Johannesburg: World number two Roger Federer marked his return from injury with a straight-sets win over German teenager Alexander Zverev to advance to the third round of the Italian Open in Rome.
The Swiss maestro, who was playing his first match since quarter-final exit at Monte Carlo, subdued his German compatriot 6-3, 7-5 in the one-sided contest that lasted for one hour and 22 minutes, Sport24 reported.
Federer, who had missed nearly three months of the season due to a knee injury, was due to play last week’s Madrid Masters but withdrew from the tournament with a back pain.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion will now lock horns with 13th seed Dominic Thiem, who also stormed into the next round after beating Portugal’s Joao Sousa 6-3, 6-2. (ANI)