Melbourne — Roger Federer made a winning return to competitive tennis on Monday after six months out of the game, thrilling a packed Rod Laver Arena as he beat qualifier Juergen Melzer 7-5 3-6 6-2 6-2 to reach the Australian Open second round. The 35-year-old Swiss had to battle hard throughout the two-hour, six minute contest, and only really eased clear of his dogged opponent when the Austrian tired in the final set. British world number one Andy Murray also claimed a hard-fought first-round win, over Illya Marchenko, to open his Australian Open campaign. The Scot, who is bidding for his first Australian Open title after losing five finals, prevailed 7-5, 7-6 (7/5), 6-2 in 2hr 47min and will next play Russian qualifier Andrey Rublev. Fourth seed and 2014 champion Stan Wawrinka suffered a huge scare against Slovak Martin Klizan but the Swiss three-times grand slam champion battled through to win 4-6 6-4 7-5 4-6 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena. Japan’s big hope, Kei Nishikori, survived ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.