Max Purcell has had his chances to earn another top-10 scalp in his burgeoning career but the Australian maverick ended up losing two tiebreaks in a close-fought affair with American star Taylor Fritz at the Swiss Indoors.
Purcell saw a 5-1 tiebreak lead and two set points disappear in the opening set of Wednesday's last-32 clash, and then had a comeback repelled in another breaker as he succumbed 7-6 (9-7) 7-6 (7-4) in a two-hour hard-court duel.
In the tournament famed as Roger Federer's home event in Basel, Purcell appeared to have Fritz in trouble when he raced into the lead in the opening tiebreak, perhaps sensing the opportunity of carving out his second triumph over a top-10 opponent in the last two months.
