From joy to frustration! The Austrian Sebastian Ofner went through a whole range of emotions this Wednesday during the second round of qualifying for the 2026 Australian Open tennis tournament. A match which risks haunting him for some time to come.
While he largely led the debates during the decisive game of the third set against the American Nishesh Basavareddy, the 137th player in the world thought he had won the match when the court scoreboard showed the score 7-1.
The Austrian, after showing his joy by raising his arms and tapping his temple with his fingertip, was heading towards the net when the referee challenged him and put his feet back on the ground.
The rule dates from 2019
Much to his joy, or unaccustomed to the regulations of Grand Slam tournaments, he had simply forgotten that the Super tie-breaks of the four Majors of the season are played in 10 points and not 7 as in other competitions on the circuit. A practice launched in Australia in 2019…
What followed turned into a nightmare for the Austrian who struggled to regain his concentration and calm. His opponent, despite trailing a set to nothing then on the ropes in the decisive set (7-1), ended up saving two match points before winning with a beautiful volley to score 13-11 after 2h31 of play and a comical and stunning scenario.
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