Roger Federer says close loss to Alexander Zverev more like a win

After nearly two decades on tour and 17 grand slams in his pocket, Roger Federer has no trouble seeing the big picture.

Roger Federer plays a backhand to Geman Alexander Zverev at the Hopman Cup in Perth. Picture: Getty Images

After nearly two decades on tour and 17 grand slam titles in his ­pocket, Roger Federer has no trouble seeing the big picture.

And it is looking increasingly rosy as he approaches his return to grand slam tennis at the Aust­ralian Open after a six-month injury layoff. To his mind, a close three-set loss to 19-year-old German Alexander Zverev at the Hopman Cup on Wednesday night was more like a win because it gave him exactly what he needed to prepare for the Australian Open.

“It was good to play for 2½ hours,’’ he said. “That was why I was really trying to push to win that second set, to extend the match and get me into a long, tough match, then who knows, maybe win it.

“I couldn’t really get into it on the return in the third set. I was disappointed with that side of my game, but then again Sasha’s not the smallest guy out there.

“He can serve big and he showed what he can do. It was tough, but I was happy with the way I hung around and I had some really good moments there.

“I saved a lot of break points, served big for long periods of time. It would possibly have been nice to close out that first set. That’s maybe the only thing I regret a ­little bit, and playing a bad breaker in the first set, but who cares, ­really? As long as I’m playing injury-free and feeling good.’’

Federer expected to feel the ­effects of his longest match for six months in his 35-year-old body yesterday but said the effort would hold him in good stead for Melbourne.

“Hopefully if I do have a tough match in the beginning at Melbourne I won’t have to go through it so extreme over there,’’ he explained. “This is going to give me a lot of good things.”

He’s still looking for further improvement on his serve, as well as his half-volleys and his return but he is optimistic that things are falling into place.

“I feel much, much better.,’’ Federer said. “The serve just takes time. I feel like it’s the first thing to go when you don’t play, so it’s the hardest thing to get back again.

“That’s why, again, this match was good, plus the singles, plus the doubles, just to serve into those zones time and time again, so that when the big points do come around you can hit onto the line or close to the line and make your first serves. “Also I think the half-volley on this kind of surface is going to be really important.’’

Others may have doubted whether at his age he could return to the top of the sport but it appears he did not.

He said he never considered applying for a protected ranking at the Australian Open and was content to go in seeded outside the top 10 and fight his way through the tournament.

“If I’m seeded 16 or 17 that will make it that much more interesting to see the draw,’’ he said. “But as long as I’m fit and healthy it doesn’t matter what my seeding is.”

He is increasingly confident that he is both.

Federer is equally impressed with his young opponent Zverev and predicted he would go on and fulfil the promise that he had shown by cracking the top 20 as a teenager last October. “Every month that goes by you see him adding something more to his game,’’ Federer said.

“I think he’s got a wonderful ­future ahead of him if he keeps working hard and stays injury-free, which I believe he will. He’s definitely going to be one to watch for another decade or so.”

But the Swiss champion is now turning his attention to his next opponent, fellow veteran Richard Gasquet, who he will meet in tonight’s match against France.

“Gasquet is going to be a tough customer, so I’m looking forward to that,’’ he said.