Quashing concerns, sharp Roger Federer wins at Italian Open

Roger Federer put his full array of shots on display in a 6-3, 7-5 win over Alexander Zverev on Wednesday in the second round of the Italian Open, an encouraging performance considering he only decided to play moments before stepping onto the court.“I was expecting to lose in straight sets today. That was the mindset going in, so to win in straights is actually a really big surprise to me,” said Federer, who has been having problems with his back. “I played cautious, and I only decided after the warmup that I was actually going to play.”

“I’m happy I was able to play a full match without any setbacks,” said Federer, who also missed 10 weeks earlier this year after surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus. “I’m coming off a brutal last few months, and I’m just happy to be able to play normal tennis to some extent. … So for me it’s a big day and huge step in the right direction.”

The 19-year-old Zverev, considered a potential future Grand Slam champion, often found himself running down shots wide in the alleys. At one point, the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) German was pulled so far off the court he ended up in the lap of a line judge — then hugged the official after Federer put away an easy volley.On the first point of the final game, Federer surprised Zverev by following his second serve to the net and Zverev lost his footing as he attempted to chase down Federer’s volley. Zverev fell to the clay, dirtying his shorts and shirt, and had to go over to his chair to dust himself off.