Roger Federer made an impressive return to clay by easing past Richard Gasquet to reach the last 16 of the Madrid Open on Tuesday.
Federer took just 52 minutes to see off Frenchman Gasquet 6-2 6-3 in what was his first match on clay in three years after skipping the 2017 and 2018 seasons on the surface to manage a knee injury.
"I would have always felt regrets not being on the clay in 2019 because my knee problem is far enough away now. I grew up on this surface, so I feel comfortable on it," Federer said.
"It feels good to be back on the clay now and I enjoy it. Some of these rallies where you get pushed to the side, you slide, you hit the ball, you slide, you hit the ball, you come back into it, then you can defend in a different manner than you do on the hard courts, or on the grass."
