Roger Federer says it was a "relief" to live up to the expectations surrounding his Davis Cup return.
Federer played and won his first deciding fifth rubber in Davis Cup, securing victory for Switzerland against Kazakhstan in the quarterfinals.
Host Switzerland, heavily favored before the tie, found itself behind 2-1 after the first two days after Stanislas Wawrinka dropped his opening singles match and Wawrinka and Federer were defeated in doubles.
But on the final day, Wawrinka won his reverse-singles match against Mikhail Kukushkin, leaving Federer to wrap up the tie with a four-set win over Andrey Golubev.
"It’s great. I was hoping so much I was going to get a chance to play and not just watch Stan play," Federer said afterwards. "I got the opportunity and I’m happy I lived up to the hype and the expectations, and I was able to get the boys through so very happy for them.
"I knew Stan was going to play better than Friday and I thought as well that he was going to do a better job with rhythm and against the type of player Kukushkin was, he’d find a way. That’s what happened. It was tough for him for a long time.
“Then personally for me, I just felt I was playing such great tennis the last six months that I would find a way as well and I did. It’s a relief, but it was a great feeling."
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