Novak Djokovic outlasted Roger Federer 6-3, 6-7 (5-7), 6-2 to win the Indian Wells Masters title for a second year in a row on Sunday.
Djokovic joined Federer on four titles at the Tennis Garden in the Calornian desert as the Swiss player lost for only the second time this season.
Federer took the 2015 titles at Brisbane and Dubai and went out of the Australian Open in the third round.
The match looked like it was ending in straight sets before Federer came alive in the second-set tiebreak, helped by three double-faults from the top seed Djokovic.
The Swiss levelled the tight contest on his first opportunity as Djokovic put a lob return long to the delight of a mainly pro-Federer crowd.
With the match starting afresh in the final set, Federer was unable to take advantage, dropping serve in the second game but getting the break back in the third with an heroic effort to break back on a fifth opportunity from another Djokovic double-fault.
But the euphoria did not last, with Djokovic breaking again for 4-2 ands reaching a 5-2 margin with an ace.
Federer went down to defeat a game later after saving a match point but sending a forehand wide to lose after two hours, 17 minutes.
"Congratulations to Novak, he played a great match," said Federer. "I hope we can play some more this year, it will be a pleasure."
Djokovic improved his record in the series with the 17-time grand slam champion Swiss to 18-20 as he ended a two-match loss streak to the 33-year-old.
The winner improved his record at the Masters 1000 level to 21-10 with his victory.
Djokovic got on top of second seed Federer in the sixth game of the opening set with a break for 4-2 after the Seiss saved three break points but chipped wide on a fourth.
Two games later, Djokovic wrapped up the opener after 32 minutes with a winner.
In the second, the Serb top seed struck for another break to lead 2-1 and saved a pair of break points in the next game to hold, 3-1.
Earlier in the women's final, Simona Halep fought through a sloppy, mistake-riddled final to defeat Jelena Jankovic 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 and claim the women's honours.
Halep took almost two and three-quarter hours to hold off 2010 champion Jankovic.
Jankovic, ranked 21st, struck a massive 61 unforced errors in a match with 18 breaks of serve. Champion Halep did little better, committing 47 unforced errors while hitting 22 winners.
Halep admitted she just scraped through for the win.
"I don't know how I won today because I didn't play my best," she said.
"It was not pretty but I fought to the end," said the Romanian who played the French Open final last June against Maria Sharapova.
"I just had the confidence that I have my chance here this tournament, and I just did everything to get it. I got it, and I'm really happy that I have another title."
