A revived Roger Federer has beaten fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka 6-4 7-5 to win a record-tying fifth Indian Wells title and distinction as the tournament's oldest winner.
The win by the 35-year-old Swiss master, who made a stunning return from a six-month layoff by winning the Australian Open in January, capped an impressive run in the California desert in which he did not lose a set the entire way.
Roger Federer Photo: Photosport
The rematch of the Australian Open semi-final saw the close friends hold serve until the 10th game of the opening set when Federer, ahead 5-4, outlasted Wawrinka in a thrilling 21-shot rally for the service break.
Wawrinka, who was making his first appearance in an Indian Wells final, broke right back and held serve to move ahead 2-0 in the ensuing set but Federer never wavered.
Federer now joins Novak Djokovic a five-time winner at the event and becomes the oldest champion in the tournament's history, surpassing Jimmy Connors who was 31 when he triumphed in 1984.
