(Video) Nishesh Basavareddy Brutally Mocks Sebastian Ofner After Premature Celebration Cost Him Australian Open Spot

Nishesh Basavareddy needs one more win to qualify for the Australian Open main draw for the second time.

(Video) Nishesh Basavareddy Brutally Mocks Sebastian Ofner After Premature Celebration Cost Him Australian Open Spot

Nishesh Basavareddy (right) produced choke celebration after defeating Sebastian Ofner (left) (Image via YouTube/Australian Open, X/ATP Tour, Ground Press)

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Sebastian Ofner was so focused on getting a berth in the third match of the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open that he forgot a Grand Slam rule. This led to premature celebration, which he couldn’t do when the match ended.

The Austrian walked toward the net for the customary post-match handshake with Nishesh Basavareddy when he was 7-1 in the third set of his second qualifier. He raised his arms in celebration and pumped his fist as a look of relief came to his face. Ofner also pointed toward his head to show how he had survived the mental pressure of the match. He was confident that he had secured a spot in the third qualifying round.

Watch the video here:

But alas, it wasn’t the case. In ATP Tour matches, the tiebreaks are played to the first seven points, but in Grand Slam events, they are played to 10 points, including in the qualifying rounds. Ofner forgot this rule and celebrated, thinking he won the match, only to realize later that he still had to grab three more points.

Basavareddy turned the tables in his favor as after winning a few more points and trailing 4-8, he reeled off five consecutive points and took a 9-4 lead, and was on match point. The momentum kept shifting back and forth as Ofner, after saving the point, squandered his match point. In the end, the match ended in the 20-year-old’s favor, winning with a scoreline of 4-6, 6-4, 7-6(13).

Basavareddy rubbed salt in the wound through an aggressive celebration after winning the last point of the match. He clasped his throat with both hands and did the choke celebration.

Watch the video here:

Ofner produced his best Australian Open performance when he reached the first round in 2024. In Grand Slam events, the 29-year-old has yet to advance beyond the fourth round, reaching the stage once, at the 2023 French Open. Last year in Majors, Ofner skipped the Melbourne Slam, reached the second round of the Roland Garros, third round of Wimbledon, and suffered a first-round defeat at the US Open.

The World No.131, who reached a career-best ranking of No.37 in 2024, has yet to progress to a tour-level final. Prior to Melbourne, he participated in the Canberra Challenger, losing in his opening match to Dusan Lajovic.

Nishesh Basavareddy will clash with George Loffhagen in the next round

Nishesh Basavareddy will next be locking horns with George Loffhagen on January 15th. Loffhagen eliminated Justin Engel and Yoshihito Nishioka in the previous two qualifying rounds.

Nishesh Basavareddy
Nishesh Basavareddy (Image via X/@AlemTenis)

The American made his Grand Slam main draw debut in last year’s Australian Open, where in the first round, he famously took the first set off 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, before eventually losing the match.

Prior to knocking out Ofner, Basavareddy secured a straight-set win over Alexis Galarneau. Ofner went past August Holmgren in the previous match.

After failing to qualify for the main draw event of the French Open, the World No.239 made the first rounds of both Wimbledon and the US Open last year. He achieved his career-best No.99 ranking last year and is searching for the first title of his career.

Before arriving in Melbourne, Basavareddy started his campaign for the 2026 season at the Hong Kong Open, where he failed to grab a spot in the main draw after losing his two qualifying round matches to Yunchaokete Bu and Jan-Lennard Struff.

The main draw of the Australian Open starts on January 18, and the final is scheduled to be held on February 1. World No.2 Jannik Sinner will be playing as the two-time defending champion.

Also read: Former World No.1 Tips Jannik Sinner to Win the Australian Open Despite Carlos Alcaraz Challenge