Roger Federer is out of the Australian Open after Stefanos Tsitsipas reach the quarter-finals.
The defending champion lost 6-7 (11-13) 7-6 (7-3) 7-5 7-6 (7-5) to the Greek 14th seed.
Federer has failed to reach the last eight in Melbourne for only the second time in 16 years.
Tsitsipas saved all 12 of 37-year-old Federer’s break points on his way to a famous win.
“I’m the happiest man on earth right now, I can’t describe it,” he said.
Federer lumped a forehand long to leave Tsitsipas serving for the match in the fourth-set tie-break, and the youngster forced him into a backhand error to win in three hours and 45 minutes.
Tsitsipas dropped his racquet in celebration and seemed to mouth “me?” at the crowd, expressing his shock further by covering his hand with mouth, before starting to cry as he walked over to celebrate with his team.
He will play Spain’s Roberto Bautista Agut, who beat Croatian sixth seed Marin Cilic in five sets, in the last eight.
Federer was aiming to win a record seventh men’s singles title at Melbourne Park, moving him clear of world number one Novak Djokovic and Australian legend Roy Emerson.
But the 20-time Grand Slam champion was undone by a player considered to be one of the best hopes to take over the mantle when Federer – along with Djokovic and Rafael Nadal – retires.
The pair were contesting their first ATP-level match, although did meet last month in a Hopman Cup tie which Federer edged in two tie-breaks, indicating their contest in Melbourne could be equally tight.
Tsitsipas’ fearless and energetic approach unsettled Federer, seemingly putting doubt in the former world number one’s mind on the key points.
Federer failed to convert any of 12 break points, with some errant forehands particularly letting him down.
“There are always multiple factors in match like this, but it didn’t go well on the set points,” he said.
“I didn’t break him at the Hopman Cup either, so something is going wrong. It is very frustrating.”
The most significant were the eight which he could not take in a six-game spell in the second set – specifically the four which were set points in a nerve-wracking 10th game.
For three consecutive service games, Tsitsipas was put under severe examination in lengthy battles which the Greek eventually came through unscathed.
That enabled him to go on and level in the tie-break – a pivotal moment which turned the match in his favour.
Federer had lost his past two Grand Slam matches after dropping sets for the first time in the tournament – against Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon and John Millman at the US Open – and he suffered the same fate again.
“I lost to a better player who played very well. He stayed calm and hung in there, which is not easy for younger guys so credit to him,” Federer added.
-BBC
