Roger Federer reports that his back injury has improved in the days following his withdrawal from the ATP World Tour Finals.
Federer, whose participation in the Davis Cup final was in doubt because of the injury, was put into the singles line-up for Switzerland following a morning practice on Thursday.
"The idea was to practice early before the draw so we have the best options, I guess, to select the players," he said at the draw ceremony, where he was selected to play the second singles match against Gael Monfils. "We thought if I continue with my progress today, then there is a chance that I should give it a go tomorrow, which is what happened. Otherwise, we would have come up with an alternative game plan this morning.
"But things were very good out there this morning. I was very happy how I felt."
Federer has had back problems on and off through his career, including significant portions of 2013.
"From that standpoint, yeah, I can definitely draw from some experience," he said. "I know what's possible, what's not. I know how much I need to push, how much I can push. I think that's what's going to be interesting to see tomorrow. Obviously if I'm stepping out on the court, that means I can play. That's most important."
Federer is 8-2 against Monfils, but had to come back from two sets down against the Frenchman at the US Open.
"It's a difficult match regardless, for anybody, for me as well, said Federer. "If I would be 100%, it would be tough in itself because of the crowd, because of the opponent. It is like at the first round at a tournament, nobody quite knows what's going on yet. Indoor clay is something we quite don't know."