Watch: "Probably one of the best points I've ever played"- Roger Federer recalls in an old interview the insane 45-shot rally against Lleyton Hewitt in 2005
Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt had a storied rivalry in the early 2000s, facing off on a total of 27 occasions. Interestingly, only one of those meetings was at Indian Wells, in the 2005 final. The match might have been a straightforward affair going in the favor of the Swiss but it delivered one of the greatest rallies in the tournament's illustrious history that went Hewitt's way.
Coming into the tournament, the Swiss was the defending champion as well as the top seed while Hewitt was the second seed. The 20-time Grand Slam champion raced to the final with relative ease. Hewitt, on the other hand, battled past former World No. 1s Andre Agassi in the quarterfinals and Andy Roddick in the semifinals.
The final started in predictable fashion as the top seed broke the Australian's serve twice in the first set to take it 6-2. In the second set, he was close to breaking Hewitt's serve early on once again. With the score tied at 1-1, the World No. 27 had a break point on the two-time Grand Slam champion's serve.
Federer and Hewitt square off in insane point
The point started off in tame fashion, as both were content to exchange cross-court backhands and wait for the other to make the first move. Hewitt was the first to turn aggressor, switching things up with a powerful forehand down the line to push the Swiss on the back foot. Federer reacted brilliantly with a sliced return that completely changed the pace of the rally.
Soon, the duo were making each other race from one corner of the court to another with a flurry of forehands and backhands. It was once again the Australian who decided to step things up after a while. He hit a well-disguised drop shot, hoping to catch the defending champion by surprise.
As one would expect of a player of the Swiss' caliber, he was up to the task and responded with a drop shot of his own. Hewitt too was on high alert and lobbed the ball over Federer's head perfectly. However, Hewitt didn't anticipate that Federer would run to the back of the court to execute an extremely rare spinning forehand lob of his own.
The second seed stretched with all his might and somehow made contact with the ball with a desperate flick of his wrist, but in doing so, he gave the 20-time Grand Slam champion an opening to attack. Federer hit an aggressive forehand down the line, hoping that it would be the end of the point, but once again Hewitt managed to return it.
Following another lob and another improbable spinning forehand from the Swiss in return, the two-time Grand hit a pick-up drop shot that grazed the sidelines. But before it could hit the ground for the second time, the former World No. 1 put in a lung-bursting run to get there and hit a ferocious running forehand.
Hewitt miraculously managed to outclass his opponent yet another time, and this proved to be the most decisive of them all. Hewitt produced a full-length dive and managed to volley the ball back to Federer's side of the net for a winner.
Federer could only smile at the end of the point, and even the exhausted Hewitt flashed a grin as he caught his breath. Understandably, the crowd could not believe what they had just witnessed and acknowledged both players by giving them a standing ovation that lasted almost as long as the point itself.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion recalled the experience a few years later in an interview, where he referred to it as "probably one of the best points" he has ever played.
"Lleyton had a great dive, a diving volley. It is probably one of the best points I have ever played," he said. "Unfortunately I lost it, but the crowd gave us a standing ovation and it was one of the great moments of Indian Wells tennis history."
Here is a clip of Federer's reaction to the entire rally uploaded to Twitter:
What a rally!!!
"Probably one of the best points I've ever played.
Unfortunately I lost it but the crowds gave us a standing ovation and it was one of the great moments in the Indian Wells tennis history " Federer
#BNPParibasOpen https://t.co/HrVexLQk8d
Roger Federer went on to beat Lleyton Hewitt to win his second title at the Indian Wells Masters
Despite losing the point, Roger Federer went on to win the match in straight sets. The final was a best-of-5 affair, and the Swiss won the contest 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 to defend his title.
scored his 2nd Indian Wells title back in 2005 after defeating the world No. 2 at that moment, Lleyton #Hewitt 
in the final.
Indian Wells Champion 2005 ๐บ๐ธ๐
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Roger #Federer๐จ๐ญscored his 2nd Indian Wells title back in 2005 after defeating the world No. 2 at that moment, Lleyton #Hewitt ๐ฆ๐บ in the final.
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This was only the 26th title of his career, he was ranked as the No. 1 https://t.co/8oemrcxzc3
The former World No. 1 also won the next edition of the Indian Wells Open to complete a hat-trick of titles, the first player in the history of the tournament to do so. He also triumphed in the desert in 2012 as well as 2017, thereby becoming the most decorated player in Indian Wells history. As of now, Roger Federer is tied for the most titles in the tournament alongside World No. 2 Novak Djokovic.