Roger Federer returned to a clay court tournament almost two years later. His last appearance on this surface was at Roland Garros 2019 (711 days ago), a tournament in which he was defeated in the semifinals against Rafa Nadal, ultimately the winner.. After finishing that season, came the 2020 Australian Open and his knee injury, which underwent surgery on several occasions. He made a first comeback in March, in Doha, and lost in his second game to Georgian Basilashvili. After that appointment, he stopped again to continue training (he was also vaccinated at this time) and reappeared in his country, in Switzerland, at the ATP 250 in Geneva. He did it with defeat against a huge Andújar, very combative throughout the game, who achieved one of the most important victories of his career (6-4, 4-6 and 6-4).
The Cuenca faced Federer for the first time and became the 346th rival of the Swiss throughout his long and award-winning career. In the first set, the starting equality was maintained, although Andújar was more active, with more winning shots, against a Federer who was seen to suffer when the Spanish changed the rhythm. The inactivity shows. The one from Basel was not very successful at the service either, with 40% of first aces, which Andújar took advantage of to squeeze the rest. At 4-5, the first break ball of the match arrived. It was for the Spaniard, and he supposed the set ball: he did not miss it. The small fans present in the grandas of the Swiss track were speechless.
Federer, in a break against Andújar
REUTERS
“I had wanted to face Roger for a long time and he knew that the options were getting smaller and smaller. I have already played against Rafa and Novak several times and I wanted to complete the cycle “, Andújar said in the previous, and had an excellent start, with a visible filming greater than that of Basel. In the second round Federer raised the level, adapted to the situation of the duel and began to subtract further from the line. In addition, he increased his success with the first serves (79%) and, as Andújar did in the first roundThis time it was the Swiss who took advantage of the first break ball he had. It was for 2-1, and then he had no problems keeping his serve and equalizing the duel.
“There are still many doubts about my state of form”, Federer himself warned in the previous one. And to begin with, he found himself with a long match (1h; 54), which was going to the third set. However, he maintained the good inertia of the second set and increased his success with the right. Again he achieved another break that led to 2-1. Federer continued to raise the level and, when least expected, Andújar's break came: with 4-3, the Cuenca player took advantage of his second break ball throughout the duel. Maximum effectiveness and even game.
This affected Federer, who began to miss with the backhand and, the rest, Andújar had the first two match balls. He saved them, but the third came, and that one could no longer. From 4-2 to 4-6. Andújar, number 75 in the ranking, he put his hands to his head: he had just beaten Roger Federer. His last success against a top ten player was in 2015, against David Ferrer in Barcelona. Now, it will be measured in the quarters with the winner of the duel between Fucsovics (the only winner of the tournament present at the appointment, he did it in 2018) and Stricker. This tournament was preparation for Federer for Roland Garros … and the sensations were not the best.
Check the results of the ATP 250 in Geneva.