By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, April 12, 2016
Playing his first match since knee surgery on February 3rd, Roger Federer won 11 of the first 15 games in a 6-3, 6-4 Monte-Carlo win over Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
Photo credit: Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters/Getty
Sounds of a highly-anticipated return reverberated throughout the Monte-Carlo Country Club before Roger Federer even stepped on court today.
Fans dangling over the rails chanted "Roger! Roger!" while peering down at the narrow walkway leading into the stadium trying to catch a sneak peek of Federer.
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The Grand Slam king seems to take special delight in driving fans to the edge of their seats. In his comeback match, Federer brought fans to their feet. Showered with a standing ovation, Federer looked fit and played fast in his first match since undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus on February 3rd.
Moving fluidly, defending capably and serving-and-volleying shrewdly, Federer displayed his familiar all-court attack during a convincing 6-3, 6-4 conquest of Guillermo Garcia-Lopez.
Despite withdrawing from last month's Miami Open with a stomach virus, Federer got in some valuable practice time on Key Biscayne. He's spent the last week practicing in Monte Carlo. It looks like he's spent a solid chunk of that training time refining his backhand down the line as Federer whipped that shot with damaging consequences.
There were signs of rust for the man wearing the plum-colored shirt and Kobe Bryant tribute Nikes, too.
Bursting out to a 5-1 second-set lead, Federer faltered showing some jittery impatience and surrendering serve for the first time to start a three-time slide. However, he shook off that lapse and looked sharp for a man playing his first match since bowing to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open semifinals.
Playing with a relaxed urgency, Federer was quick off the mark, moved forward relentlessly and powered through some service games with stop-watch precision.
The four-time finalist will face 14th-seeded Spaniard Roberto Bautista Agut in the round of 16. Bautista Agut fought past Jeremy Chardy, 6-3, 5-7, 7-5, in two hours, 56 minutes.
It was ideal conditions—softer, forgiving Monte Carlo clay rather than the Key Biscayne hard court—and the perfect opponent—Garcia-Lopez was winless in seven sets versus the Swiss—for Federer to put his surgically-repaired knee to the test.
He received a comeback welcome from Garcia-Lopez, who gifted the opening break slapping a double fault into net and swatting a backhand that missed the mark, donating a 4-2 lead for Federer.
Staring down a second break point, Federer stepped in and lashed a topspin backhand winner down the line for deuce. When Garcia-Lopez netted a forehand Federer erupted with a "come on!", slashing an ace to back up the break for 5-2.
Launching a pair of aces for triple set point, Federer seized the 33-minute opener when the lanky Spaniard sailed a forehand. It was Federer's eighth straight set over Garcia-Lopez. Variation on second serve helped: Federer won seven of 10 points played on his second serve in the opener.
Concerns over Federer's movement were answered in the second set. Dashing from corner to corner defending, Federer read his opponent's drop volley, swooped in and snapped a forehand pass capping a point that saw him cover nearly every area of the court.
A jolting backhand down the line—Federer's fourth backhand winner of the day—followed by an error gave the third set break point. Garcia-Lopez worked over the Swiss' backhand with an assault of inside-out forehands before rapping a forehand down the line to save it. A gritty Garcia-Lopez held to open the second set, but was soon under fire again.
Dancing around an oncoming second serve, Federer drilled an inside-out forehand return breaking for 2-1 and exhorting himself with a clear "come on!" Federer quickly backed up the break at 15 for 3-1. Garcia-Lopez continued to target his opponent's one-handed backhand and got burned for that predictable pattern. Waiting for the kicker to his backhand, Federer curled a one-handed return winner down the line sealing a love break for 4-1.
By the time he burst through another authoritative hold, Federer had won 20 of the last 24 points stretching the lead to 5-1.
Serving with new balls, Federer lost the range trying to close. He stuck a sliding forehand into the middle of the net falling into a triple break-point hole. On a serve-and-volley attempt, Garcia-Lopez snapped off a backhand pass to break, holding his hand in apology after catching the edge of the frame to break for the first time.
When Federer deposited a backhand into net, a resurgent Garcia-Lopez had his third straight game—and signs of life—creeping closer to 4-5.
Shaking off another backhand pass, Federer cracked a smash for 30-all. Serving-and-volleying on a second serve, Federer knocked off a high backhand volley for match point. The 17-time Grand Slam champion blistered a backhand down the line to close in 74 minutes looking as excited as some of the fans chanting his name.