Roger Federer won his first match contested in over a year Wednesday as the 20-time Grand Slam champion returned from injury to beat British number one Dan Evans at the Qatar Open.
Federer, who underwent two knee surgeries in 2020, still proved a tough opponent for an in-form Evans who ultimately succumbed 7-6 (10/8), 3-6, 7-5 after an epic tussle lasting two hours and 24 minutes.
The Swiss great had not played a match since a semi-final defeat by Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open in January 2020 – 405 days ago – and acknowledged it was unusual for a player of his age to return after injury.
“I don’t know if it was ever completely pain free,” Federer said. “You get to feel tired and you dont know if it’s the muscle.
“(What’s) important is how I feel tomorrow and the next day for the next six months.”
Federer joked with the umpire at the coin toss about the rules of the sport during Covid-19, having not played since the ATP Tour was suspended last year…