Indian Wells Match Thread (Nadal wins!)

[Silver]

Rafael Nadal defeats Juan Martin Del Potro to win Indian Wells 2013! 4-6, 6-3, 6-4.

Nadal's route to the title:

R1: Bye
R2: Ryan Harrison (7-6, 6-2)
R3: Leonardo Mayer (Walkover)
R4: Ernests Gulbis (4-6, 6-4, 7-5)
QF: Roger Federer (6-4, 6-2)
SF: Tomas Berdych (6-4, 7-5)
F: Juan Martin Del Potro (4-6, 6-3, 6-4)

Updated draw on the ATP site.

[Silver]

New thread! Sorry for MOTD delay all, my fault

[The Special Juan]

Finally

Murray Staves off 2 BPs. This is definitely Novak's title though. I don't think he could have a court more suited to him.

[CaledonianCraig]

A good hold from Murray considering he had to save two break points.

[The Special Juan]

Right, we have a picture!! Come on Sir Andrew, send me to bed reasonably happy after a rubbish day.

[CaledonianCraig]

Good to see Andy starting off aggressively and leads 2-1 on serve.

[The Special Juan]

DelPo needs to give Nadal his shorts back!!

[Danny_1982]

They had highlights of a Murray Delpo match before this on sky from 2009, and the difference in Murray is already clear to see in the opening 3 games.

He's so much more on the front foot and is the aggressor so far.

It's like watching a different player. Great to see.

[CaledonianCraig]

Del Potro hitting big as usual and holding comfortably (2-2).

[Jahu]

DelPo needs to give Nadal his shorts back!!

Yep, they look like Greek restaurant table linen.

[The Special Juan]

It looks really hot, not that any player should be affected by that of course.

[CaledonianCraig]

It looks really hot

Unlike Delpo's shorts.

[The Special Juan]

Leave the shorts alone gents, I think they're quality.

[The Special Juan]

I don't think I've ever seen DelPo slice the ball this much but it's working early on. He has a weird slicing motion though.

[ryan86]

I don't think I've ever seen Murray correctly challenge.

[Silver]

There might be a niche demographic out there somewhere, Craig

[CaledonianCraig]

Still on serve at 3-3. Del Potro the more comfortable on serve at the moment.

[The Special Juan]

Inspired defense!

[LuvSports!]

I think the match is interesting, simply because they haven't played in over 4 years. Apart from that its hardly inspiring tennis at present, it seems that they are in a boxing match, seizing each other up.
Who will throw the first big punch?

[Danny_1982]

Terrific match so far. Both being very aggressive. Both striking it well.

Would like to see more slice from Murray, particularly short to the forehand. Maybe he's worried about the ridiculously high bounce so he's vetoed the slice.

[CaledonianCraig]

Well Danny he was slicing there but lost the point. 15-15

[The Special Juan]

So court buffs, what's making the ball bounce so high? I don't understand how an apparently slow, gritty court makes the ball bounce high.

[Danny_1982]

Yeah he's been using it more since my post. Someone must have told him what I said. Hope he thanks me afterwards.

Very tight match this. Murray needs to return a bit better though.

[ryan86]

I hate the player-level camera angle.

[Danny_1982]

Murray 12 winners, Delpo 2

Murray double the unforced errors.

Delpo winning more if the longer points.

This match is not what I expected at all.

[CaledonianCraig]

Del Potro playing well. Murray looking better early doors than in previous rounds but not making much inroads into Del Potro's service games.

[CaledonianCraig]

Big miss that. A golden chance to go to set point for Andy.

[CaledonianCraig]

6-6 - we have a tie-break.

[The Special Juan]

Ah that was Novak-esque.

[CaledonianCraig]

Del Potro gets an early mini-break.

[CaledonianCraig]

Andy gets it back - 1-1.

[CaledonianCraig]

Wow - dreadful shot from Del Potro at the net - Murray breaks again to lead 2-1 but a howitzer of a forehand from Del Potro gives him the break back at 2-2.

[The Special Juan]

Murray isn't winning this TB, DelPo is losing it. He's picked a bad time to chuck in a few stinkers.

[ryan86]

You could just about see del Potro's winner in the slow-mo.

[CaledonianCraig]

Del Ptro defended better than I've seen before but Murray beginning to dictte the points and leads 5-2.

[CaledonianCraig]

Edgy double fault from Murray who leads 5-3.

[The Special Juan]

Oh dear

[CaledonianCraig]

Del Potro breaks again and we are back on serve at 5-4 to Murray.

[CaledonianCraig]

Fabulous rally that. Murray gets two set points.

[Born Slippy]

Del Potro surely can't live at this level for 3 sets? He's doing a huge amount of work to hang on.

[CaledonianCraig]

Murray misses a backhand down the line and will serve at 6-5.

[The Special Juan]

This is definitely one of the most bizarre and edgy TBs I've ever seen. But Sir Andrew takes it

[CaledonianCraig]

Fabulous set which Murray takes 7-6. Del Potro playing very well but really having to work to hang on in there.

[Danny_1982]

Murray takes it.

Thoroughly enjoyable set of tennis.

[Mad for Chelsea]

good stuff from Murray, very much the aggressor on court, whereas Del Potro is happy to just keep the ball in for most of it, and really just isn't doing anything with that BH of his. If Murray can just cut down on the errors a little he should be fine.

[ryan86]

First day we've got the MOTD right?

[Cogen]

My god, that was tense!

I hate tie-breakers...

[The Special Juan]

DelPo's defending has been great so far but some odd errors are undoing his hard work. I think Murray will take this set by a single break, 6-3 or 6-4.

[Born Slippy]

Class from Murray. He hasn't executed perfectly but tactically this is the blueprint for how he should play every match.

[The Special Juan]

Two facts from that TB:

9/12 points were won against serve.
It took 13 minutes more than the whole of the Djokovic walkover.

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