Federer returns with easy win over Paire in Dubai

Roger Federer took the opening step in his bid for a record eighth title at the Dubai Tennis Championships yesterday with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-3 defeat of Benoit Paire.Federer, playing his first match since winning a record 18th Grand Slam title a month ago in Melbourne over Rafael Nadal, had been unsure of his form after dealing with a leg injury picked up at the Australian Open combined with a month off court after his title triumph.But he need not have worried as he defeated Paire for the fourth time without a loss with the streaky Frenchman treated on his right ankle and also jeered for tossing a racquet in the second set as he was crashing to defeat.Federer is playing the event for the 13th time, improving to 48-5 in the emirate where he keeps a training base. Federer won his 11th match since losing to Tomas Berdych in the 2013 semi-finals.He has yet to lift an eighth title at any event having achieved seven in Dubai, Wimbledon, Basel, Cincinnati and Halle.“I’m happy with how I played, I was able to stay aggressive,” Federer said as the event began it’s 25th edition. “I couldn’t have had a better first round start.“I still cannot believe my start to the season.”Paire had his ankle strapped trailing 4-1 in the opening set and then lost serve as Federer took a 5-1 lead. The third seed wrapped it up after less than 30 minutes with a service winner.The second set was equally one-way as Federer went through in well under an hour.Spanish sixth seed Roberto Bautista Agut advanced over Russian hope Karen Khachanov 6-1, 7-6 (4) while 2014 semi-finalist Philipp Kohlschreiber moved to within two victories of his 400th career win after he defeated eighth seed Gilles Muller of Luxembourg 6-4, 7-6 (1)“I didn’t know, actually, to achieve my record would be great,” the 33-year-old German said. “It would put me in the semi-finals.“But I still have a few years to play on the Tour, so I’m pretty confident that I’m gonna make 400-plus, hopefully.”Spain’s Marcel Granollers put out Czech Jiri Vesely 6-3, 6-2 while Guillermo Garcia-Lopez defeated Serb Viktor Troicki 6-4, 6-3.First round results* 3-Roger Federer (SUI) bt Benoît Paire (FRA) 6-1, 6-3* Philipp Kohlschreiber (GER) bt 8-Gilles Muller (LUX) 6-4, 7-6 (1)* Marcel Granollers (ESP) bt Jiri Vesely (CZE) 6-3, 6-2 * Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) bt Viktor Troicki (SRB) 6-4, 6-3 * Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP) bt Karen Khachanov (RUS) 6-1, 7-6 (4)