Tennis: Del Potro denies Federer in Basel final

Top seed Juan Martin Del Potro defended his Swiss Indoors title with a 7-6 (7-3) 2-6 6-4 victory against home favourite Roger Federer. The Swiss number one was looking for his sixth title in Basel, a result that would have sealed his place at next month's ATP World Tour Finals in London for a 12th successive year. "It's always a pleasure to play Roger. He's the hero here and for me my biggest inspiration," said Del Potro. Federer said: "I fought hard all the way. I lifted my level but so did he." Federer, who has won just one title in 2013, produced some great moments of tennis but was unable to deny Del Potro his fourth ATP Tour 500 title in a calendar year. Federer now has to beat Kevin Anderson or Mikhail Youzhny in his second-round match at the final qualifying event in Paris this week to ensure one of the eight places at the 02 Arena for the World Tour Finals, which would equal Ivan Lendl for the most consecutive appearances at the season finale. Del Potro is already certain of his place in the Tour Finals. Federer, playing in his eighth consecutive Basel final, has only beaten one top-10 opponent in 2013, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the Australian Open quarter-finals. Here are the outright odds for the Paris Masters tournament at Sky Bet: Novak Djokovic - 6/4 Rafael Nadal - 9/4 Juan Martin Del Potro - 9/1 Roger Federer - 12/1 Tomas Berdych - 22/1