Hopman Cup: Roger Federer marks emotional comeback with a win over Britain's Dan Evans
ROGER FEDERER marked his long-awaited comeback from injury with a confident straight-sets victory over Dan Evans to help Switzerland defeat Great Britain in their Hopman Cup opener.
Federer reveals bizarre cause of injury
The 35-year-old needed only 63 minutes to dispatch Evans 6-3, 6-4 in Perth.
The British number three dropped his serve in the second-set opener to leave him a mountain too tall to climb.
Federer said: "I’d like to live it again. I’m a little bit sad it’s over, because it was so nice out there. I was actually quite emotional. When I walked down, I was like, ‘Oh my god, this is better than I thought it would be’.
Roger Federer needed just over an hour to beat Dan Evans
Briton Dan Evans dropped serve in the second-set opener
"It felt good putting the match shirt back on, and serving first, and then trying to serve it out at the end. They’re the moments I miss the most, even though those are the ones that make you nervous.
"That’s what you play tennis for. I thought for a first match it was great, because my expectations were obviously quite low."
Belinda Bencic then secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the tie for the Swiss with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 victory over Heather Watson.
Heather Watson lost her match against Belinda Bencic 7-5, 3-6, 6-2
Johanna Konta dropped just two games in her opening match of the season to progress in the Shenzhen Open in China, beating Turkey’s Cagla Buyukakcay 6-2, 6-0.
And Kyle Edmund made saw off American Ernesto Escobedo 7-6, 7-6 to reach the second round of the Brisbane International.