By Richard Pagliaro | Monday January 2, 2017
“The welcome was extra special. I was actually quite emotional, I must tell you,” said Roger Federer after receiving standing ovation.
Photo credit: Paul Kane/Getty Images/Hopman Cup
A packed Perth crowd of 13,500 stood as one greeting Roger Federer’s return with a sustained ovation.
Playing his first Hopman Cup match in 15 years, Federer was moved to action answering the standing ovation with a soaring slam.
Watch: Federer Aims To Play Two To Three Years
Moving fluidly and firing with ambition, Federer defeated Dan Evans, 6-3, 6-4, helping Switzerland sweep Great Britain 3-0 in its Hopman Cup opener.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion summed up the welcome party as “a very cool comeback.”
“The welcome was extra special,” Federer said. “It felt nice walking on court and getting the reception I did get. I was actually quite emotional, I must tell you. When I walked on I was like ‘Oh my God this is like better than I thought it was gonna be.’ It felt good putting the match shirt back on and going out there and serving first or trying to serve it out at the end.
“These are the moments that I missed the most even though those are the ones that make you nervous. That’s why you play tennis for and I thought actually for a first-round match it was great. Expectations are obviously quite low.”
The 35-year-old Swiss was limited to seven tournaments last season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on February 3rd. Federer reached his record-tying 11th Wimbledon semifinal last July, bowing to Milos Raonic in five sets and conceding the stability of his knee was still on his mind.
During the offseason, Federer felt he was playing pain-free without dwelling on the knee at all.
“Honestly, I’d say for three or four weeks now I stopped thinking about it,” Federer said. “Because I just don’t have any reactions anymore. I don’t have any pain. So it’s been nice this way. I was able to get rid of that early.”
While the stress of match play can create some aches and pains, Federer said the speed of the Perth hard court, combined with his commitment to taking the first strike, diminishes physical wear and tear.
“Obviously now, you possibly you could expect some sort of reaction just because of the intensity and the nerves of playing a match again could trigger something,” Federer said. “But after this match, I don’t think so. The match was too short. The court plays fast. As you saw, first-strike tennis. Big serves, big returns that’s what matters here. It’s probably going to the same in Melbourne as well.”
Earlier Belinda Bencic beat Heather Watson,7-5, 3-6, 6-2. Bencic and Federer partnered for a 4-0, 4-1 victory over Watson and Evans in the mixed doubles finale that uses the shortened Fast 4 scoring system.
Team Switzerland plays Germany on Wednesday night pitting Federer against Alexander Zverev in a rematch of the 2016 Halle semifinals, which the German won 7-6 (4), 5-7, 6-3.
France edged Germany, 2-1, as Richard Gasquet defeated Zverev, 7-5, 6-3, then partnered Kristina Mladenovic to a 4-2, 4-1 win over Andrea Petkovic and Zverev in the decisive mixed doubles match.