Rafael Nadal suffered a shock defeat by 17-year-old Borna Coric in Basel – with the Spaniard now expected to announce whether he will play again in 2014.
Croatian Coric, the junior world number one in 2013, played superbly to win 6-2 7-6 (7-4) and reach the semi-finals.

Nadal, playing despite struggling with appendicitis, earlier said he will not play at next week’s Paris Masters.

He was expected to confirm yesterday whether he will play at next month’s ATP World Tour Finals in London.

The Spaniard, 28, had always planned to decide after the Basel tournament whether to undergo surgery or continue until the season finale.

Basel was just the third tournament Nadal had played since Wimbledon because of a wrist injury and he revealed earlier this month that he was on a course of antibiotics for his appendix.

Teenager Coric showed no fear as he raced into a 5-0 lead against a wayward Nadal and held his nerve to secure a stunning victory.

Coric learned his tennis travelling between Zagreb and north London under the guidance of British coach Ryan Jones, although the pair have gone their separate ways in recent days.

The Croat goes on to face Belgian David Goffin in the semi-finals, with Ivo Karlovic up against Roger Federer or Grigor Dimitrov in the opposite half.

Nadal had already qualified for the ATP Finals but were he to withdraw it would open up another slot for those battling for the remaining places, among them Britain’s Andy Murray.

Further complicating the qualification scenario is the news that US Open champion Marin Cilic has also pulled out of Paris.

The Croat is assured of a place in London as a Grand Slam champion even if he slips out of the top eight, which is possible as he can no longer add to his points tally. — BBC Sport

 

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