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Roger Federer lost his second match since returning from a 14-month injury layoff, facing Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarterfinals of the Qatar Open.
The 20-time Grand Slam winner was overtaken by Georgia’s Basilashvili 3-6 6-1 7-5 in Doha.
Federer had beaten Briton Dan Evans on his return to action on Wednesday to reach the quarterfinals.
Basilashvili saved one match point before beating the 39-year-old Swiss.
After Federer lost his chance to win in the 10th game of the deciding set, world number 42 Basilashvili edged out the three-time winner of the Qatar Open in the next game and finally prevailed in one hour and 50 minutes.
Federer, in competitive action for the first time since January 2020 after two knee surgeries, said playing two games in two days was “a good stepping stone” to his recovery.
“I come from so far away that I am happy to have been able to play back-to-back three-set matches against the best players,” he said.
“That’s an important step for me. I’m not 100% yet.
“I still need another five or six weeks in shape.
“In the next four months until Wimbledon, we have to really look at the schedule and see how much work the knee can take and what is the best way to prepare for what is basically the start of the season for me. Which is the season. grass court season. “
Beating Federer is ‘a dream come true’
Basilashvili said that fighting from a set against to beat Federer was “incredible”.
“I am very happy that he is back playing, and to beat him is a dream come true,” said the 29-year-old.
“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 face Taylor Fritz, 23, on Friday after the American beat Denis Shapovalov 5-7 6-3 7-5.
Andrey Rublev reached the semi-finals at the Khalifa Tennis Complex without playing a single match after Marton Fucsovics withdrew with a back injury.
Rublev, eighth in the world and with a first-round break, received his second pass in two days after Richard Gasquet withdrew from their second-round encounter on Wednesday with a leg injury.
The Russian becomes the first men’s singles player since 1990 to receive consecutive walkovers in a tournament.
Norrie defeated in Marseille
On the other hand, Briton Cameron Norrie was defeated by Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert in the second round of the Open 13 Provence in Marseille.
The British number three, who reached the third round of the Australian Open in February, fell 6-3 6-4 to Herbert, who ranks 30 places behind Norrie at 93.
Herbert saved all five break points he faced against Norrie and hit 14 aces compared to just one for the 25-year-old southpaw.
