There is plenty of work to do, says Federer after comeback defeat

Roger Federer acknowledged that he is still five or six weeks away from completing his fitness programme, as his suck-it-and-see return to the ATP tour in Doha ended in the narrowest of defeats by Georgia’s Nikoloz Basilashvili.

Federer held a match point late in the third set before going down 3-6, 6-1, 7-5, but it would have been a victory burgled against the run of play if he had managed to close it out. He was struggling to generate pace on his groundstrokes by this stage, and his serve was hampered by what he admitted was a sore right shoulder.

“I had lost all muscles basically,” Federer said of his 405-day absence from the tour. “Now after finally playing some points and now playing a match, I knew that I still need another five, six weeks in fitness, probably a bit more down the road.

“The whole shoulder is really… I feel the muscle pain around that. I didn’t expect it to be honest, because I have been serving the whole time, but that comes I think with the pressure. In matches you just go that extra per cent, five per cent? I don’t know what it is.”

Such is the reality of making a comeback at 39. It is almost a catch22 situation. Too many matches, and you risk burning out your muscles and joints. Too few, and you find yourself underprepared for the explosive effort required by the modern tour. But if anyone can manage this delicate balancing act, it is Federer, who will consult his team before deciding whether to play in Dubai next week.