Widdop’s Warr cry

DOUBLE TROUBLE: Widdop (left) and Blake

GARETH WIDDOP insists him and Blake Austin have done everything possible to get their misfiring partnership on track.

The former NRL duo were tipped to lead Warrington to a title push last year but their combination never hit the heights it was expected to.

Widdop admitted

by GARETH WALKER his own season – punctuated by constant speculation he was returning Down Under – “wasn’t great”.

Now he wants to put that right alongside former Canberra stand-off Austin this year.

Widdop said: “We have worked really hard and both managed to get through the whole pre-season.

“But until you get to a game in the first week you don’t know what will happen.

“We couldn’t have done any more work than we have done as a spine.

“Now it’s about delivering.”

ROGER FEDERER returned to tennis after 405 days and did what he does best – celebrated victory.

The world might have changed since the 20-time Grand Slam champion last graced a court at the Australian Open 14 months ago.

But even after two knee operations, the Swiss superstar (right) proved he has lost nothing of his winning mentality as he beat training partner – Brit Dan Evans – 7-6 3-6 7-5 at the Qatar Open.

Introduced on to court as the “greatest in the history of the sport”, Federer, at 39, savoured every moment in front of a crowd in Doha.

He had not played since his straight-sets defeat to Novak

Djokovic in Melbourne and here yesterday he overcame any rustiness with glimpses of his brilliance.

“I am happy to be standing here regardless of the result,” said Federer.

“Winning feels better. I was tired and I was more focused on that than winning the points. I thought, ‘If I’m going out, I will go out swinging’. Dan had more energy than me. I served well. I am incredibly happy about my performance.

“It was always nice to win with a backhand down the line. I hope this was an uplift to what was going on in the world.”