Rapid reactions on the tennis court can be the difference between winning and losing. For John-Patrick Smith, a diving drop shot off a net cord was all instinct.

“A shot like that is always pure instinct,” Smith told ATPWorldTour.com. “It was a high-level match, so it was great to get through with the win.”

“Up close and in person, that was easily the best shot I’ve seen live,” Smith’s coach Jacob Meyer exclaimed.

The Aussie hit one of the shots of the year on the ATP Challenger Tour on Tuesday, en route to saving six match points in a 4-6, 7-6(5), 7-6(1) win over Luca Vanni at the Aegon Open Nottingham. Facing break point at 1-0 in the third set, he reacted swiftly as a Vanni forehand struck the top of the net, clinging to the tape before softly dropping to the grass. Smith promptly left his feet, scooping a sublime drop shot winner.

“JP hit a good jamming first serve to set up an aggressive approach shot down the line, but Vanni’s forehand clipped off the tape and landed less than a racquet length from the net,” Meyer added. “JP somehow changed direction, dove head-first, managed to avoid smashing into the net and struck a full swinging drop shot that landed so short, it spun into the middle of the net where Vanni had no play on it.

“Vanni’s reaction was priceless. To his credit, he continued with a ‘Bravo JP’ and went back to smashing aces and chasing down every volley. JP would finish the day saving six match points, but that shot should count as the seventh. It was inspiring to witness.”

Smith would later concede the break, but fought back for the victory, saving a match point while serving down 5-4 and five more while serving to force a deciding tie-break at 6-5. He will face countryman John Millman in a second round affair on Thursday.

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Smith wasn’t the only player to hit the deck in Nottingham, with Sergiy Stakhovsky also producing a pair of diving hot shots…

If one diving hot shot isn’t enough, how about two, @Stako_tennis? Your turn, @DreddyTennis.

Watch double dive: https://t.co/2CW6gYbLMT pic.twitter.com/iV86C2MzVM

— ATP Challenger Tour (@ATPChallenger) June 14, 2017

After nearly eight months out with a groin injury. John Millman is back and looks to restore his winning ways at the ATP Challenger Tour event in Nottingham.

The Aussie, celebrating his 28^th birthday on Wednesday (June 14), returned to competition last month and has been getting better with each tournament. Millman lost in the opening round of his first two events, but won a match last week at the Surbiton Challenger and is now through to the second round in Nottingham after a win on Tuesday over Hiroki Moriya of Japan.

“Coming back from injury is brutal, but I’m progressing pretty well. I was out for so long, so it’s just about trying to stay patient and getting a little bit better each time,” said Millman. “I’m not expecting to light it up just now, but as long as I keep improving and getting matches, it’s only a matter of time before I start emulating where I was at this time last year.”

Millman’s injury woes couldn’t have come at a worse time. He reached a career-high Emirates ATP Ranking of No. 60 in May 2016 and recorded his first ATP World Tour semi-final last August in Winston-Salem. But the groin problem that had been a niggling injury for months worsened dramatically in the latter part of the year, forcing him to cut his season short in October.

After finally getting a correct diagnosis in the beginning of 2017, Millman underwent surgery and began the necessary rehab to get back on tour.

Frustrating few months but back on track after successful surgery. Special thanks to Dr Garvey and the Duckworth’s for looking after me. pic.twitter.com/QFRY6x9PG5

— John Millman (@johnhmillman) March 2, 2017

Millman will take comfort in knowing he’s bounced back once before after going under the knife. After having shoulder surgery in 2014, he won back-to-back Challengers on his return in Traralgon and Yokohama, both of which came without losing a set. He went from outside the Top 1,000 to inside the Top 100 in less than a year.

“Any injury is a frustrating one. I’ve had two shoulder surgeries previously, so I’m not new to what it takes to come back after this,” sad Millman. “What made it a little more frustrating is that I was putting together a pretty good year, winning matches week in and week out at ATP World Tour events and competing against some of the world’s best players. But knowing there are major tournaments around the corner makes doing all the rehab and hard work a little bit easier.”

The Aussie has enjoyed success on the grass before, reaching the third round at Wimbledon last year before losing an entertaining match to World No. 1 Andy Murray. He said the amenities in Nottingham have provided everything he needs to continue building his game in the hopes of another big grass-court season.

“I’ve competed in a lot of Challenger events and this has to be right up there as one of the best I’ve played,” said Millman. “The four extra practice courts are a nice addition this year. It’s a great city and venue. There are great crowds that come out to watch and everything that goes on behind the scenes in terms of the organisation is at a very high level.”

It’s not often that a 39 year old beats the World No. 5, but that’s precisely what happened when former World No. 2 Tommy Haas upset Roger Federer 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-4 on Wednesday during the second round of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.

The win, Haas’ fourth over the all-time great in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series, also marks the German’s second victory against Federer on grass in as many matches. Haas also beat Federer in the 2012 Gerry Weber Open final.

Want to know more? Here are seven more things to know about the unexpected result, which Haas called, “obviously one of my career highlights.”

1. Haas is the third player to beat Federer twice on grass, joining Novak Djokovic and Lleyton Hewitt. Haas beat Federer in the 2012 Gerry Weber Open final.

2. Haas is the oldest player to beat a Top 5 opponent since Jimmy Connors, 39 years and 5 months, defeated No. 3 Michael Stich in the second round of the 1992 Memphis Open.

3. Federer has held match point in both of his losses in 2017, falling to No. 116 Evgeny Donskoy at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships and No. 302 Tommy Haas at the Mercedes Cup.

4. Federer falls to 15-2 lifetime against players outside the Top 300 and suffers first opening-match loss on grass since 2002 Wimbledon vs. Mario Ancic.

5. No. 302 Haas is lowest-ranked player to beat Federer since No. 407 Bjorn Phau at the 1999 Citi Open and oldest quarter-finalist since Jimmy Connors, 42, at 1995 Halle.

6. The second-round match between 39-year-old Haas and 35-year-old Federer was the oldest ATP World Tour match since 1982 Vina del Mar, when Ricardo Cano, 30, beat Luis Ayala, 49.

7. Next, Haas will try to become the oldest player to reach an ATP World Tour semi-final since Connors, 40, in 1993 in San Francisco (ret. vs. Gilbert).

The last time Tommy Haas found himself embracing Roger Federer on court after a tour-level match was in March this year, as he presented his close friend with the BNP Paribas Open trophy in his capacity as the new Indian Wells Tournament Director. So when the 39-year-old German saved a match point in Stuttgart Wednesday to hand Federer his first opening-round loss at a grass-court event since 2002 Wimbledon, his celebration was more subdued, tempered of course by the respect for his friend, but also by the broader perspective his evolving career has brought.

Asked how he would feel if Federer were to lose in the opening round of his tournament, Haas joked: “It would really suck. I understand it now from that point of view. I was very happy to hand him the trophy at Indian Wells…” (In a further sign that he is growing into his new role, Haas continued “… not to say the other players on the ATP and WTA tours aren’t just as important. I respect all the athletes.”)

“This is a little hiccup for [Roger] but deep down if he’s going to lose then he’s quite happy that he loses to me since he knows I’m on my way out. So I think he can swallow this loss a little bit easier than against somebody else. He’s going to be pretty happy for me. He’ll bounce back right away. This will just motivate him to do well in Halle and to be ready for Wimbledon.”

Although most media and fans will likely see the result through the lense of a Federer loss in his comeback tournament, the match should equally be noted as validation of Haas’ dogged comeback from a career brutalised by injury.

After playing at Vienna in October 2015, Haas missed the entire 2016 season and returned at the Australian Open in January. He has undergone nine surgeries during his career on his right shoulder, right elbow, right hip, right foot, right ankle and left ankle. Making today’s victory extra special, daughter Valentina was courtside to cheer on Haas, and accompanied him to post-match press, where she asked for an ice cream.

Haas, currently No. 302 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, survived 23 aces to deny Federer his 1,100th match win by claiming the 569^th victory of his career. It was his sixth win of the season and the first time he had won consecutive matches since 2014, when he reached the Rome quarter-finals.

“I’m a little bit speechless that I beat him today. It’s been a while since I have won back-to-back matches and to do it today against Roger is obviously one of my career highlights,” Haas told ATPWorldTour.com. “It’s a very special feeling. At the same time, he’s a very close friend of mine so it doesn’t feel like such a celebration in that sense. This is my last phase, so the emotions are different from what they would have been a few years ago. This is sport. Unfortunately, one person has to lose and lately a lot of the time it has been me. I was happy to be out there in front of a German crowd playing against a friend, an idol, a legend, the greatest ever. It’s fantastic.”

Haas said that he enjoyed the atmosphere on a packed centre court, where both players received warm support.

“At times it was definitely equal support,” he said. “When he walked out, there was a big ovation. Anywhere he goes he is the fan favourite, and that’s how it should be. I started off quite nervous and tried to find my rhythm and to play my game the best way I can. I had to serve with good placement to hold my serve. I didn’t serve and volley as much as I was thinking before the match. When I was down a break in the second set I was thinking about other things and maybe played a little more freely. I broke back, saved a match point, somehow won the tie-break and found life in the third set. You have to remember he hasn’t played for some time, so it’s not easy to find rhythm. And on a surface like this, on grass, anything is possible.”

There are few certainties in tennis. How Haas’ career continues to unfold from here is anyone’s guess. But here’s one thing we do know: Haas should equip himself well should the ATP World Tour tournament directors bust out the racquets at their next get together.

Roger Federer may have suffered a shocking upset in his opening round defeat on Wednesday to Tommy Haas at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, but he isn’t ringing alarm bells just yet.

Although he squandered a match point in the second-set tie-break in losing to the home favourite, the match was filled with plenty of winners and high-quality hitting. However, Federer said that simply hitting well isn’t satisfying enough without it translating into a win.

“Coming here and losing in the semis last year, now the opening round this year, it’s not what I was hoping to do. Especially on grass courts, close to home, in Germany, which has been a good hunting ground for me. It’s not good enough,” said Federer. “If you don’t take your chances like I didn’t, leading a set and a break, you really only have yourself to blame at the end.

“I would have liked to stay here longer and given myself the best possible chance to win the tournament, so that’s a letdown,” he added. “I really enjoy my time here in Stuttgart.”

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The result may not have been what Federer envisioned, but several of his shots were in vintage form after a long layoff. He hit 23 aces, fired forehand winners from all parts of the court and snuck into the net for winning volleys on numerous occasions.

But while it’s clear that Federer had been putting in work on the practice court, he admitted his lapses in form came from a lack of match play.

“It wasn’t all bad, not at all. There were definitely some good moments, but I definitely was not as sharp as I was hoping to be in the big moments, or the moment when I had the lead and feel I should have been cruising,” said Federer. “I definitely made some crucial mistakes and judgment errors.”

Despite suffering his first opening-round loss at a grass court event since Wimbledon in 2002 (l. Ancic), the Swiss star is always optimistic and immediately recognised potential benefits to an early exit. Even if Federer lifts the title next week at the ATP World Tour event in Halle, he won’t have overplayed heading into Wimbledon. He’ll have nearly a week of additional time to train on grass and fine-tune his game before his next match.

Competing in his first match since 2 April, when he defeated Rafael Nadal to prevail at the ATP World Tour Masters 1000 event in Miami, his body also responded well to the physical test of a long three-set match.

“It gives me more time for Halle. As a positive thinker, that’s what I see,” said Federer. “I’ve been on grass for over two weeks… It’s good to play a match again. I really feel the body. It feels different right now than it does after practise. It just makes you tired. There are some positives to take away. It will give me good preparation going into Halle and then Wimbledon is soon.”

Former World No. 2 Tommy Haas successfully dialed back the years on Wednesday, saving a match point to shock Roger Federer 2-6, 7-6(8), 6-4 at the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart.

The loss is only Federer’s second of the season, and the Swiss star held match points during both of them. The 35 year old had three match points against World No. 116 Evgeny Donskoy during the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships in February.

“I thought it was a typical grass-court match today. Rallies weren’t very long and it was decided on a serve there or a return here. If you don’t take your chances like I didn’t, leading a set and a break, you really only have yourself to blame at the end. You’ve got to acknowledge the fact that he was a bit better. It’s quite frustrating, but that’s the way it goes sometimes,” Federer said.

“It wasn’t all bad, not at all. There were definitely some good moments, but I definitely was not as sharp as I was hoping to be in maybe the big moments, or the moment when I had the lead and where I feel I should have been cruising from that moment on. I definitely made some crucial mistakes and judgment errors.

“Tommy definitely played well when he had to. He hung around and was able to push me in the second set. In the third set I couldn’t get up to the level I wanted. I should have somehow broken him once, but I wasn’t able to do that.”

For the 39-year-old Haas, this must have been what he had envisioned when he decided to come back for one more season, following his ninth surgery in April 2016.

The two-time Halle champion, who last beat Federer in the 2012 Halle final, looked as comfortable as ever on the grass in Stuttgart, outplaying Federer in the final two sets to gain his biggest win in years.

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Haas hadn’t reached a quarter-final since the 2014 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome, and the right-hander had gotten off to a 5-8 start this season. But playing in front of his home German fans, the World No. 2 rallied to beat Federer, who fell to 19-2 on the season.

“I’m a little bit speechless that I beat him today. It’s been awhile since I have won back-to-back matches and to do it today against Roger is obviously one of my career highlights. It’s a very special feeling,” Haas said.

“At the same time he’s a very close friend of mine so it doesn’t feel like such a celebration in that sense. This is my last phase, so the emotions are different from what they would have been a few years ago. This is sport. Unfortunately, one person has to lose and lately a lot of the time it has been me. I was happy to be out there in front of a German crowd playing against a friend, an idol, a legend, the greatest ever. It’s fantastic.”

Federer, a 15-time grass-court titlist, hadn’t played a tour-level match since 2 April, when he beat Rafael Nadal to win the Miami Open presented by Itau title, his third crown of the season after winning the Australian Open and the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

The 35-year-old Swiss skipped the clay-court season to rest his body and avoid any potential injuries to his back and knees on the clay. But the top seed started strong in his Stuttgart opener.

Federer deployed his entire array of shots – aces that kissed off the chalk, off-balance forehand winners and service returns that Haas could only watch. Federer, who finished with 23 aces, raced through the first after only 23 minutes.

But Haas, a 15-time ATP World Tour titlist, was not to be swept off the court during what he has said will be his final stop in Stuttgart. The German raised his level in the second set, breaking for the first time to get back on serve at 2-2.

At 7/8 in the tie-break, Haas had to deliver a second serve but fought off the match point when Federer lifted a backhand long. The 39-year-old German converted his fourth set point when Federer double faulted for the first time in the match.

Haas commanded the third set, battling Federer and coming out on top in the tight moments. The German erased three break points while serving at 1-2 and broke Federer in the very next game to gain the upper hand. Haas would erase four more break points in the set before converting his second match point. He improves to 4-13 against Federer in their FedEx ATP Head2Head series.

The second-round contest between the 39-year-old Haas and 35-year-old Federer was the oldest singles contest on the ATP World Tour since 1982 Vina del Mar where Ricardo Cano, 30, beat Luis Ayala, 49. Federer next heads to Halle, where he will look to win his ninth title at the Gerry Weber Open.

Haas will try to become oldest player to reach an ATP World Tour semi-final since 40-year-old Jimmy Connors in 1993 in San Francisco. He next faces compatriot Mischa Zverev, who saved 10 of 11 break points to beat qualifier Yannick Hanfmann 7-6(1), 6-2 in 83 minutes. Zverev also reached the Stuttgart quarter-finals in 2009 (on clay, l. to Chardy) and 2015 (on grass, l. to Cilic). 

German and 2016 finalist Philipp Kohlschreiber also advanced, beating Steve Johnson of the U.S. 7-6(3), 5-7, 7-6(8) in two hours and 39 minutes. The 33-year-old Kohlschreiber, who fell to Dominic Thiem in last year’s final, has won five of his seven titles in Germany. He is 110-58 in Germany (.655) and 295-257 elsewhere (.534).

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