FEDERER RETURN STALLS

Roger Federer was beaten in his return from a two-month break, fallilng 2-6, 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 to German Tommy Haas in the second round of the Stuttgart Open tennis tournament Wednesday. Haas, playing his last season before retirement, saved nine of the 12 break points he faced and converted two of his three chances to deal the Swiss great just his second defeat of the season. Haas, 39, improved to 4-13 against Federer, who hadn’t played since winning the Miami Open in early April. The 35-year-old Swiss player skipped the clay-court season to recuperate from a busy start to the year that saw him capture his 18th Grand Slam tournament title in the Australian Open.