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Roger Federer’s return from injury ended in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open when he was defeated in three sets by Nikoloz Basilashvili, before the Swiss withdrew from the upcoming ATP 500 event in Dubai.
On Wednesday, the 39-year-old Federer beat Briton Dan Evans on his return to the court after 14 months out with a knee problem. However, the 20-time Grand Slam champion failed to secure a second victory in as many days as Georgia’s Basilashvili completed a 3-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory.
“It’s been great to be back on the ATP Tour, I loved every minute playing in Doha once again,” the 20-time Grand Slam winner said on social media. “I decided it is better to go back to training and as a result I decided to withdraw from Dubai next week.
Basilashvili, ranked 42nd in the world, saved a match point against a tired-looking Federer in game 10 of the deciding set, before breaking his Swiss opponent in the next game, and watching the match in one hour and 50 minutes.
“He is incredible because he is one of the greatest of all time,” said Basilashvili, 29, after his knockout victory. “Playing it means a lot to me. I am very happy that he is back playing, and beating him is a dream come true. He was always my idol, and I’m sure he is for a lot of tennis players and fans, so I’m incredibly happy. “
Basilashvili will play Taylor Fritz for a place in the Doha final after the American’s 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 win over Denis Shapovalov.
“I am happy to be back on tour,” Federer told the ATP website. “I am happy to have come here to Doha. So it’s really a positive return for me. I’m really happy. I come from so far away that I am happy to have been able to play consecutive three-set matches against the best players. That is an important step for me. “
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