rogerfederer.com - Phenomenal Roger in Indian Wells

Phenomenal Roger in Indian Wells

Roger has became the first player to win three consecutive titles at Indian Wells! He defeated No. 12 James Blake, 7-5, 6-3, 6-0, in Sunday's final. Roger was feeling in an acquisitive mood, having erased a 4-1 first-set deficit.

Roger has not lost a match in the United States since the summer of 2004. "I hope I get the [big] whale," said a smiling Roger, referring to the unique trophy at Indian Wells. He now counts thirty-six titles, seven of them Grand Slams.

"Even though I don't fall on my knees and cry and everything, it still means a lot to me," Roger said. "Sometimes, really, the big satisfaction comes later on, maybe a few months down the road when I go like, 'Wow, I really did well in Indian Wells.' "

The way he pulled Blake around the court, Roger might as well have been at the control of a video game. That particular point came at deuce in the eighth game of the second set, with Blake serving at 3-4. It earned him a break point, his fourth of the game, and Roger finally secured the break with an easy forehand volley.

"I felt very, very confident on the court," Roger said. "At some moments obviously I knew this is almost impossible that I'm going to lose this final."

The way Roger dominated the last two sets, it was hard to imagine he ever had problems winning finals. After his news conference, he revealed it once concerned him because he had done so well in finals when he was playing in juniors. "I thought, 'What's wrong?' Now I'm over that," he said.

The self-confidence about his game settled in long ago. And Blake made sure Roger's other qualities were not overlooked. During the post-match presentations, Blake told the crowd about the time he received a note in 2004 while he was hospitalized in Rome after breaking his neck during practice.

It came from Roger. They didn't know each other particularly well. But Roger acted instinctively and spoke to Mirka about doing something. "I heard it was very serious," Roger said of Blake's injury. "And I just thought, 'Poor guy, I hope he gets better.' I said, 'Mirka, let's get a pen and paper.' "