Federer starts with a win

Roger Federer was forced to save three successive set points to get past Thomas Schoorel, an enterprising 21-year-old qualifier from The Netherlands, 7-6(3) 6-4 in the first round of the Qatar Open.

The tennis legend was forced to save three successive set points to get past Schoorel, but then concluded the match amidst laughter and tumultuous applause for a shot which should get endless on-line video replays. For no accountable reason Federer struck a ground stroke between his legs when he was in no apparent difficulty and watched it go for a sensational winner in the penultimate game. Federer now has to play his fellow Swiss player Marco Chiudinelli, a qualifier who came from the brink of defeat to beat Reda El Amrani.

The results: Ernests Gulbis bt Viktor Hanescu 6-3, 7-6(6); Teymuraz Gabashvili bt Rainer Schuettler 6-4, 7-6(2); Marco Chiudinelli bt Reda El Amrani 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-3; Roger Federer bt Thomas Schoorel 7-6(3), 6-3; Philipp Kohlschreiber bt Andreas Seppi 6-2, 6-4; Jarkko Nieminen bt Michal Przysiezny 6-2, 3-6, 6-3; Rafael Nadal Karol Beck 6-3, 6-0 . — Agencies