Playing a second straight three-setter on his comeback, Roger Federer squandered a match point and was knocked out of the Qatar Open by Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili on Thursday.
In what was just his second match since a 13-month injury absence, Federer felt the effects of time on court and was made to work hard by a fearless Basilashvilli. The 20-time Grand Slam title winner, who underwent two knee surgeries in 2020, secured the first set but eventually came under pressure and lost the quarter-final tie, 3-6, 6-1, 7-5.
On Wednesday, the 39-year-old marked his first match since losing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semi-finals in January 2020 by defeating Britain’s Dan Evans, also in three sets.
In the third set, Federer dug deep to clinch an epic seventh game, coming back from three break points to keep the contest alive.
But after saving a match point, the 29-year-old Basilashvili broke Federer’s serve to go up 6-5, before serving out for a famous win.