The top seed in the absence of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal was put through the wringer over three sets by American qualifier Young, with the Swiss emerging the winner thanks to 16 aces.
“It was not an easy match,” the US Open champion said. “It took three sets, he was playing tough.
“I had to play well to go through. There was a lot of tension out there, especially in the third set. I'd call this a positive win for me.
“My goal now is only as far as the next round, I'll try to keep my level up in the quarterfinals. I hope to continue to play well.”
Marin Cilic and David Goffin seemed headed in opposite directions in the race for the ATP World Tour Finals as Cilic earned a win while his rival took a loss.
Fourth seed Cilic reached the quarterfinals with a 6-0, 7-6 (7/4) defeat of Pablo Carreno Busta.
However, Argentine dangerman Juan Martin del Potro handed Goffin a 7-5, 6-3 defeat.
With two places remaining in the eight-man field for the November season wrap-up in London, Goffin stands on provisional ninth, with Cilic one spot behind.
But the Croatian, who will lead his nation in the Davis Cup final against Del Potro's Argentina later this year, is making up ground in the narrow points race.
Goffin has one chance remaining at next week's Paris Masters, the final event of the ATP regular season, where Cilic will also be playing.
Del Potro has risen 1,0000 ranking places this season since his February comeback from the latest in a series of wrist injuries which forced him to consider retirement.
He is making Basel his last tournament of the season as he prepares for the Davis Cup final.
Del Potro beat Roger Federer in the 2012 and 2013 finals in Basel.
The Argentine is looking forward to his quarterfinal with Kei Nishikori.
“We last played at the London Olympics, but we are now different players. His game has improved a lot. He's one of the favourites to win the title here.
“I'm hoping to enjoy the match as it could be my last one before the Davis Cup final. I believe in my game, If I serve like I did today, I have my chances to win.”
After defeating Carreno Busta, winner of the Moscow title last week, Cilic will next face a second Spaniard in Marcel Granollers, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over eighth seed Jack Sock.
Cilic won the last six points of his match against Carreno Busta after trailing 0-4 in the second-set tiebreaker. He delivered nine aces and 21 winners in a tie lasting just under 90 minutes.
In another second-round contest, Gilles Muller of Luxembourg beat Germany's Florian Mayer 6-3, 6-2.
TENNIS
Wawrinka aces his way into Basel quarterfinals
Stan Wawrinka dug deep to defeat Donald Young 7-6 (7/4), 6-7 (3/7), 6-4 to return to the quarterfinals of the Swiss Indoors for the first time in five years.
ROGER FEDERER
Is this the end of the road for Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer?
Roger Federer is talking optimistically about returning to his "highest level" after knee surgery, but does tennis have to start adjusting to a future without the Swiss star?
The 20-time Grand Slam winner announced on Wednesday that he would be sidelined until 2021 after his second operation in a matter of months.
Federer remains upbeat, tweeting: “I plan to take the necessary time to be 100 percent ready to play at my highest level.”
In some ways 2020 is a good season to miss after the coronavirus ravaged the tennis schedule. Writing Federer off in the past has proved dangerous.
He returned from a six-month injury lay-off to claim the Australian Open in 2017, winning his eighth Wimbledon crown later that year.
But he will be 40 in 2021 and is now heading into uncharted territory.
Despite his groaning trophy cabinet, there are two factors that will motivate Federer to keep going — the risk of losing his grip on the men's Grand Slam title record and a missing Olympics singles gold medal.
Rafael Nadal has 19 majors, just one shy of Federer's mark and Djokovic has 17.
Spain's Nadal will be fancied to draw level with Federer at the French Open, rescheduled for September, while few would bet against Djokovic winning in New York weeks earlier.
In April, Federer said he was “devastated” when Wimbledon was cancelled for the first time since World War II. Last year he fell agonisingly short at the All England Club, failing to convert two championship points on his own serve against Djokovic.
The Wimbledon grass probably remains his best chance of adding to his Grand Slam collection — he has not won the US Open since 2008 and his only title at Roland Garros came in 2009.
Even though Federer has slipped from the very pinnacle of the game, he is still a major threat to Nadal and Djokovic.
'Golden' ambitions
Last year, the world number four had a 53-10 win-loss record and he reached the semi-finals at the Australian Open in January in his only tournament this year.
Federer, who is still six ATP titles short of Jimmy Connors' all-time record of 109, has one glaring omission from his CV — the Olympic title.
The Swiss won doubles gold in Beijing in 2008 with compatriot Stan Wawrinka but lost in the singles final to Andy Murray in London four years later.
The postponed Tokyo Games will almost certainly be Federer's last opportunity to complete a career “golden” Grand Slam — he will turn 40 on the day of the closing ceremony next year.
Tennis will feel the loss of the elegant Federer keenly when he walks off the court for the last time.
Djokovic and Nadal have been the dominant forces in recent years but the Swiss remains the biggest draw and last month topped Forbes' list of the world's highest-earning athletes.
His last appearance on court was in front of nearly 52,000 fans — touted by organisers as a world record for tennis — at a charity match against Nadal in Cape Town in February.
Federer is nearly always the crowd favourite wherever he plays and has proved a perfect ambassador for the sport since he won his first Grand Slam title in 2003.
He certainly expects to be back and competitive next year.
“I will be missing my fans and the tour dearly but I will look forward to seeing everyone back on tour at the start of the 2021 season,” he tweeted.
The avalanche of support from his adoring fans showed they would miss him too, but they will have to get used to a time when he is gone for good.
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