Rain Halts Roger's Return In Stuttgart

Roger Federer enjoyed a graceful return to the ATP World Tour on Wednesday before rain stopped his second-round match at the MercedesCup in Stuttgart.

The top seed was up a break on #NextGen star Taylor Fritz 4-3 in the first set. At 30/30, 3-3, Federer struck a strong service return that Fritz hit into the net. Facing his first break point of the match, the 18-year-old then double faulted.

Minutes later, at about 5:25 p.m. local time, rain started to fall. Play was later suspended for the day, with Federer and Fritz scheduled to resume not before 12: 30 p.m. local time on Thursday.

Unfortunately we can’t play today anymore, too much of this stuff ?☁️?⛈?☂☔️
See you tomorrow @MercedesCup pic.twitter.com/zXlYfpEc5Q

— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) June 8, 2016

Federer, who was playing his first match since losing to Dominic Thiem in Rome on May 12, showed no signs of a lingering back injury that forced him to withdraw from Roland Garros. The No. 3 player in the Emirates ATP Rankings moved from side to side without issue and freely approached the net on Center Court in Stuttgart. The 34 year old also didn’t have to ease up on any balls like he had to last month in Rome.

Despite the early break, Fritz also looked ready for the occasion and didn’t appear starstuck by playing a childhood idol. He spoke on Tuesday about what it would be like to face Federer.

“It’s amazing being able to play the next round, because growing up, Federer was the guy that nobody could beat,” Fritz said after his first-round win. “I grew up in that generation of him just dominating, so it’s crazy now to be stepping on the court with him.”

The American also shared a memory of watching Federer play Juan Martin del Potro for the US Open title in 2009.

“I remember I was in fifth grade in my computer class. We were supposed to be doing some kind of assignment and I was live streaming the US Open final, Federer versus del Potro. Sitting there then, I never thought that at the same tournament I’d be playing against Federer…”

Thursday’s winner will face German qualifier Florian Mayer, who beat Stuttgart’s Michael Berrer 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 before the rain fell.

Top German Philipp Kohlschreiber also advanced to the quarter-finals for the second consecutive year, overcoming Denis Kudla 7-5, 6-3. The seventh seed erased four of five break points but needed four match points to put away the 23-year-old American, who was trying to reach his first quarter-final since last year at the BB&T Atlanta Open.

“[I’m] very happy with the transition from clay to grass… Today [I had] a tough opponent. Denis Kudla played a fantastic grass-court season last year,” Kohlschreiber said of Kudla, who won an ATP Challenger Tour event and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon last year on grass.

Kohlschreiber, No. 26 in the Emirates ATP Rankings, will face second seed Marin Cilic or Czech qualifier Radek Stepanek, who was two points away from knocking out Andy Murray in the first round of Roland Garros.

“It’s a very strong tournament,” Kohlschreiber said. “I’m happy I put myself in a great position, and I know if I play well in the quarters I can reach the semis or even more.”