BASEL, Switzerland — Novak Djokovic won’t be matching Roger Federer’s 103 career titles at the Swiss icon’s hometown tournament this week.
Djokovic had a tough loss Thursday at the Swiss Indoors, going down 6-7 (4), 7-5, 7-6 (5) to 47th-ranked Jan-Lennard Struff.
The 36-year-old German clinched with his third match point, an ace down the middle that the 39-year-old Djokovic could not reach. Djokovic had saved the second match point with an ace of his own.
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The record 24-time Grand Slam singles champion won his 102nd tour event this month in Beijing. Only Jimmy Connors with 109 career titles has more than Federer’s 103.
Djokovic came to Basel for the first time in 15 years and where he won one of his 102 titles, against Federer in the 2009 final. The next year, Federer won their rematch in Basel where he grew up, was once a ballboy and lifted the trophy a record 10 times.
Top-seeded Ben Shelton was on court after Djokovic facing a Swiss wild card, the 222nd-ranked Jerome Kym.
Shelton or Kym next faces Jiri Lehecka on Friday after the eighth-seeded Czech won 7-5, 6-4 on Daniel Altmaier.
Earlier, second-seeded Arthur Fils dropped the first set in a tight 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over No. 34 Alex Michelsen of the United States.
In the quarterfinals Fils will face another American, sixth-seeded Taylor Fritz, who eased to a 6-4, 6-3 win over Denis Shapovalov.
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