Rafael Nadal appears to be fully back to form after returning from a serious knee injury that kept him out half the year last year and he can fully realize his comeback with his first tournament championship with a win over Juan Martin del Potro at the finals of the BNP Paribas Open on Sunday.
Nadal got pact Tomas Berdych in the semifinals, while del Potro handed Novak Djokovic his first defeat of the season, defeating the number one ranked player 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the semifinals to advance against Nadal. Del Potro became the second Argentinian player to make it to the finals of the tournament and he kept Djokovic on the run and was able to hang on for the win after a nearly three-hour match in the hot weather.
Djokovic hadn't lost since 2012 and del Potro used a fast serve and strong forehand to knock the Serbian off to set up the match with Nadal. The two stars have played each other six times on hard courts, splitting the matches with three each.
On Sunday afternoon Maria Sharapova and Caroline Wozniacki faced off for the women's final with Sharapova winning, while the weather stretched near the triple digits. Del Potro took down Andy Murray in the quarterfinals, while Nadal defeated Federer in that round as well, the first time that has happened since their first match in Miami in 2004 when Nadal was a 17-year-old.
Djokovic appeared to be getting rattled by the heat, as he was up 3-0 in the final set and then dropped six of the next seven games. The last time Djokovic lost was against Sam Querry back in October and had previously won 17 matches in a row while winning two titles. Del Potro was able to save seven of 11 total break points and also had 25 winners in the match.
Nadal looked to be back to form after improving to 16-1 on the season, his only loss coming in a final match in his first tournament back after his knee injury. It was his 12th straight win over Berdych and Nadal took advantage after breaking him when it was 5-5 in the final set. Nadal was sharp for most of the match and had 16 winners while saving three of four break points.
The tournament also had another milestone from doubled partners Mike and Bob Bryan, who won the doubles title for the first time in 14 attempts, adding to their impressive record for tournament wins. On the women's side, Victoria Azarenka ended up having to withdraw from the tournament after suffering an injury, leaving Wozniacki to advance. Sharapova defeated Maria Kirilenko to advance, while Serena Williams is not playing in the tournament.
Azarenka and Williams last played in an exhibition earlier in the month and leaves Sharapova a chance to move closer to the number one world ranking. Nadal appears to be gaining back his strength and if he continues his strong play he will be the favorite at the French Open, where he is the defending champion.
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