Haas Feels Good Despite Delray Beach Outcome

Tommy Haas didn’t miss that feeling.

The 38 year old, who’s embarking on his final comeback, led Georgian Nikoloz Basilashvili by a set and a break during their first-round match at the Delray Beach Open on Tuesday. But then Haas’ lack of recent match experience struck.

Leading 4-3 in the second set, Haas was broken and fell in the 18-point tie-break. Basilashvili cruised in the decider, breaking twice to move into the second round 6-7(4), 7-6(8), 6-2 and end Haas’ run in south Florida.

“Overall it was good,” Haas said. “It just sucks when you’re that close to possibly winning a match and you don’t win. I haven’t had that feeling in a long time… and it’s not a good feeling.”

It was Haas’ first complete singles match in 16 months, since October 2015, when he fell to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga at the Erste Bank Open 500 in Vienna. Haas played at the Australian Open last month but retired after two sets because of fatigue. He hasn’t won a tour-level singles contest since the 2015 Wimbledon.

“I’m just trying to find my game, just trying to go out there and compete and possibly play the game to a level that I feel comfortable at. But it’s so tough when you were out for over a year and you come back and you play like eight events and you’re out for over a year and now it’s your second time back,” Haas said. “So it’s tough for me to see where I’m at, and practice is always different.”

His body mostly held up against Basilashvili, who reached his second tour-level final on Sunday at the Memphis Open (l. to Harrison). Haas had a brief scare during the second set when he felt a tendon in his right quadricep tug on him.

“For a few steps there, up until I got to the sideline, I couldn’t really lift my leg. So I was thinking, ‘Please don’t let it be something too serious’,” Haas said. “It really felt weird. It didn’t really feel like a pop, it just felt like a little stinger.”

He received treatment on it, though, and finished the match without a recurrence.

Tuesday night will most likely be the last time fans see Haas play a singles match at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. The 15-time ATP World Tour titlist underwent foot surgery in April. He has said this latest comeback – his ninth during his 21-year career – will be his final. He’s already working his after-tennis job as the BNP Paribas Open tournament director in Indian Wells.

“I really enjoyed the match against him. I respect him a lot,” said Basilashvili, who had never faced Haas before Tuesday. “Of course for him it’s difficult to come back… It’s sad, of course that he did not go through, but that’s tennis and sports. But I wish him good luck the rest of the season.”

Haas is sticking around Delray Beach. He’s scheduled to play his quarter-finals match with Canadian Vasek Pospisil on Wednesday afternoon.

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