Roger Federer vs Juan Martin del Potro LIVE: Swiss Indoors final updates and highlights

Roger Federer is favourite to win the Swiss Indoors in his home town of Basel.

The 36-year-old has regained top form this season and is targeting the World No 1 spot.

To do that he must win the Swiss Indoors final against Juan Martin del Potro before going on to claim more trophies in 2017.

But Del Potro is no easy opponent. The Argentine has a winning record over Federer in finals, which includes TWO Swiss Indoors final victories over the 19-time Grand Slam champion.

This could be a close encounter indeed but the home fans are of course gunning for Federer.

Follow all the action and latest score LIVE with Express Sport below…

ROGER FEDERER VS JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO LIVE

(* denotes server)

*Federer 6-7(5) 2-1 Del Potro

Federer goes for a drop shot but it doesn’t go over. 30-30. He then hits wide to hand Del Potro a break point. And ace soon puts an end to that. Deuce.

Another strong serve hands Federer the advantage, before a repeat of his ace (Del Potro did get a racket to this one though) secures the game.

Federer 6-7(5) 1-1 Del Potro*

Del Potro comes forward but Federer has his man checked, forcing the mistake for 0-15. Del Potro comes back for 40-30 and then forces a long service return out of his opponent.

*Federer 6-7(5) 1-0 Del Potro

Federer needs to get the crowd up on its feet here. He races into a 40-0 lead. And then Del Potro sends a high shot well long. Game.

Federer 6-7(5) Del Potro – DEL POTRO WINS THE FIRST SET

TIE BREAK

5-7* BOOM! Del Potro serves out wide and Federer cannot return. That’s the set.

*5-6 Del Potro is long with a backhand.

*4-6 An unreturnable serve is just what Federer needed.

3-6* Federer is long again! That’s six points won in a row for Del Potro, who has three set points.

3-5* Silence in the stadium as Federer nets Del Potro’s second serve.

*3-4 We’ve just passed the hour mark here in Basel. There’s nothing to split these two. Federer goes long and it’s another mini break.

*3-3 WHAT A RALLY. Del Potro has Federer chasing yet again, including a deep lob. The Swiss eventually goes long. Mini break!

3-2* Federer attacks Del Potro’s serve but the Argentine picks his spot with a forehand winner

3-1* Del Potro has Federer running around and the Swiss eventually nets

ROGER FEDERER VS JUAN MARTIN DEL POTRO LIVE

(* denotes server)

Federer 6-7(5) Del Potro – DEL POTRO WINS THE FIRST SET

TIE BREAK

5-7* BOOM! Del Potro serves out wide and Federer cannot return. That’s the set.

*5-6 Del Potro is long with a backhand.

*4-6 An unreturnable serve is just what Federer needed.

3-6* Federer is long again! That’s six points won in a row for Del Potro, who has three set points.

3-5* Silence in the stadium as Federer nets Del Potro’s second serve.

*3-4 We’ve just passed the hour mark here in Basel. There’s nothing to split these two. Federer goes long and it’s another mini break.

*3-3 WHAT A RALLY. Del Potro has Federer chasing yet again, including a deep lob. The Swiss eventually goes long. Mini break!

3-2* Federer attacks Del Potro’s serve but the Argentine picks his spot with a forehand winner

3-1* Del Potro has Federer running around and the Swiss eventually nets

*3-0 Del Potro goes long and there’s real daylight now

*2-0 A net cord helps Federer plant a winner

1-0* Federer with the forehand winner of Del Potro’s serve. Mini break.

*Federer 6-6 Del Potro

Federer, serving to stay in the set, wins the first point with an unreturnable serve. Del Potro then nets. 30-0. A serve-volley opens up three game points. And a delightful ace down the T wins the game to love. Tie-break time.

Federer 5-6 Del Potro*

Federer nets at 30-30 when a break was on the horizon. And Del Potro then unleashes a rocket flat forehand that the Swiss cannot return. Game.

*Federer 5-5 Del Potro BREAK

Federer, serving for the set, again delivers a forehand winner to open up the game. He;s really found his range so far today. Del Potro levels but a stunning ace makes it 30-15. A neat litter interchange at the net sees Del Potro even the scores again. 30-30.

Del Potro then edges ahead to eke out a break potion… which he wins! Federer goes long and it’s 5-5. That’s a bit of a shock especially considering the Swiss was in full flow. The crowd is silent.

Federer 5-4 Del Potro* BREAK

What a delightful cross-court forehand winner from Federer to open this game. Del Potro levels for 15-15 but Federer does the same thing again! He reads Del Potro perfectly and dispatches the shot – his fourth pass winner of the match.

Federer then goes 15-40 ahead. Two break points here. Del Potro saves the first with a 217km/ph serve. And he forces deuce by stretching the Swiss and coming forward to dispatch the rally.

Oh hello! For the THIRD TIME in this game Federer wins a point on the forehand pass. The crowd (and myself) are loving it. Advantage Federer. Del Potro serves and then hits into the free court, but Federer reads it and finds a winner this time down the right tramline. BREAK

*Federer 4-4 Del Potro

Federer moves 30-15 ahead with a solid forehand winner. He then serves and charges at the net but Del Potro knows his game and sends a backhand winner down the line. Federer continues his plan in the next point, forcing Del Potro into two defensive lobs – the second going long. And at 40-30 he gets into a baseline rally with the Argentine, who blinks first by missing his target.

Federer 3-4 Del Potro*

Del Potro opens his service game by netting Federer’s backhand return. Federer then finds the corner of the court with a lovely forehand. 30-0.

Del Potro claws back level, however. First he comes to the net to wrong-foot his opponent, before Federer goes long during a rally.

Eventually we hit deuce after Del Potro saves a break point… and then another as Federer goes long. And then another as Del Potro, with the advantage, overhits a shot. This has been the longest game of the match so far by some distance.

Del Potro eventually wins it, acing down the T after claiming the advantage. That was a tough slog for the Argentine, especially after Federer just won his service game to love.

*Federer 3-3 Del Potro

Federer storms 40-0 up and then delivers a lovely second serve than Del Potro cannot match. Game to love.

Federer 2-3 Del Potro*

At 15-15 the ball clips the net cord and Federer takes advantage to win the point. An serve and winner from Del Potro soon levels up the scores. And then we have the shot of the match so far. Federer draws his man in with a drop shot and then twirls his backhand winner down the line for break point. Del Potro saves it however. Deuce.

Del Potro wins both points, dispatching forehand winners off the two Federer serve returns. That’s how to win a game.

*Federer 2-2 Del Potro

Federer delivers a lovely forehand winner and then forces a mistake out of Del Potro to go 30-15 up. He then comes forward to dispatch a shallow Del Potro return. Moments later and it’s game as Federer sends an ace down the T. Lovely stuff.

Federer 1-2 Del Potro*

At 15-15 Del Potro plants a serve down the T that Federer cannot return. The Argentine then comes to the net as Federer is rooted on the baseline and forehand volleys his routine winner. 40-15.

Federer stays in the game with a neat service return winner. But a stray forehand goes wide in the subsequent rally to hand it to Del Potro.

*Federer 1-1 Del Potro BREAK

Del Potro wins the first point of the game and goes 0-30 up as Federer nets. A break back possibility here, maybe? Well, three break points emerge as Federer commits an unforced error.

The Swiss comes to the net and drops a lovely backhand volley to save the first break point. He then smashes home a defensive lob from Del Potro. 30-40. But the break comes as Del Potro stays in a rally until Federer nets. BREAK

Federer 1-0 Del Potro* BREAK

My word. Roger Federer is not messing around. He breaks in the first game of the match as Del potro goes long at 15-40.

Players on court

Federer and Del Potro are coming onto the centre court in Basel now. Del Potro will serve first we believe.

Both men are warming up. It’s of course a sell-out here in Basel. You wouldn’t expect anything less in Federer’s home town.

Federer vs Del Potro new start time

We’re heading that Federer vs Del Potro will now start at 2.10pm. That’s likely due to ceremony seeing as this is a final.

WTA Finals update

Just a quick heads up as we wait for Federer vs Del Potro.

Caroline Wozniacki has beaten Venus Williams to win the WTA Finals in Singapore.

Denmark’s Wozniacki went 6-4 5-0 up only for Williams to stage a spirited comeback, eventually losing out 6-4 6-4.

It was the first time Wozniacki has beaten Williams from seven previous meetings.

As for Federer, we expect there to be no delays on his match with Del Potro beginning at 2pm as planned.

Federer on the final

“I’m ready for a difficult match and a fully fit del Potro,” said Federer.

“He played a great match against me in Shanghai and went on to win Stockholm and won that.

“Now he’s here in the final again. I think he’s ok. He might be tired, but he doesn’t have issues that would keep him away from the court.”

Del Potro on the final

“The only way to beat Roger is play hard and play aggressively all the time,” Del Potro said.

“You have to play down the lines every time and sometimes even that is not enough. 

“For me it’s going to be a great challenge and also a great pleasure to play against Roger again in his hometown.”

Federer vs Del Potro head to head

Roger Federer boasts a W17 L6 record against Juan Martin del Potro and the pair have long contested tour finals.

This will be their fifth ever final meeting… and Del Potro boasts the better record there!

Del Potro has won three of his four finals against Federer, including their first – the US Open final in 2009.

Del Potro claimed that with a score of 3-6 7-6(5) 4-6 7-6(4) 6-2.

And the Argentine was also pushed all the way when he won the Swiss Indoors in 2012 and 2013 – both times against Federer.

He won in 2012 6-4 6-7(5) 7-6(3) and then edged the home favourite 7-6(3) 2-6 6-4 a year later.

Federer’s sole final win over Del Potro came in Rotterdam in 2012, when he sauntered to a 6-1 6-4 triumph.

Welcome

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of Roger Federer vs Juan Martin del Potro.

Federer is the home favourite but Del Potro knows how to cause an upset – especially in this tournament.

The Argentine has twice beaten Federer in the Swiss Indoors final and has been in superb form this week.

That is despite the fact he suffered a wrist injury in the Far East recently.

The match is scheduled to start at 2pm and we’ll be here to cover all the action.