<p>DOHA, Qatar — After more than a year out, Roger Federer started his 24th season on tour with a win.</p>
<p>It was far from easy for the former No. 1, though, as he was pushed hard by Dan Evans at the Qatar Open before winning the second-round match 7-6 (8), 3-6, 7-5 on Wednesday. </p>
<p>It was Federer’s first match in 405 days after having knee surgery following the 2020 Australian Open. </p>
<p>“Feels good to be back," Federer said in an on-court interview. "I’m happy to be standing here regardless of if I won or lost. But obviously winning feels better.” </p>
<p>Playing for nearly 2 1/2 hours tested the 39-year-old Swiss player’s stamina following his long break. Federer saved a set point at 6-5 down in the first-set tiebreaker and saved two break points at 3-3 in the deciding set before sealing the win with a break of Evans’ serve.</p>
<p>He showed flashes of his usual brilliance along the way, clinching the first set with a perfect cross-court backhand winner as Evans charged into the net. Having failed to convert a match point at 5-4 in the decider, he used another backhand down the line to clinch the win on his second attempt. </p>
<p>Federer said he used Evans as a training partner as he prepared for his comeback, playing more than 20 sets against the Briton in the previous weeks.</p>
<p>“It has been a long and tough road for me. I enjoyed it though,” the 20-time Grand Slam champion said. “It has been a huge challenge of mine in my tennis career and to come back at my age is not something that is very simple." </p>
<p>Federer will play Nikoloz Basilashvili in the quarterfinals after the Georgian beat Malek Jaziri 6-2, 6-2.</p>
<p>Top-seeded Dominic Thiem rallied to beat Australian Open semifinalist Aslan Karatsev 6-7 (5), 6-3, 6-2 for a place in the quarters. </p>
<p>Thiem’s next opponent is fifth-seeded Roberto Bautista Agut, who didn’t face a single break point in his 6-4, 6-3 win against Alexander Bublik of Kazakhstan. </p>
<p>Third-seeded Andrey Rublev advanced without taking to the court after his opponent Richard Gasquet withdrew with a leg injury. </p>
<p>Denis Shapovalov won an all-Canadian match against Vasek Pospisil 7-5, 6-4. That sets up a quarterfinal against Taylor Fritz of the U.S., who upset sixth-seeded David Goffin 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (9). Fritz saved a match point at 6-5 down in the decider and twice more in the tiebreaker. </p>
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