Stuttgart
Roger Federer suffered a shock defeat to 39-year-old Tommy
Haas at the Stuttgart grass court tournament yesterday in the Swiss great’s first match after almost three months out of action.
Haas, a former world number two but now down at 302, won 2-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 for just his fourth victory in 17 meetings against his close friend.
Federer, building up for an assault on an eighth Wimbledon title, hadn’t played since March, skipping the entire clay court season.
It was just the second defeat of 2017 for the 35-year-old, who claimed the
Australian Open for his 18th major in January.
“It’s always special to play a close friend like Roger on grass, always lots of emotion,” said Haas, who has undergone nine surgeries in his career to mend a number of ailments.
“I saved a match point in the second set so was able to play more freely after that. I even shocked myself.”
With a combined age of 74, it was the oldest match on the tour since 1982 as Haas, on a farewell to the sport in 2017, made his first quarter-final since Rome in 2014.
Federer also held match point in his only other defeat this year to
Russia’s Evgeny Donskoy in Dubai.Haas is the oldest player to beat
a top five opponent since Jimmy Connors, at 39 years and five months old, defeated Michael Stich in Memphis in 1992.
He is also the lowest-ranked player to beat Federer since number 407 Bjorn Phau at Washington in 1999.
Federer, who fired 23 aces in the contest, had match point at 8-7 in the second set tie-breaker but hit a backhand long. The German took his opportunity and converted his fourth set point when Federer double faulted for the first time in the match.
Haas controlled the decider, breaking for 3-1 before going on to
take the victory on a second match point.
He will next face compatriot Mischa Zverev who beat qualifier and fellow German Yannick Hanfmann 7-6 (7/1), 6-2 in 83 minutes.
Philipp Kohlschreiber, the runner-up last year, advanced by beating Steve Johnson of the United States 7-6 (7/3), 5-7, 7-6 (10/8) in two hours and 39 minutes. (AFP)
Thursday, June 15, 2017 23SPORTS
Federer suffers shock defeat onStuttgart return
© GRAPHIC NEWS
Olecko
Goldap
Gizycko
Start/FinishMikolajkiArenaRally HQ
1
2
3
LEG Total 1,422km0
3/7
4/85/9
2/6
DRIVERS’ CHAMPIONSHIP
141pts
123pts
108pts
13/17
11/15
12/16
14/18
21/2320/22
Start SSS 1/10 19
Sources: WRC, Rally Poland Picture: Google Earth
12.4 miles20km
Jul 01SS 11-19
Jun 29/30 SS 1-10
Kaliningrad (RUS)
Jul 02SS 20-23
585.24km116.16km593.63km150.82km243.76km 59.66km
1. Sebastien Ogier
Service park/refuel area
Special Stage
Citroen C3: Andreas Mikkelsen, winner of2016 Polish Rally, then driving for VW
Ford FiestaFRA
2. Thierry Neuville Hyundai i20
BEL
3. Ott Tanak Ford Fiesta
EST
Mikolajki Arena
Man Utd complete £31million signing of Victor Lindelof
Bayern break transfer record to sign Tolisso
Manchester
Manchester United yesterday completed the signing of Swedish
international centre-back Victor Lindelof from Benfica for a fee believed to be £31 million (35m euros, $39.6m), the English Premier League side announced.
“I am thrilled to be joining Manchester United,” said the 22-year-old after penning a four-year deal.
“I have enjoyed my time at Benfica enormously and I have learned a lot there. But I’m looking forward to playing in the Premier League at Old Trafford and for Jose Mourinho.”
Lyon
France midfielder Corentin Tolisso has moved to Bayern Munich from Lyon for a record fee that
could reach 47.5 million euros ($53.5m), the Bundesliga champions announced yesterday.
The 22-year-old signed a five-year deal with Bayern to bring an end to his 10-year association with Lyon.
Before bonuses Bayern paid 41.5m euros, making Tolisso the most expensive player to be signed by a Bundesliga club, breaking the previous record set when Javi Martinez joined Bayern from Athletic Bilbao in 2012.
It is also Lyon’s most expensive sale, ahead of Michael Essien’s departure to Chelsea for 38m euros in 2005.
Tolisso, who made his senior international debut against Spain in March, had been contracted to stay at Parc OL until 2020.
Lausanne
World champion Peter Sagan broke out a new celebration as
he won yesterday’s fifth stage while Damiano Caruso maintained his overall lead at the Tour of Switzerland. For Slovak Sagan, it was his 14th stage win at the race over the last seven years as he took victory in the 222km ride from Bex to Cevio ahead of Swiss Michael Albasini and Italy’s Matteo Trentin.
Bora’s Sagan, 27, broke out into some arm waving resembling a hula dance as he crossed the finish line.
Italian Caruso maintained his 16-second lead over Dutchman Steven Kruijswijk with Domenico Pozzovivo
of Italy third at 25sec.
It was a terrible day for last year’s champion Miguel Angel Lopez of Colombia, who was taken to hospital after crashing badly on a fast descent midway through the stage.
At that point there was a six-man breakaway that had eked out a lead of six minutes at one stage.
But its last two remnants, Ben King and Jesper Asselman, were caught with just 6km remaining. Thursday’s 166.7km sixth stage from Locarno to La Punt has an uphill finish that should see the overall contenders do battle.
Hula Sagan takes Swiss fifth stage
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Switzerland’s Roger Federer (L) congratulates Germany’s Tommy Haas to his victory
