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Qatar Open: Basilashvili sends Federer packing in the quarterfinal

The 20-time Grand Slam will be seen in action next week in the Dubai Tennis Championships though.

Roger Federer

Bengaluru/Doha, March 11: Roger Federer's return to competitive action ended early as the Swiss great lost to Georgia's Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-3, 1-6, 5-7 in the quarterfinals of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.

The last time that they fought against each other, Federer had an easy 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win in the opening round of the Australian Open in 2016.

But at the hard-courts of Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex on Thursday (March 11) the Georgian fought back hard after losing the first set to prevail in a thrilling last-eight encounter which lasted an hour and 50 minutes.

Federer was was making his first tournament appearance since the 2020 Australian Open this week after undergoing two right knee surgeries.

Seeded second, he had claimed a 7-6 (10-8), 3-6, 7-5 victory in his return match in the round-of-16 tie against Daniel Evans.

Federer marks return by winning mini-epic with friend Evans in DohaFederer marks return by winning mini-epic with friend Evans in Doha

However, Basilashvili who entered the tournament on a five-match losing sequence other ideas.

The Swiss great, who has won a record three-titles at the ATP 250 Series event in the Qatari capital, looked in good form in the first set.

But Basilashvili proved a tough nut to crack as he drew level in the second and took the game to the decider where he saved seven of 10 break points, including a match point at 4-5 in the decider to storm into the semifinals.

The ATP World Tour No. 42 will face Taylor Fritz for a place in the final. The American outlasted fourth seed Canadian Denis Shapovalov 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 to reach his first semifinal of 2021.

Federer, the 20-time Grand Slam champion, will now be seen in action at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, an ATP 500 Series event, which begins on March 14.

Story first published: Thursday, March 11, 2021, 23:59 [IST]
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