Doha (AFP)
Roger Federer, who made his return to competition in Doha after a thirteen-month hiatus, was beaten in his second game on Thursday by Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili (42nd worldwide) 3-6, 6-1, 7-5.
"I've come from so far back that I'm happy to have been able to play two games back to back in three sets. I'm not 100% yet, I see it, I feel it. But the goal is to be 100% for the grass season, "commented the Swiss, who will turn 40 in August.
Visibly tired after having already played three sets and spent 2:24 on the court for his return match the day before against Daniel Evans, Federer must decide "within 24 hours" if he lines up in Dubai next week.
Basilashvili will face American Taylor Fritz (33rd) on Friday for a place in the final.
After confidently winning the first round, Federer lost his footing in the second.
Committing too many faults, dominated in the exchange, he allowed Basilashvili to return to the game.
In the third set, the Swiss first dismissed several break points at 4-3 then he obtained a match point at 5-4 on the opposing service.
But unlike the day before against Evans where he had significantly increased his level of play and risk taking at the end of the third set, Federer seemed unable to face Basilashvili.
And it was the Georgian who took his opponent's face-off to lead 6-5 and serve for the match.
He got three match points and finished on the third.
"It's amazing, he's one of the greatest players of all time. It meant so much to me to play him, he has always been my idol," said Basilashvili.
After his semi-final of the Australian Open in January 2020 (lost to Novak Djokovic) and an exhibition match in early February against Rafael Nadal in South Africa, Federer decided to undergo arthroscopy in his right knee which had bothered him since. several years already.
The suspension of the circuit, a more complicated recovery than expected and a second arthroscopy of the same knee in May led him to cut completely from the competition until Wednesday.
© 2021 AFP