Sebastian Ofner blows lead after early celebration

MELBOURNE, Australia -- - A tennis player learned Wednesday not to celebrate victory before the match is really won.

Before Sebastian Ofner lost in Australian Open qualifying, the 29-year-old Austrian had raised his arms and walked toward the net after taking a 7-1 lead in the decisive tiebreaker against Nishesh Basavareddy.

The chair umpire sent Ofner back to continue playing the super tiebreaker until he got at least 10 points, not seven, and was two points ahead.

Minutes later, Basavareddy completed a 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (11) win -- after Ofner had two match-point chances -- and the 20-year-old American did an apparent choking gesture at the net with both hands on his neck.

"I saw him tense up a little bit," Basavareddy said of Ofner's reaction to the score mishap, adding "generally when that happens, you start overthinking like, 'Oh, I thought I already won the match, through to the next round.' So yeah, that definitely gave me a little bit of hope."

Basavareddy now faces George Loffhagen of Britain for a place in the main draw first round, where the American took the first set off Novak Djokovic one year ago.

The 131st-ranked Ofner has never won a main-draw match at the Australian Open, though he reached the fourth round at Roland Garros in 2023.

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