In one of the wildest moments of this year’s Australian Open qualifying rounds, Austrian tennis professional Sebastian Ofner experienced a dramatic and costly mistake that not only ended his hopes of advancing but also sparked a memorable reaction from the crowd and his opponent.
During his third‑set match against American up‑and‑comer Nishesh Basavareddy, Ofner appeared to have the match all but wrapped up. After splitting the first two sets, the contest entered a decisive match tiebreak, which at this stage of qualifiers is played to 10 points, not the usual seven.
With his momentum surging, Ofner raced to a seemingly commanding 7‑1 lead. Mistakenly believing he had clinched the tiebreak and thus the match, he began celebrating, walking towards the net, visibly relieved and upbeat. It was only moments later that the Austrian realized his error: the tiebreak was not yet over, and his premature celebration had essentially given Basavareddy a psychological edge.
What followed was one of the most unexpected comebacks in recent qualifying history. Basavareddy capitalized on every opportunity and rattled off eight of the next nine points, ultimately winning the tiebreak 13‑11 and knocking Ofner out of the tournament.
After sealing the win, Basavareddy celebrated emphatically. He initially brought his hands to his neck in a gesture that appeared to mock the notion of ‘choking,’ a light‑hearted (yet pointed) acknowledgment of Ofner’s blunder, before pumping his fist in pure exhilaration.
