Roger Federer has triumphed in his first competitive match for 14 months by defeating Brit Dan Evans.
Roger Federer won 7-6 3-6 7-5 in a match that was closely fought right until the end.
‘It feels good to be back,’ Federer said after the match. ‘Happy to be here regardless if I won or lost, but obviously winning feels better.
‘Thank you everyone for coming out,’ Federer said to the Doha crowd.
‘Dan [Evans] had more energy left at the end, but I was serving well and I thought I actually played a really really good match, so I’m incredibly happy about my performance.
‘It was a pleasure to share the court with Dan, and nice to finish off with a backhand down the line of course!
‘It’s been a long and tough road for me, I enjoyed it though,’ Federer said referring to his comeback. ‘I must say, it’s been a huge challenge in my tennis career, and to come back at my age is not something that’s very simple.
‘I’ve had a wonderful team around myself that always supported me throughout.
‘That made it much easier, it was worth it, because I played a great match today.’
The three-time Doha champion will play Nikoloz Basilashvili next in the quarter-finals.
