Ofner celebrates early then loses in Australian Open qualifying / Photo: Maddie Meyer - GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
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Ofner celebrates early then loses in Australian Open qualifying
Austria's Sebastian Ofner suffered a brutal exit from Australian Open qualifying on Wednesday when he celebrated too early thinking he had won, before collapsing and crashing out.
Ofner and American Nishesh Basavareddy split the first two sets at Melbourne Park, which sent the game to a super tiebreak.
The Austrian former world number 37 pulled 6-1 clear, and when he picked up the next point he lifted his arms and strolled to the net in apparent triumph.
It needed the chair umpire to inform him that the winner was the first to 10.
Rattled, Ofner then lost eight of the next nine points and eventually the whole tiebreak 13-11.
"I knew there was still some time... In a super tiebreak, you always have a chance, so I kept believing," Basavareddy said.
"I saw him tense up a little bit, but the balls were quite old there, so every rally was a war and that was my main focus, just to put as many balls in play."
Victory for the American booked a final-round qualifying showdown against Britain's George Loffhagen.
G.Lenaerts --JdB
