Tommy Haas, at 39 years old, has become only the second player to defeat Roger Federer in 2017, winning on the Stuttgart grass 2-6, 7-6 (8), 6-4.
The only other player to beat the reigning Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami champion this year is world No. 95 Evgeny Donskoy, who won a three-setter in Dubai in March.
This was Federer’s first competitive match in over two months, as he skipped the entire clay-court season to prepare for the faster surfaces.
“He hasn’t played a match in 10 weeks. The first match is always the toughest, so maybe deep down I felt to myself there’s maybe a small chance if I can serve well, play well [and] hold my serve. You never know what can happen,” Haas said on-court after the match.
Federer plowed through the first set with relative ease.
In the opening game, Haas lost his serve at 15. Federer followed it up with a 15 hold on a forehand volley winner. Haas later got on the board with an ace to hold for 1-2.
Federer, up 3-2, faced a break point, but he saved it with a short forehand winner and won the game with two aces — one a slice and one up the T. Haas then got broken on a forehand error, and Federer consolidated to love with a forehand winner, taking the first set 6-2.
Seriously, Roger, stop and have a biscuit or something. We're not in a rush!
— Tennis Inside Out (@TennisInsideOut) June 14, 2017
To start the second set, Haas held to 15 on an ace, making chalk fly up. Federer then held on a smash and broke with a backhand return winner down the line. But Haas took the break back immediately on a netted Federer forehand for 2-2.
Four holds later, at 4-4, Federer had a break point. Haas pulled out the game with an ace out wide, a slice backhand pass and a missed Federer backhand.
This meant Federer had to serve at 4-5 to stay in the set. The seven-time Wimbledon champion held to 30 on a short crosscourt forehand winner.
Haas held again for a 6-5 lead, putting Federer in another must-hold situation. Federer responded by swiftly holding to love to force a tiebreak.
Haas snagged the first mini-break on a missed Federer forehand for a 6-4 lead in the tiebreak. The German then lost his serve at 6-5, failing to convert either of his set points. 6-6. Federer later lost both his serve and the set on a double-fault for 8-10, sending the match to a decider.
Haas, down 1-2 in the third, fought off three break points to hold. Federer then lost his serve on a bad backhand, letting Haas go up a break.
Haas consolidated by saving four break points to go up 4-2. Federer then aced for 3-4. Haas held to make it 5-3. Federer aced for 4-5, and Haas had the opportunity to serve for the match.
Haas served the match out to 15, advancing to the quarterfinals of this 250 event, where he will face veteran serve-and-volleyer Mischa Zverev, who stunned world No. 1 Andy Murray in Melbourne earlier in the year.
Although Zverev is a veteran, he is a decade younger than Haas.
