Roger Federer Defeated by Tommy Haas at Stuttgart Open; 2nd Loss of 2017

In his first match since winning the Miami Open in April, Roger Federer lost to Tommy Haas in the second round of the Mercedes Cup in Stuttgart, Germany.

The Swiss lost 6-2, 6-7(8), 4-6.

Haas is the second player to beat Federer in 2017. ATP Media Info provided more perspective on the result:

"Deep down I thought there's maybe a small chance if I can play well, serve well, and that was the case," Haas said of the match, per Tennis TV.

Haas will face sixth-seeded Mischa Zverev in the quarterfinals. Haas won their only head-to-head meeting in 2009.

Yelp's Carl Bialik noted the fluky circumstances behind Federer's loss:

"

After loss to Haas, Roger Federer is 19-2 in 2017. In both losses, he:
--had a match point
--won more points
--won higher % of return points

— Carl Bialik (@CarlBialik) June 14, 2017"

Federer owned a decided edge in terms of serve. He picked up 23 aces and double-faulted twice, compared to 12 aces and seven double-faults for Haas. Federer also won 76 percent of his first-serve points.

The 35-year-old may have been rusty given his layoff. In March he lost to Evgeny Donskoy in the second round of the Dubai Duty Free Championships after a monthlong break following the Australian Open.

Wimbledon preparation is the most important thing for Federer at the moment. The tournament begins July 3, so he has some time to squeeze in another event or two before making the trek to the All England Club.

It's better to suffer an early upset now than in London, where Federer will seek a record-breaking eighth Wimbledon men's singles title.