Federer needs two tiebreakers to down Pella in first round of Wimbledon

SW34 is TENNIS.com's Wimbledon blog that will provide on-site news, insight and commentary about a pair of legendary 34-year-olds, Roger Federer and Serena Williams, as they look to once again triumph at the All England Club.

LONDON—Many have expressed doubt about Roger Federer’s health over the past few months, but on Monday the 17-time Grand Slam champion made his return to Centre Court. He opened his bid for an eighth Wimbledon crown against world No. 52 Guido Pella.

Pella, seemingly unperturbed by the momentous occasion, matched Federer hold by hold in both the first and second sets.

The lefty played heavy into Federer’s backhand, stuck mainly to the baseline, kept both his errors and winners low and hit a heavy, looping forehand. Wait, that sounds exactly like a certain Spaniard named Rafael Nadal (who’s noticeably missing from the draw this year).

The first set went to a tiebreaker, and that was the moment when Federer’s vast experience took over. He took the first set 7-6 (5) after racing out to a 6-2 lead in the breaker.

The 26-year-old Pella reached his first ATP final this year in Rio de Janeiro, but has plenty of early-round losses on his resume. Federer, meanwhile, has been stricken by multiple injuries (knee surgery and a lingering back problem) since reaching the semifinals in Australia.

“I felt great, so happy,” Federer said. “Walking out I was telling myself how nice it is to be back. I worked so hard for it since February. My hope was always not to miss Wimbledon, and to be fully fit … We’ll see if I am. Nobody knows. I don’t know it yet.”

The second set was much like the first, with both players exchanging holds. Federer had more chances to break than Pella did, yet he failed to convert. (He missed eight break chances in the first two sets.) In the tiebreaker, Federer raced out to an early lead once again before sealing it comfortably, 7-3.

At 4-3 in the third set, Federer finally capitalized on a break chance and raced away with the third to take the match, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (3), 6-3.

Grass-court tennis is Federer’s bread and butter, and he proved that he’s in good enough form to show off the level of play expected from him. The Swiss won 34 of 42 points at the net and hit 51 winners to Pella’s 23.

“It was a fun match, very close,” Federer said, adding that he’s working his way back. “Nevertheless, I’m still supposed to win this match against Pella, probably. There’s always some pressure at this stage. You want to do well, you want to do well for your team.”

The pressure on Federer will hike up just a little bit in his next match. He will take on British wild card Marcus Willis (ranked 772nd), who stunned Ricardas Berankis.

“It’s a huge moment for him,” Federer said. “For me, I’m still on my way back, so it’s big as well. His story is unbelievable. It just shows the depth of men’s tennis. Rankings only tell so much of a story.”