Swiss maestro Federer in the spotlight as Qatar ExxonMobil Open begins
08 Mar 2021 - 10:05
Fawad Hussain/ The Peninsula
Roger Federer looked composed and confident as he returned to the professional tennis court for the first time in 13 months.
The Swiss superstar showed glimpses of his famous slice backhand and good spirit as well during his one-hour practice session with Briton Daniel Evans on Court 1 at the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex, ahead of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open which gets under way today.
The annual ATP 250 event in Doha is among the priority events of top-ranked players but this year it is grabbing more attention, as the 20-time Grand Slam champion will be seen in action for the first time after losing the semi-final of Australian Open 2020 against Novak Djokovic, following two surgeries on his right knee last year.