Comeback king Nadal victorious at Indian Wells against Del Potro

Rafael Nadal has won his 22^nd ATP Masters title in California after an impressive performance against Argentine Juan Martin Del Potro. The Spaniard displayed competitive resilience to turn the match around and come back from a set and a break down to win his third title at Indian Wells.

The 26-year-old looked in trouble after losing the first set in just 54 minutes, with Del Potro showcasing some of his best tennis. The Argentine was in a tremendous form going into second and marching into a promising 2-0 lead after breaking Nadal’s serve. However, the former world number one clearly had other intentions for the outcome of the final, having fought his way into it by facing tough challenges from Roger Federer and Tomas Berdych in previous rounds. The Spaniard worked hard to turn the tables around and make it one set all before bringing out his best in the final set to deny Del Potro the victory.

Nadal was emotional after his win, as the 11-times Grand Slam Champion was out of action for over seven months due to his knee injury. “I am very, very happy and very emotional,” said Nadal. “When you have one comeback like I’m having, you remember all the lower moments that you had during the seven months. The doubt when and where you will be able to be back is hard.”

With securing three triumphs out of the four finals Nadal has reached since his comeback, the BNP Paribas champion will replace David Ferrer as the new world number four.

Umida Ibrahimova, sports correspondent