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MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah will go head to head for the right to be billed as the Premier League’s top dog when Manchester United face arch-rivals Liverpool on Sunday.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp risked irking United striker Ronaldo ahead of the crunch clash when he hailed Salah as the best player in the world last weekend.

The Egypt forward has been in superb form, with his sublime strikes against Manchester City and Watford already goal of the season contenders.

But Ronaldo hasn’t been far behind with a series of crucial goals underlining his superstar status.

While Paris Saint-Germain duo Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe can also stake their claim to be the world’s best, in the Premier League there is little doubt that Ronaldo and Salah are the main men.

So who will be this season’s preeminent force?

Sunday’s crucial showdown at Old Trafford will go some way to deciding that question.

Without a win in their last three league games, United are four points behind second-placed Liverpool.

United need Ronaldo to continue his knack of rising to the big occasion, while unbeaten Liverpool hope Salah can continue his blistering streak.

Salah has scored 12 times in 11 games this season, with Ronaldo netting six times in eight matches since returning to United from Juventus in August.

Salah became the first Liverpool player to score in nine consecutive games after striking twice in the Champions League win at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday.

Just 24 hours later, Ronaldo stole the European spotlight with the late headed winner that completed United’s fightback from two goals down to beat Atalanta 3-2.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer naturally leans towards his player in any debate about the best of the best.

But he admitted Salah’s red-hot run makes him a fearsome proposition.

“I’ll always back Cristiano in any competition. He’s unique. That being said, Salah, at the moment, he’s on fire,” Solskjaer said.

“We know we have to be at our best to defend against him. We have to focus on them for 95 minutes to keep a clean sheet.

“I’m a big fan of Liverpool’s front three. We have to enjoy the players, though not Salah on Sunday, of course.”

True greatness

Asked to debate the virtues of the pair on Friday, Klopp took a diplomatic approach as he highlighted each star’s quality.

“Why should we compare Cristiano Ronaldo and Mo Salah? Obviously both are world-class players, so that’s how it is,” he said.

“Even when Ronaldo’s left foot is not that bad, I would say Mo’s left foot is probably better.

“Maybe then Cristiano in the air is slightly better and the right foot is probably better. 

“But speed-wise they are both pretty quick, very desperate to score goals, so maybe that’s it.”

It is the ability to propel a team to silverware that defines true greatness and, on that front, Ronaldo has the edge, for now.

While Salah has won one Premier League title with Liverpool, Ronaldo is a three-time English champion, not forgetting his combined four league titles at Real Madrid and Juventus.

Salah has one Champions League crown, but Ronaldo has lifted Europe’s elite club prize five times.

Salah, whose contract expires in 2023, is reportedly looking for a new deal that would make him one of the Premier League’s highest paid players alongside Ronaldo.

Liverpool will surely have to bow to the 29-year-old’s demands, given he has scored 137 goals in 214 games for the club since joining from Roma in 2017.

Ronaldo has such longevity that even Salah might not be able to match all the Portugal legend’s achievements.

The 36-year-old has amassed 124 goals in 300 United appearances over his two spells with the club.

He has also won the Ballon d’Or fives times and is the record goalscorer in both the Champions League and international football.

However, Klopp believes Salah has the right character to stay at the top for years to come.

“Mo is incredibly professional. He’s really the first and very often the last out of all the players,” Klopp said.

“He’s constantly interested in all the different things he has to do to improve. He has still a lot to give, 100 per cent.”

PARIS — A late Cristiano Ronaldo winner capped another Manchester United comeback in the Champions League on Wednesday, this time against Atalanta, as holders Chelsea and Bayern Munich cruised to big victories and Barcelona gave their campaign a shot in the arm.

The knives were out for United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as his side found themselves 2-0 down at half-time at Old Trafford, Mario Pasalic and Turkish centre-back Merih Demiral scoring for Atalanta.

However Marcus Rashford made up for missing a glorious chance just before the interval by pulling a goal back eight minutes into the second half and sparking another remarkable fightback.

In their last Champions League outing three weeks ago, United fell behind at home to Villarreal but came back to win 2-1 with Ronaldo scoring the decisive goal in injury time.

This time captain Harry Maguire swept in the equaliser in the 75th minute and Ronaldo rose to head in a Luke Shaw cross to clinch a 3-2 victory nine minutes from time for his record-extending 137th Champions League goal.

"We have a habit of doing this at this club," said Solskjaer of another come-from-behind success.

United are now top of Group F, two points clear of Atalanta and Villarreal, who won 4-1 away to Young Boys in Bern.

Yeremi Pino gave Villarreal the early lead on his 19th birthday, before Gerard Moreno headed in a free-kick to make it 2-0.

Meschack Elia, the Congolese striker, pulled one back for the Swiss champions in the 77th minute but late goals by Alberto Moreno and Samu Chukwueze sealed victory for last season's Europa League winners.

Lukaku injury

After losing to Juventus last time out, Chelsea got their defence of the trophy back on track as Jorginho scored two penalties in a 4-0 drubbing of Malmo in the rain at Stamford Bridge.

However, their evening was marred by an injury to Romelu Lukaku, who hobbled off after being hurt winning the first penalty of the night midway through the first half.

Andreas Christensen had given Chelsea the lead before that. Kai Havertz scored Chelsea's other goal, but Thomas Tuchel's side also saw Timo Werner come off before the break.

"We have a twist of the ankle for Romelu, and muscle injury and hamstring for Timo, so they will be some days out I guess," Tuchel said.

"We have a lot of games, so now we have to find solutions, no excuses."

Chelsea are second in Group H but Juventus are top with three wins out of three after substitute Dejan Kulusevski's late header secured a 1-0 victory against Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia.

'Hungry' Bayern

Bayern scored four times in the final 20 minutes to defeat Benfica 4-0 in Lisbon and maintain a 100 per cent record in Group E.

The German champions saw Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller have goals disallowed before Leroy Sane's free-kick put them ahead at the Estadio da Luz, the scene of their victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the 2020 final.

An Everton own goal was followed by a Lewandowski tap-in and another Sane goal as Benfica were brought back down to earth after thumping Barcelona 3-0 last month.

"It's clear to see how hungry we are, that's one of our biggest strengths," Sane told broadcaster DAZN. Bayern have now scored 12 goals without reply in Europe this season.

Barcelona gave their own hopes of reaching the last 16 a boost as Gerard Pique's first-half strike proved enough for a 1-0 victory at home to Dynamo Kiev in front of a half-empty Camp Nou, and their first points in the group.

Austrian champions Red Bull Salzburg are four points clear at the top of Group G after beating Wolfsburg 3-1.

Karim Adeyemi's early opener for Salzburg was soon cancelled out by Lukas Nmecha, but a second-half brace by the Swiss forward Noah Okafor gave the home side the points.

Sevilla are second despite a third straight draw, 0-0 away at Lille who have now gone 20 games without a win in the Champions League.

MADRID — Mohamed Salah continued his blistering run of form on Tuesday by scoring twice in a 3-2 victory over 10-man Atletico Madrid as Liverpool took charge of Group B in the Champions League.

Salah gave Liverpool the lead with another splendid goal at the Wanda Metropolitano after dancing past three Atletico defenders and firing in to make it nine consecutive games the Egyptian has scored in.

But a wild contest in Madrid had several twists and turns still to come as Naby Keita doubled the advantage only for Atletico to strike twice before half-time, Antoine Griezmann pulling his team back into the match and leaving Liverpool looking temporarily dishevelled.

Yet, Griezmann was sent off in the 52nd minute for a high foot into the face of Roberto Firmino and Liverpool made Atletico pay, a clumsy challenge by Mario Hermoso on Diogo Jota giving Salah the chance to win the game from the spot.

“The dirty three points are often the most important and they were dirty tonight,” said Jurgen Klopp. “That wasn’t our best football but it was an important step.”

Klopp had previously been critical of Atletico’s attritional style when they met last year.

“I am not the Pope of football. It’s not important what I say,” said Klopp. 

“Some things I like, some things I don’t. I have huge respect. It’s been what 10 years? They are incredibly successful.”

Salah becomes Liverpool’s top goalscorer in the Champions League with 31 in 48 games, usurping Steven Gerrard’s previous record of 30.

Even with 10 men, Atletico thought they might have snatched a draw late on as Luis Suarez, on off the bench, prepared to take a penalty against his former club with his first touch.

Instead, referee Daniel Siebert infuriated the home crowd by cancelling his decision after consulting the replay.

“When we were losing 2-0 they thought they could beat us by five or six,” said Diego Simeone. “But we could have won it 3-2. It narrowly escaped us.”

Liverpool move five points clear at the top of the group, with Atletico seemingly left to scrap it out with Porto for second place. They have four points each.

‘Salah rolled left’

Between his two goals, Salah was often on the fringes yet the 29-year-old proved the difference again, adding his 11th and 12 goals of the season and showing why many now have him as favourite for the Ballon d’Or.

Simeone’s plan seemed to be to have Thomas Lemar doubling up with Yannick Carrasco when Salah moved into threatening positions but in the eighth minute, Salah just nipped past both of them.

He collected the ball far out on the right towards the corner flag, danced inside Carrasco, Lemar and then finally Koke before unleashing from the edge of the box, his shot deflecting off James Milner.

Atletico had barely paused for breath when Liverpool made it two, this time Felipe with some uncharacteristically limp defending, his wild clearance plopping up to Keita, who whacked it first time on the volley into the net.

Liverpool were faster, stronger and cutting through Atletico almost at will but little by little the home side resisted and found their way back. 

Lemar wriggled round the back of Keita and his cross bypassed everyone in the area before landing with Koke, who did well to shoot low into the crowd, where Griezmann diverted in.

The wait for a VAR check gave Simeone a second chance to thrash his arms towards the home crowd, with Atletico believing again.

Joao Felix scuttled clear but Alisson blocked the finish and then the impressive Felix surged past Keita on the left touchline.

Prodding inside to Griezmann, the gap was not obvious, but Virgil van Dijk had his angles wrong and the Frenchman’s first touch was decisive, piercing him through Liverpool’s defence and offering space for a cool finish.

Atletico had the initiative but Griezmann’s red card changed the complexion again, the striker sent off after lifting his foot high enough to connect with the side of Firmino’s head, even if his eyes were fixed firmly on the ball.

They looked like they might hold on for a point until Hermoso blinked in the 76th minute, his clumsy challenge on Jota under a high ball in the area prompting Siebert to point to the spot.

Jan Oblak jumped right, Salah rolled left.

MANCHESTER, United Kingdom — Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was left with no excuses in his quest to end the club’s four-year trophy drought when Cristiano Ronaldo headlined a starry transfer window.

But the Norwegian has failed to match expectations and Saturday’s 4-2 loss at Leicester left United five points adrift in the Premier League title race and already out of the League Cup.

The scrutiny on Solskjaer is increasing ahead of Atalanta’s visit to Old Trafford in the Champions League on Wednesday with progress to the last 16 of Europe’s premier club competition far from certain.

Ronaldo’s last-gasp strike to snatch a 2-1 win over Villarreal three weeks ago was badly needed after United lost their opening game in Group F to Swiss champions Young Boys.

Solskjaer already has one early group stage exit on his CV. Last season the Red Devils blew a perfect start to be knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig.

Failure to reach the knockout stages again could be the final blow to Solskjaer’s credibility among a fanbase beginning to turn on the man who famously won them the Champions League with a stoppage time goal against Bayern Munich in 1999.

No return on investment

United spent £73 million to sign Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund in July and followed that with the impressive capture of four-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane from Real Madrid.

But Ronaldo’s return relegated Sancho’s signing to the shadows.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored five times in eight games since returning to the club where he made his name.

However, United have won only three of those eight games.

“The performances have been so shoddy all season in terms of team performances,” said former Manchester United captain Gary Neville. 

“There’s been some good results and some great individual goals, but the overall performances and the unit in and out of possession have been shoddy.”

Sancho has embodied those struggles more than most. 

He was a prolific scorer and creator during four seasons in Germany, where he blossomed into one of Europe’s most promising attacking talents, but United are yet to see any return on their investment with no goals or assists in his first 10 appearances for the club.

The 21-year-old has not been helped by persistent tinkering with his role.

Initially signed to fill United’s need for a right winger, he has found himself more often playing from the left with Mason Greenwood forced onto the right by Ronaldo’s presence through the middle.

Now Marcus Rashford and Edinson Cavani are coming back to fitness.

Solskjaer has so far tried to accommodate as many of his arsenal of attacking players as possible with a front three backed up by Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba in midfield.

Pogba and Fernandes have already spoken out at the need for a clearer tactical plan. Solskjaer hinted after Saturday’s loss that he has tough choices to make.

“We need to look at the whole set-up and balance of the team and maybe something has to give. Lately, we have not been in great form, we’ve lost too many points and that is something we have to look at,” said Solskjaer.

“We might have to change. Do we need more legs in there?”

Sancho may well be the fall guy, making way for an extra body in midfield, but that would again highlight the muddled thinking that has epitomised United’s years of decline since Alex Ferguson’s departure as manager in 2013.

After the club spent nearly two years pursuing his signature, it has taken barely two months for Sancho’s role in the team to be questioned.

AMMAN — Ramtha are two matches away from their first Jordan Professional Football League title in 39 years as teams head into the final weeks of the competition.

Ramtha took a two-point lead as they beat Ma’an 4-0 and made gains when closest rival Wihdat were held 1-1 with Jazira. Ramtha will next play Shabab Urdun on Thursday and a win in both remaining matches will hand them the title they last celebrated in 1982.

Wihdat fans and ex-coaches are speechless after the team had two draws and a loss during the final stretch. They have an easier encounter with Sahab this week and need to win while hoping Ramtha lose to have a shot at the title. 

Salt remained third after a 1-0 win over Baqa’a and next play Faisali who are fourth a after a 3-0 win over Jalil. Shabab Urdun are 5th after a 2-0 win over Aqaba, while Hussein are 6th after a 3-1 win over Sahab and next play last placed Baqa’a.

During the past few weeks, Shabab Urdun’s 3-2 win over Wihdat gave Ramtha the chance to fight for the lead. And the team from the northern end of the country could have secured the title sooner had they not stumbled in their 2-0 loss to former champs Faisali when Wihdat drew 0-0 draw with Hussein.

On Thursday, Jazira play Aqaba in the battle for halfway positions, while at the other end of the standings, Ma’an and Jalil face off as either team is now likely to be the one of the teams to be relegated together with Baqa’a.

Faisali and Ramtha led the standings in most of Leg 1. Jazira, who led throughout the league in the past two years, seem to have abandoned the fight for title and find themselves midway through the standings. 

This year, team performance has been inconsistent as the national team was eliminated from 2022 World Cup qualifiers, and now having to go through another stage of qualifying to get to the 2023 Asian Cup. The squad is now preparing for the FIFA Arab Cup. 

As the agenda winds down, two competitions remain undecided. The league’s final week has been set for November 2-4. In the Jordan Cup, Wihdat, Hussein, Faisali have reached the semis. Salt, who were busy with Asian Football Confederation Cup matches, were the last to reach the semis after they overcame Ma’an. 

Earlier, Wihdat won their 14th title when they beat one-time winners Jazira in 38th Jordan Super Cup. Jalil overcame Wihdat to win the 34th Jordan Football Association  Shield title.

MADRID — Luis Suarez reunites with Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday and for another 90 minutes, a fans’ favourite and cherished former club will have to be enemies again.

The last time Suarez met Liverpool in Spain was also the first time since he left the club five years earlier in 2014 and it was the Uruguayan who set the tone.

He slid in studs up, not for a tackle but a finish, and without a moment’s hesitation celebrated, circling around the back of Liverpool’s goal, his arms outstretched, grinning.

He had scored 82 goals in 133 games for them, won a cup with them, been defended through racism and biting scandals by them, and earned their adoration as one of their greatest ever players.

But there at Camp Nou, in the crackle of a Champions League last-16 tie, there was no sign of restraint, let alone remorse. Suarez had given Barcelona the lead against Liverpool and nobody could say he was not relishing every second of it.

In the build-up to the second leg at Anfield, he switched back. 

He spoke of his close relationship with Liverpool’s staff and how his children learned the excitement of football in the city. 

He posed for a photo, giving a thumbs up next to the club’s crest on a wall.

None of that was insincere. Liverpool was the club that raised Suarez from a precocious talent at Ajax to one of the most feared strikers in the world. 

With them he had shared joy and despair. When Liverpool missed out on winning the Premier League in 2014, a pivotal defeat by Crystal Palace left him crying under his shirt.

But now Suarez was celebrating their disappointment and the Liverpool fans remembered. In the second leg they booed and heckled as Suarez got to work again.

He flicked the ball away as Liverpool tried to take a throw. He confronted Fabinho, hoping to stir a reaction. Fabinho was booked for the challenge that followed, Suarez rolling on the floor, hands clasped around his leg.

“I just can’t get enough,” the Liverpool fans once sang. Now it was: “Cheat, cheat, cheat”.

Liverpool triumphed, an historic comeback turning a 3-0 first-leg defeat into a 4-3 win on aggregate, Suarez’s anguish only adding to the satisfaction.

They adored Suarez playing for them but despised him playing against them and at the Wanda Metropolitano on Wednesday, they will expect nothing different.

‘Crush anyone’

In an interview with the BBC last year, Steven Gerrard talked about Suarez agitating even his teammates in training. 

“He went against them, he struggled with them, he raised his elbows and I thought, ‘This is not what you normally see in training’,” Gerrard said. 

“Normally, you see a lot of respect, but Luis would crush anyone.”

It was that same drive and defiance that made Suarez join Atletico Madrid after being cast off by Barcelona. 

Suarez told Diario Sport this month he was “treated like he was 15” by Ronald Koeman and the club president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, “leaked that he was damaging the dressing room”.

Suarez had not enjoyed his best season for Barca and there was an argument to say his style was depriving the team of a more mobile, free-flowing attack. But he wanted to show he still belonged to the elite and wanted to show Barcelona close up.

He scored 21 goals in 38 games for Atletico last term and the one goal that won them the title. 

Diego Simeone called it “the Suarez Zone”, a tendency to deliver when it matters most, and before the international break, there he was again, scoring in 2-0 win over Barcelona.

He celebrated by making a phone gesture in the direction of Koeman, seemingly in reference to their 40-second goodbye call.

It was also his fourth goal in as many games for Atletico, easing concerns that a 34-year-old with an aching knee might not burn so brightly in his second season.

But Suarez is at his best when defiant, with an opponent to prove wrong and a moment to seize. Liverpool remember it well.

WATFORD, United Kingdom — Jurgen Klopp hailed Mohamed Salah as the best player in the world after the Liverpool forward scored another sublime goal in Saturday’s 5-0 demolition of Watford.

Salah underlined why Liverpool are so desperate to get the Egypt forward to sign a new contract with his audacious second-half strike at Vicarage Road.

Dancing through the Watford defence, Salah’s magical moment topped even his eye-catching goal against Manchester City before the international break.

Liverpool’s habit of avoiding big contracts for players over 30 has fuelled fears the 29-year-old will leave when his present deal expires in 2023.

But with 10 goals in 10 games this season, Salah has proved his huge value to Liverpool, who will surely bow to his wish to be paid alongside the Premier League’s highest earners.

For the first time in his career, Salah has scored in eight successive top-flight matches and Liverpool boss Klopp has no doubts he is now better than even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“We don’t have to talk about what Ronaldo and Messi did for world football and how they were really dominant,” Klopp said.

“But in this moment it is clear that there is no one better than him. It was a super pass for the first goal and his goal was absolutely exceptional.

“He’s in the mood to try things in the box and long may it continue.”

Salah’s breathtaking goal stole the spotlight on a day when Roberto Firmino claimed his first Liverpool hat-trick since 2018 in his first start for five league games.

It was also a memorable afternoon for Senegal forward Sadio Mane, who became only the third African player after Salah and Didier Drogba to reach a century of Premier League goals, a milestone encompassing his time at Southampton.

The Reds are the first English top-flight side to score three or more goals in seven consecutive away games in all competitions.

Liverpool, unbeaten in eight league matches this season, moved above Chelsea to the top of the table, although the Blues reclaimed pole position after they beat Brentford 1-0 later on Saturday.

Watford manager Claudio Ranieri could not have asked for a tougher start to his reign after he replaced the sacked Xisco Munoz.

The Italian, back in the Premier League after his title-winning spell with Leicester and stints at Chelsea and Fulham, will hope this dismal display was not a sign of things to come.

“We conceded too many presents to a fantastic Liverpool team and they don’t need this,” Ranieri said.

“I knew when I came here I had to work hard. But I’m sure we can improve. We have to.”

Glorious Salah

Liverpool held over 80 per cent of the possession in the first half and took the lead in the ninth minute.

Salah nudged Danny Rose aside with ease and unfurled a glorious pass with the outside of his boot that evaded the entire Watford defence as it arrowed towards Mane, who applied the finishing touch with a first-time shot into the bottom corner.

It was almost too easy for Liverpool and Firmino was the next beneficiary of the visitors’ supremacy in the 37th minute.

A superb move cut through the Watford defence as Mane’s deft pass found James Milner’s overlapping run and his cross was perfectly weighted for Firmino to tap in his fourth goal this season.

Firmino notched Liverpool’s third goal in the 52nd minute.

Salah was in an offside position when Andrew Robertson crossed, but Craig Cathcart’s sliding intervention deflected the ball to Firmino, who finished from close range.

If that was a no-frills strike, Salah’s 54th-minute goal will be remembered for years to come.

Collecting Firmino’s pass in the Watford area, Salah swivelled away from three defenders with an audacious ball-roll, then left Cathcart on his backside before guiding a superb finish into the far corner.

Firmino completed the demolition with a simple finish from Neco Williams’ cross in the final seconds.

INDIAN WELLS, California — Olympic gold medallist Alexander Zverev and French Open runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas slumped to shock quarter-final exits in the ATP Indian Wells Masters, losing in three sets at the main stadium on Friday.

American Taylor Fritz survived two match points to come from behind and eliminate third seeded Zverev 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7/3) while second seeded Tsitsipas was shown the door 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 shortly after by World No. 36 Nikoloz Basilashvili.

The exits of Zverev and Tsitsipas means Great Britain’s Cameron Norrie, who is seeded 21st, is the top seed left in the final four.

The semifinals are now set with 31st seeded Fritz facing Basilashvili and Norrie going up against 23rd seeded Grigor Dimitrov for a spot in Sunday’s championship match at the Tennis Garden in the California desert.

Germany’s Zverev jumped out to a big lead in the final set and appeared to be heading to victory before he started to struggle mightily on his second serve.

“This one hurts because I knew that after Stefanos lost this morning, I was kind of the favourite to win this tournament,” said Zverev. “But my tennis wasn’t there.”

He blasted an ace to get to match point but then immediately double faulted and Fritz won the next point to take the game and cut the lead to 5-4.

Crowd favourite Fritz dominated the third-set tiebreaker clinching the match with a cross court forehand winner.

“I put myself in a situation to get back into it and I did,” said Fritz, of San Diego. “I just kept fighting and went after my shots and kept playing my game.”

This was just the second loss for Zverev since losing in the fourth round at Wimbledon. Zverev is 20-2 over that stretch.

Tsitsipas also fell in three sets to the 29th seeded Basilashvili, who recorded one of his biggest career wins.

Georgia’s Basilashvili beat Tsitsipas for the first time in three career meetings and recorded his first win over a World No. 3 player.

He defeated Roger Federer en route to the Doha title in March, when the Swiss great was playing just his second match since a 13-month injury absence.

Leading up to Indian Wells, Basilashvili said he had been working on polishing his serve.

“I am not surprised. I have been playing good tennis for a long time especially in practices,” he said. “I just didn’t have the kind of first serve. It was missing. I had big minus in my serve. 

“I improved my serve a lot lately. That’s why I’m in the semis now.”

Basilashvili had never won a round in Indian Wells until this year’s tournament.

High energy

Tsitsipas, of Greece, blasted 10 aces, but made two double faults and was undone by unforced errors in the two hour, 10 minute match on the main stadium.

Basilashvili jumped out to early leads by breaking Tsitsipas in the opening games of the first and third sets. He won four of the final five games in the third and clinched the match when Tsitsipas blasted a backhand wide.

“I was under stress. My energy level was going up and down but I am happy with the way it ended and I kept my energy level up,” said Basilashvili, the son of a Georgian national ballet dancer. “At the end I was really tired but I was physically able to stay on the court.”

Besides saving a match point to beat Federer on the way to the title in Doha, Basilashvili also won his fifth career title in Munich in May.

After Friday’s win, Basilashvili said beating his hero Federer had been a springboard.

“My win against Roger meant a lot to me because he was my idol,” Basilashvili said. “Roger’s win was very important in my career. Beating Stefanos today was as well, a really, really important match.”