Roger Federer defeats Dan Evans as he returns from 13-month damage absence
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Posted On March 15, 2021
Enjoying in his first sport for greater than 13 months having undergone two knee surgical procedures final 12 months, 39-year-old Federer gained a tense first-set tiebreak 10-8 earlier than being damaged by world No. 28 Evans close to the beginning of the second set.
Evans closed out the second set — the primary time he has taken a set off Federer in 4 conferences — however the Swiss star was capable of edge out the decider together with his first break of the match at 6-5.
“Dan had extra vitality left on the finish however I used to be serving effectively and I assumed I performed really an extremely, actually good match so I am extremely glad about my efficiency,” Federer mentioned in his on-court interview after the sport.
The 20-time grand slam champion subsequent faces Nikoloz Basilashvili within the quarterfinals on the Qatar Open, a match he has gained on three earlier events.
He has dropped to No. 6 on the earth rankings throughout his damage absence, however mentioned he feels happy to have come by means of the prolonged interval of rehab that adopted the final 12 months surgical procedure.
“It has been a protracted and difficult highway for me,” he mentioned. “I’ve loved it, although, it has been an enormous problem of mine in my tennis profession. To come back again at my age just isn’t one thing that is quite simple.
“I’ve had an exquisite group-round myself that at all times supported me all through and that made it a lot simpler. It was price it, as a result of I performed an important match right this moment.”
Federer isn’t any stranger to damage comebacks having recovered from an earlier knee surgical procedure in 2016 to win two grand slam titles.
The sport in opposition to Evans, who has been a hitting companion of Federer’s over the previous few weeks, was a decent affair that might have swung both methods.
The British No. 1 had break factors at 3-3 within the third set that had been saved by Federer, who in flip discovered himself with a match level at 5-4 that was saved by Evans.
However, Federer finally closed out the competition two video games later with a thumping, down-the-line backhand that arrange a spot within the quarterfinals.
