BNP Paribas Open: Federer defeats Stan Wawrinka to win title

Roger Federer has won his 90th career title after beating Stan Wawrinka in an all-Swiss final at the BNP Paribas Open.


The Australian Open winner defeated third seed Wawrinka in straight sets 6-4, 7-5 to claim his record-tying fifth Masters title in Indian Wells, with Novak Djokovic also having five wins in the event.

Federer, who will move up from 10th to 6th in the world rankings, defeated Rafael Nadal in the fourth round before advancing to the semi-final after Nick Kyrgios withdrew due to illness.

The Swiss legend then beat Jack Sock in straight sets to set up his 23rd head-to-head match with the world number three. Federer’s win over Wawrinka was his 20th, having won the last four matches between the two, including the 2017 Australian Open semi-final.

He told BBC: “This has been a fairy tale week.

“It’s a beautiful feeling. Maybe it’s not as surprising as Australia but it’s still great to back it up by winning in America.

“It’s a dream start to the year. I have totally exceeded my expectations. It’s been an unbelievable start to the year.”

Despite his poor record against his fellow countryman, Wawrinka, who was in tears following the match, bears no grudges towards the 35-year-old.

He said: “No. From that side, I think it’s more positive.

“That means you can still play your best tennis at that age. So it’s something you can learn from, especially for me.‎

“He’s just amazing. The way he’s playing is just so beautiful, it’s just so nice. Everything looks perfect. He’s moving amazingly well. He has amazing touch. He’s doing everything you can do on the tennis court.”