TENNIS: Ofner's premature celebration costs him Australian Open spot in epic collapse

Sebastian Ofner may never forget the rules of tennis after his early celebration turned into a shocking collapse against Nishesh Basavareddy in the Australian Open qualifiers on Wednesday.

The Austrian looked set to advance when he surged to a commanding 6-1 lead in the deciding set tiebreak against 20-year-old American Basavareddy.

However, after winning another point to go up 7-1, Ofner began celebrating and confidently walked toward the net—apparently forgetting that final-set tiebreaks require 10 points to win, not the usual seven.

The realization of his mistake was clear on Ofner's face as he returned to the baseline, but the momentum had already shifted. Basavareddy seized the opportunity, rallying to win eight of the next nine points and completing a stunning 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (13-11) comeback.

Basavareddy marked his remarkable turnaround with a dramatic celebration, first mimicking a 'choking' gesture with his hands around his neck before pumping his fist. Meanwhile, a deflated Ofner could only shake hands, reflecting on what might have been.

The victory was especially sweet for Basavareddy, who had already made headlines as a wildcard last year when he took the opening set from 10-time champion Novak Djokovic before eventually being eliminated.

-Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry/Reuters