Roger Federer battled back from a set down to overcome 46th-ranked Radu Albot 4-6, 7-5, 6-3 on Saturday and reach the third round of the ATP and WTA Miami Open. Moldova's Albot superbly took hold of the match and posed plenty of problems for the 20-time Grand Slam winning legend, who took a while to get adjusted to the new surroundings at the Hard Rock Stadium.
But the Swiss star's class and experience eventually shone through as he booked a round of 32 match with Serbian Filip Krajinovic who surprised three-time Grand Slam winner Stan Wawrinka 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) earlier in the afternoon. "I definitely think Radu played a great match, it was really tough and I struggled early on," admitted Federer, a three time Miami Open champion.
"I am very relieved and happy to make it through. It was a great atmosphere." Moldovan Albot, 29, is enjoying a rich vein of form and arrived in Miami at a career high ranking. He had never played the Swiss legend before but wasted little time in breaking Federer's serve in the very first game before holding for 2-0.