Swiss tennis player Roger Federer debuted this Wednesday at the Rotterdam tournament with a win over Belgian Ruben Bemelmans and is only two victories away from regaining world number 1.
The 36-and-a-half-year-old Federer easily won 6-1 6-2. «It is quite surprising how well everything went today (…) I have done things well. It is a super debut for me », declared the Swiss.
If he reached the semi-finals in Rotterdam, he would become the oldest world number 1 in tennis history, dethroning Spanish Rafael Nadal.
Next Thursday he will face the German Philipp Kohlschreiber.
The surprise came in the last game of the day, in which the young German Alexander Zverev (N.3) lost to the Italian Adnreas Seppi 6-4, 6-3.
Before that, the Belgian David Goffin, world number 7, eliminated Spanish Feliciano López (37th) in the second round 6-1, 6-3 without excessive problems.
Goffin will play in the quarterfinals against Czech Tomas Berdych (17th), who beat Serbian Viktor Troicki (67th) 6-1 and 6-2 without problems.
This Wednesday the two finalists of the recent Montpellier tournament, the French Lucas Pouille and Richard Gasquet, were eliminated in the first round in Holland.
Pouille, 16th in the ATP rankings and champion in Montpellier on Sunday, lost to Russian Andrey Rublev (34th) 7-5 and 6-4, while Gasquet (33rd) left due to injury after just four games, when he fell 3-1 in the first round against his compatriot Pierre-Hugues Herbert (80th).
The Rotterdam Tournament is held on a hard surface and indoors, distributing 1,862,925 euros in prizes.
Federer, two victories from the world number 1
