Roger Federer will face up against his good friend and Swiss compatriot Stan Wawrinka in the final of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells. It will be the first time since 2001 when two players of the same country will face up against each other in the finals of Indian Wells. The 2001 final was played between legendary Americans Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi.
In the semi-finals, Wawrinka had an easy victory over Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta, the world number 23. The No.3 seed won the match 6-3 6-2.
Roger Federer, an 18-time Grand Slam winner faced American Jack Sock in the semi-final. The No.9 seed came out on top against the World No.18 American 6-1 7-6 (7-4).
Federer will head into the contest in a very confident mood after a resurgent year in 2017, where he clinched his 18th Grand Slam at the Australian Open. He has a dominating 19-3 head-to-head record, including 14-0 on hard courts against his compatriot Stan Wawrinka.
If he manages to win the tournament, this will be Federer’s fifth victory at Indian Wells, tying him up with rival Novak Djokovic, who too has won 5 titles at Indian Wells. Federer won at Indian Wells for three years in a row between 2004 and 2006 and also won a title in 2012.
