fed by contrast seems to pointedly be going for such winners (off third ball and otherwise), and is more prone to backing away, leaving half the court open to do so. And misses a good lot. The winner attempts UEs are important here

Off the BH, Delpo calmly content to trade solid, stock BHs. Fed occasionally goes dtl or drop shots. The rallies themselves are even in terms of whose more likely to give up the error. Neither player gives up loose balls in such rallies. Again, with the patience

Net points - Fed 20/26, Delpo 7/12

Fed mixing in big third ball FH approach shot with going for winners from the back. Might consider having done more off it. It’s a higher percentage and safer way to aggressively win points than hitting clean winners from back. Delpo has same option, but a) isn’t so focused on ending point at once and b) seems to be quite capable of dispatching FHs to his heart’s content whenever he chooses to. Once rally develops, getting to net would be very difficult as both players’ hitting is excellent off both sides

Neutral UEs - Delpo 9, Fed 17 is key part of all this. With Fed edging BH neutrals, its on FH that he’s prone to missing considerably more. Somewhat justifying his more aggressive approach. Very steady stuff from Delpo - credit to him on this, not discredit to Fed

Gist - both players looking to use FH early to finish points, Fed more so, Delpo better at it. Fed mixing that up with quick approaches too, which probably works better for him than immediate winning FHs

Once rally develops, Delpo the more secure and still dangerous in his ability to find the point-ending FH from routine position though again, he does so selectively. Hard for Fed to gain ready chance to attack against Delpo’s solid hitting, but he needs to find something as he’s looser off the ground. A little impatient from Fed on the BH, where he holds up evenly, but is apt to go for more and miss, while Delpo’s happy and at ease sticking to solidly striking BHs

Delpo’s shot choices - when to go for point enders from not obvious balls - and his execution in continuously nailing such balls for winners stands out. Fed not as good here

All in context of large freebie cushion and substantial lot of weak returns drawn that both players have their way with and the subsequent server domination

Match Progression
4 FH winners in the opening game - Delpo with a cc return, Fed with couple of inside-outs (1 a shot out of routine position) and an inside-in. Sounds like a Federer/del Potro match all right
Delpo hits back with a love hold, featuring 2 aces and a third ball FH inside-in winner

What turns out to be only break match comes in game 5. 2 big FHs - a return and an inside-in - force FH errors from Fed and he gives up BH error after a long rally to lose the game

Comfy holds for rest of set. If there is a crucial point, its Delpo scooping a low, wide FHV winner for reach 30-0 as he serves out the set. As Fed wins next 2 points, that’d make the shot important with all other things playing out as they do. Delpo wins the next 2, starting with dispatched third ball FH inside-out winner from mid-court, before Fed bails on a rally with an attempt at a BH dtl winner that misses to end the set

No more breaks in the match and both players are 0/1 on break points in the second set. Delpo has better of it (which doesn’t mean much) and serves 32 points for his 6 holds, to Fed’s 45

Fed has break point in game 2 after a Delpo double. 3 FH winners later, Delpo holds - inside-in, inside-out and cc. The inside-in that erases break point is a good shot against a decent return

Fed’s FH starts missing a few would-be point enders and the few drop shots he toys around with don’t come off either. Its game 11 when he’s faced with break point, having missed a pair of FH winner attempts, and Delpo brings up his chance with a perfectly placed FH cc passing winner. Fed responds with just as perfect a FH inside-out winner after a rally to ball not obviously there for the shot. Delpo misses an easy BH at net before Fed holds

Tiebreak. Just the 1 mini-break where Fed moves Delpo around with FHs to eventually force BH error. Good, just wide enough serves from Fed draws 3 return errors. Fed misses first serve for only time in the game on set point, but controls rally with attacking FHs to Delpo’s BH that draw the necessary error

Fed has better of the decider and serves 31 points for 6 holds to Delpo’s 42. Break points for the set read Fed 0/4 (2 games), Delpo 0

That’s mostly due to Delpo’s in-count dropping to 47% for the set (it was 72% and 58% in previous 2). Strained a bit to hold serve, Delpo takes it a little easy returning. 9 of Fed’s 18 aces come in the set and he wins 11/13 second serve points (though crucially, losing 2/3 at the end)

Delpo seems to nail Fed in the groin with a big serve, judging by Fed’s reaction (ball actually struck him just above the knee, but seems to have smarted). Serve is a fault and Delpo doubles to bring up break point in game 3. Fed runsaround to smack FH return down the middle, but doesn’t hit it too big, and Delpo can answer FH cc to open court to win the point. He has 2 more break points in the 14 point game, where Delpo makes 6 first serves

Love hold from Fed to follow up the game - ace, third ball winners with BH dtl, drop FHV serve-volleying and BH drop shot
Fed has break point in game 7, this time with Delpo making 6/8 first serves. Bad, neutral FH error on the chance and Delpo follows up with 2 strong, unreturned serves (1 ace) to hold

Both players semi-tank their final return games to send match into tiebreak

It’s a bad one from Fed. He’s faced tough serves all match, but misses 2 routine second returns in middle of game and those wanton aggressive FHs that have been more hit than miss (but hit and miss nonetheless), miss. He does hit a lovely BH1/2V winner, but 2 missed aggressive third ball FHs, including down match point, settle matters

Summing up, good fun match on a quick court. Both players utilize strong serves, and both brighten up the court with aggressive shots to back it up

del Potro is calmer in choosing his moments, more efficient in delivering and more solid from the back. Capable as he proves to bang a big winner from routine position, he doesn’t look to unduly
Federer is a little more harried in looking to be aggressive, more prone to faltering doing so and less solid off the ground, but gets a bit more out of his serve than his opponent

Little in the result. Against trend faltering from Federer in the deciding tiebreak seals result, but they’re risky shots he misses and not the kind of thing one would want to rely on nailing at crunch time to get ahead

 

[Waspsting]

Federer beat del Potro 6-7(5), 6-4, 6-3 in the final in 2017 on indoor hard court

It was Federer’s 8th title at the event and he would go onto win the next two years as well. The two had recently met in the US Open quarter-final, with del Potro winning

Federer won 112 points, del Potro 97

Serve Stats
Federer...
- 1st serve percentage (53/101) 52%
- 1st serve points won (39/53) 74%
- 2nd serve points won (27/48) 56%
- Aces 7 (1 second serve), Service Winners 2
- Double Faults 5
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (29/101) 29%

del Potro...
- 1st serve percentage (72/108) 67%
- 1st serve points won (50/72) 69%
- 2nd serve points won (12/36) 33%
- Aces 6
- Double Faults 2
- Unreturned Serve Percentage (25/108) 23%

Serve Pattern
Federer served...
- to FH 39%
- to BH 60%
- to Body 2%

del Potro served...
- to FH 18%
- to BH 82%

Return Stats
Federer made...
- 81 (11 FH, 70 BH), including 3 return-approaches
- 1 Winner ( BH)
- 19 Errors, comprising...
- 3 Unforced (3 BH)
- 16 Forced (3 FH, 13 BH)
- Return Rate (81/106) 76%

del Potro made...
- 67 (20 FH, 47 BH), including 1 runaround BH
- 1 Winner ( BH)
- 20 Errors, comprising...
- 7 Unforced (5 FH, 2 BH)
- 13 Forced (7 FH, 6 BH)
- Return Rate (67/96) 70%

Break Points
Federer 5/15 (8 games)
del Potro 3/7 (5 games)

Winners (including returns, excluding aces)
Federer 41 (23 FH, 4 BH, 6 FHV, 4 BHV, 4 OH)
del Potro 20 (14 FH, 3 BH, 2 FHV, 1 BHV)

Federer's FHs -7 cc (1 at net, 3 passes), 4 dtl (1 pass), 1 dtl/inside-out pass, 2 inside-out, 1 inside-out/dtl, 4 inside-in, 1 inside-in/cc, 1 longline, 1 drop shot
- BHs - 1 dtl pass, 2 longline passes, 1 inside-out return (a slice)

- 4 from a serve-volley points (1 FHV, 2 BHV, 1 FH at net), all first 'volleys'

- 1 from a return-approach point, a FHV
- 1 other FHV was a non-net, swinging inside-out/longline

del Potro's FHs - 3 cc (1 pass), 1 cc/inside-in, 2 dtl (1 at net), 4 inside-out (1 pass), 2 inside-in, 1 inside-in/cc, 1 longline
- BHs - 2 dtl passes, 1 inside-in return

Errors (excluding returns and serves)
Federer 47
- 35 Unforced (20 FH, 12 BH, 1 FHV, 2 BHV)... with 1 FH at net
- 12 Forced (5 FH, 7 BH)
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 48.9

del Potro 40
- 28 Unforced (16 FH, 11 BH, 1 BHV)... with 1 FH at net
- 12 Forced (6 FH, 6 BH)
Unforced Error Forcefulness Index 42.9

(Note 1: all half-volleys refer to such shots played at net. Half -volleys played from other parts of the court are included within relevant groundstroke counts)

(Note 2: The 'Unforced Error Forcefulness Index is a measure of how aggressive of intent the average UE made was. 60 is maximum, 20 is minimum. This match has been scored using a four point scale - 2 defensive, 4 neutral, 5 attacking, 6 winner attempt)

Net Points & Serve-Volley
Federer was...
- 22/32 (69%) at net, including...
- 5/7 (71%) serve-volleying, all 1st serves
---
- 1/3 (33%) return-approaching
- 2/3 (67%) forced back/retreated

del Potro was 11/22 (50%) at net

Match Report
This match is a cross between a few-blips-shy of an unleashed Federer masterpiece and great, competitive match. Unlike the ‘12 match, the winner has better of things almost throughout, but some combo of del Potro clutching, Federer mini-choking and luck keep things competitive. Court is normal, tilted to quick side, but slower than the previous match

In ‘12, there was 1 break in the whole match. Here, there are 2 after 2 games. Fed serves for the first set and 5-4 and is broken from 30-15 up, courtesy of a clutch game from Delpo. He leads tiebreak 3-0 with a minibreak before losing next 6 points and eventually the set. And he has relatively comfortably better of the next sets, but tends to choke on a small number of crucial points to allow Delpo to stay within competitive distance, before eventually, prevailing

Starting with the show-stealing FHs -
- Winners - Fed 23, Delpo 14
- UEs - Fed 20, Delpo 16

And though serve shot isn’t as crucial as earlier match, Fed with significant advantage there too, leading freebies 29% to 23%

Given the match up, having better of serve-return contest and FHs would likely lead to simple win for Fed. He wins, but its not simple. And scratching beneath the very shiny surface of glorious FH shot-making, the main factors in the result are Fed doing the more basic things exceptionally well (which is common in his best showings)

Drawbacks to Fed’s showing are limited to first set

- low in count of 52%, shades of the ‘09 US Open final
In first set, its 43% and next 2 sets, decent 58%

Even with that low in count, he wins 51.7% of the points, while serving 41.6% of them in the opener
He loses the set because...
- he's error prone in first set. Match’s staple is hard-hitting rallies, mostly FHs, with both players hitting with beautiful crispness

Match long, Fed has 4 more FH UEs and 1 more BH than Delpo
In first set, its 6 more FHs and 2 more BHs

His FH fires spectacularly all match, including first set. But balance of points is kept in check by his blinking up the neutral errors. Delpo’s secure to high degree, Fed a little faulty but more credit to Delpo for how consistent he is while hammering the ball for the situation

Everything else is top drawer from Fed

- the return - Delpo delivers his usual hefty deliveries at 67% in count. He does beyond norm direct it to Fed’s BH, make up 80% of it. Fed blocks tough returns back, often getting them back in deep (without force, but the depth keeps Delpo from taking charge readily) and even wallops the normal or not-strong ones

At 76% return rate, excellent stuff against tough opposition. And for all the FH brilliance, shot of the match might be his sole return winner, which he casually glides away BH inside-out like a practice piece. Just 3 UEs (to 16 FEs) on the return. Delpo has 7 and 13 respectively

- the net play. The stock hitting is excellent from both players all match, including BHs, but play is tilted towards FHs (there are 36 FH UEs to23 BHs) which are that much harder hit. It’s the kind of hitting against which taking net is very difficult

Fed manages when he wants (in context of leading offence with FH shot-making). He’s 22/32 or 69% at net. Few serve-volleys (wins 5/7), some well balanced powerful third ball approaches (as opposed to looking for FH point ender) but most impressively, the approaches he manufactures amidst the hard-hitting rallies. It takes him 2-3 shots to work up an approach, hitting a little wider or softer, but he makes his way up and handles himself against the powerful passes he’s faced with

It’s a nice piece he added to his game around 2014 when his groundies lacked power, and done well to keep when said power’s back on its throne

- the BH and passing

BH action is conventional, both players striking well, neither looking to be offensive with it. Straight up contest of consistency. Fed with 12 UEs to Delpo’s 11. Not getting better of Delpo, but holding even - and both striking well and consistenly

He’s got 8 passing winners (Delpo has 3 volleying ones) and keeps Delpo to just 11/22 net points won

- the defence. Delpo plays a brutish, power game. Not going for winners, but able to up the force of his shots in going slightly wide with the FH. And Fed whistles about court retrieving balls, including making late ‘gets’ on full run. His defensive shots aren’t quite neutralizing, but above his norm for force and not giving Delpo an easy follow-up attacking shot to play next

With Fed leading winners 41-20 and match being close, one would expect Delpo to have healthy lead in FEs

FEs are equal at 12. With Fed more often being in reactive and defensive positions in the rallies (because he’s finishing points he’s on offensive with winners and more of these points are taking place on Delpo’s serve, who trails 6% in freebies and leads in-count by 15%)

More of Delpo’s FEs are passes, so he is getting better of forcing errors in baseline rallies, but its kept to minimum by Fed’s defence

- and of course, and most importantly, the FH, which is at its lethal best
Match long 23 winners, 20 UEs. In last 2 sets, 12 winners, 8 UEs

 

[Waspsting]

Its more a shot-making display than point-constructing finishing one, with Fed flashing winners from routine positions in all directions (he’s got 3 cc, 3 dtl, 2 inside-out, 4 inside-in - and those are just pure shots). Some missing going on going for those (he’s got 13 winner attempt UEs, Delpo has 1). Delpo himself returns with enough force as to not leave easy balls to putaway and Fed prefers to approach of the weaker returns

Something about Delpo seems to bring out full FH aggression in Fed. He’d play a similar, vintage FH aggressive game following year at Indian Wells

And del Potro? Solid showing, and particularly tough at crucial times

Hefty serve, solidly strong return. No easy task for Fed returning or commanding third ball. He’s willing to go for wider, damaging and potential point-ending returns, but Fed tends to run these balls down

Hammering the ball from the back off both sides, particularly FH. He has the more powerful stock FH, but it doesn’t draw weak balls (it also doesn’t give them up), but does draw errors in the first set

With net difficult to reach and Fed passing so well (in retrospect, approaching to Fed’s FH seems foolish, but they’re powerful shots that one would expect Delpo to have come away winning points off), BHs role limited to staying strongly steady, FH options are limited to FH

He’s not proactive with it the way Fed is and with neither player coughing up weak balls, he’d have to be to make big inroads. In those crucial moments, he does go for his shots - and all but always makes them. Most of the time though, sticks to big, strong shots not too wide - with the bigger ones regularly thwarted by Fed’s defence

Remarkably, he has just 1 winner attempt UE for 20 winners. Does he not go for it enough? They’d have to risky shots were he too, but he does land winners whenever he looks to

Hard hitting, stock groundies + upping it to powerful and attacking + able to hit clean winners from normal positions when choosing to take a risk = a very good game

All kinds of ways to win playing so.
- The hard hitting groundies consistency battle goes Delpo’s way (only happens in first set)
- The hard hitting groundies draws weak balls that he can attack (doesn’t happen)
- The upped powerful, attacking play winning points (kept to minimum by Fed’s defence)

With Fed getting more freebies and lashing FH winners and coming to net to finish very effectively, way things go, Delpo has little choice but to take the risk of going for winners more often. Only other one is counting on Fed missing his winner attempts

Winners - Fed 41, Delpo 20
Winner Attempt UEs - Fed 13, Delpo 1

Fed misses not a small number, but is well enough in positives to thwart second option and all credit to him for it. Shots he makes aren’t to easy balls

Neutral UEs - Fed 17, Delpo 21, divided as…
1st set - Fed 13, Delpo 10
Next 2 sets - Fed 4, Delpo 11

FH shot-making might take all eyes, but that last stat is key to result. Fed can’t seem to miss a normal ball in stock exchanges - and the stock exchanges are challenging with the force on show

One substantial advantage for Fed. Delpo is neither fast, nor defensively potent. Typically, he tends to surprise on occasion (most important times) with bursts of speed, but he can be moved around to draw errors from. Unlike Fed

Match Progression
Match starts with a trade of breaks. Fed scoring with a BH dtl pass winner and working his way to net after working over Delpo’s BH with FHs to finish with a FHV winner gets him his break. Delpo draws routine errors from staple rallies to break back

While Fed hold readily, despite unimpressive in-count, Delpo’s put through the hoop, saving 3 break points across 2 games lasting 8 and 12 points. Fed makes in-roads with winners, and Delpo gives a ‘anything you can do, I can do just as well’ response to hold

Fed breaks for 5-4 with 4 FH passing winners. Not best choice by Delpo to approach to that side, but its not as bad as it sounds. Approach shots are powerful ones and the passing winners all low percentage ones, at least one of them with ball almost behind Fed

Fed starts his serve-out with a running FH dtl winner and service winner brings up 30-15. He doesn’t win another point in the game. Delpo at his swiftest to reach a drop shot and a huge FH turns a neutral rally on its head before Delpo smashes a FH inside-out winner to raise break point. On which Fed misses a routine FH

Tiebreak. Fed pinches mini to start with a FH cc winner after being forced back from net. Follows up with another very precise FH passing winner. 0-3 down, Delpo asserts himself - coming to net, passing chip-charging Fed, defending stoutly when needed. A little choke from Fed in missing simplest of returns help. Delpo biffs a powerful serve to close out the set on his first service, set point

Great set of tennis. Fed wins 46 points to Delpo’s 43, while serving 37 of those points
Break points - Fed 2/8 (4 games), Delpo 2/4 (2 games)
Delpo 13 winners, 12 UEs, Fed 18 winners, 20 UEs, with both players forcing 3 errors

Second isn’t too shabby either. Fed starts missing a few returns. Both players look to come in early on their service points, Delpo more. Fed moves aside to pointedly use FHs more. Some tense games in their with both players ending up holding

Fed saves break point to hold for 2-1 with strong serves. He’s got break point next game, when he’s beautifully set up a BHV finish, but he misses the shot, to smacking the net annoyance

He double faults 3 times next game, but manages to come away with the hold and Delpo’s taken to deuce to hold for 4-4

Great game by Fed to finally break and end the set. Net trips and FH drop shot winner (1 of the few things Fed does badly all match is drop shot) get him to 15-40. He converts second break point after defending like the dickens, especially the last ball that he runs down at full speed and pokes back in pay before Delpo blinks

Break points for the set - Fed 1/3, Delpo 0/2, with both having them in 2 games

Trade of breaks to open the decider. Bad game from Fed - double fault, missing a putaway FH at net and on break point, a close to regulation volley. He strikes back at once with lethal FHs to level at once

After a hold studded by aces and FH winners, Fed gains the decisive break. Good returns, some good shots and rallies in there and Delpo missing the stock shots behind the result

No more break points in the match, but its not easy sailing. Fed’s at 30-30 for his next 2 holds. A poor FH at net miss by Delpo ends one of the games. In between, Fed eases a nice little, slice BH inside-out return winner

Fed reverts to first set form in missing first serve for 4 points on the serve-out, but 1 forces a return error anyway and he’s on the ball in the rallies to lead 40-15. The first first serve he makes in the game doesn’t come back to end the match

Summing up, a brilliant showing from Federer and a great match, in that order. The winners FH shot-making takes the eye - many spectacular shots from routine positions and passes too - but there’s plenty of other goodies in there too. Secure returning against hefty serving, the hard-hitting staple play, excellent defence and movement and cleverly constructed ways to find net against heavy opposition

del Potro is reduced to second fiddle, but never strays too far behind. His hitting is heavy, particularly off the FH where he has edge in power, willing to attack with wide returns with mixed results and when he chooses, some high end FH shot-making of his own

Federer is far more willing to seek out or seize the attacking role and good enough to pull it off successfully. He has better of action than scoreline suggests, with a few crucial stumbles from him and del Potro clutching things out shortening out the gap between the two players