Ex-No.1 Roger delighted after beating Austria's Melzer 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 on return from six-month injury break
Roger Federer, Jurgen Melzer
Switzerland’s Roger Federer returns to Austria’s Jurgen Melzer during Day One of the Australian Open at the Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne yesterday. Federer won 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2. Pic/AFP
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Melbourne: Roger Federer's long-awaited return from injury could hardly have gone better as the 17-time grand slam champion beat Austria's Jurgen Melzer in the Australian Open first round.
Federer had not played a competitive match in more than six months and while there were certainly signs of rust on Rod Laver Arena, the Swiss emerged unscathed with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2, 6-2 victory.
Jurgen Melzer
"It was a special moment walking out on the court. A special moment when you get to match point and when you win the match point," Federer said of his comeback It remains to be seen how Federer's form, and fitness, reacts to tougher opponents but there should be some leeway too in the second round, where he now faces American qualifier Noah Rubin.
Federer played at the Hopman Cup, an exhibition event in Perth, earlier this month but this was his first official match since Wimbledon last year, after which he chose to sit out the rest of 2016 in a bid to overcome niggling injuries to his left knee and back.
"First rounds are never easy so I'm happy to live another day. Any match is a good match. Even if I had lost today it would have been good because I'm back on the court."
For all the talk of Andy Murray's new reign at the top of the world rankings, Novak Djokovic reasserting his dominance and even Rafael Nadal's latest resurgence, there is no doubt, however, who remains Melbourne Park's blockbuster attraction.
Nick Kyrgios shrugged off a nosebleed as he turned on the after-burners in a 85-minute demolition of Gastao Elias to signal his Australian Open intentions. The supremely-talented yet combustible Australian ripped apart the 81st-ranked Portuguese, 6-1, 6-2, 6-2 on Hisense Arena.
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