A comeback of epic proportions.
PublishedJanuary 14, 2026 12:10 PM EST•UpdatedJanuary 14, 2026 12:10 PM EST
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The qualifying rounds for the 2026 Australian Open, set to begin later this month, are typically reserved for the tennis sickos out there who follow the sport extremely closely. Nevertheless, the rounds are filled with players fighting for their lives, so to speak, which makes for some dramatic action and awesome stories.
The second round qualifying match between American Nishesh Basavareddy and Austria’s Sebastian Ofner checked all the boxes imaginable.
Ofner took the first of three sets 6-4 before Basavareddy returned the favor in the second frame with the same 6-4 result. Then came a tiebreak in the third set, which is when all hell broke loose.
The match was very much Ofner’s to lose after storming out to a 7-1 lead in the tiebreak. In fact, he actually thought he had won the match when securing the seventh point and even celebrated as such. Ofner threw his hands in the air, started fist pumping, and began walking towards the net to shake Basavareddy’s hand, but then the umpire reminded him it was a 10-point tiebreak.
You can probably guess what happened over the next few minutes.
Basavareddy won eight of the next nine points and ultimately won the tiebreak 13-11. Understandably fired up after the epic comeback, he reached into his bag of celebrations and pulled out the Reggie Miller choking celly.
The course of events is worth watching every second.
The 20-year-old Basavareddy, ranked 239th in the world, will now look to pull of a slight upset over World No. 211, George Loffhagen, in the final round of qualifying on Thursday.
As for Ofner’s sake, hopefully that was the first and last time he forgets the tiebreak rule at the grand slam. It’s likely going to take him quite a while to put that loss in the rearview mirror, or the image of Basavareddy giving him the choke celebration.
