Roger Federer added to his repertoire of through-the-legs winners Tuesday on his way to beating Dutch qualifier Thomas Schoorel 7-6 (3), 6-3 at the Qatar Open in his first official match of the season.
After a sluggish first set, the No. 2-ranked Swiss hit form in the second. Leading 5-2 and faced with a ball which changed direction after clipping the top of the net, Federer flicked it through his legs for a clean winner into the corner.
"It's one of the best shots again of my career," Federer said. "One I'm going to look back on and smile, of course. It was quite fantastic."
The 21-year-old Schoorel, playing only his second ATP-level match, managed a smile as the crowd applauded, and although Schoorel went on to hold his serve, Federer sealed the win in the next game.
Federer successfully pulled off the shot - also known as a "tweener" - at the previous two U.S. Opens, at last year's Shanghai Masters and at the 2007 Dubai Open.
In the second round, Federer plays Swiss compatriot Marco Chiudinelli, who beat Reda El Amrani 3-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3.
Top-ranked Rafael Nadal also advanced, beating Karol Beck 6-3, 6-0.
"It was not an easy match," the Spaniard said. "I started well and then kept playing well. I think I gave a good performance."
Nadal led 3-0 in the first set, and then broke Beck all three times in the second.
"I try to do better every day and be consistent," said Nadal, who won the French Open, Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year. "I wanted to do that. It is important to do that to keep my (top) ranking. I am happy with the way I played."
Nadal, who is seeking his first trophy in Doha, will face either Lukas Lacko of Slovakia and Pere Riba of Spain in the next round.
Federer, a 16-time Grand Slam champion, struggled in the first set against Schoorel, and had to save three set points when trailing 5-4 in the first set.
However, he reeled off five points in a row to level the score at 5-5 and then took advantage of three long returns by Schoorel to take the set on a tiebreak.
"It was a difficult match, especially in the first set," Federer said. "In the first set, he played really well. This player has quality. I got confidence when I saved those set points. Then I picked up my game."
Federer broke serve for the first time in the match in the fourth game of the second set before easing to victory.
"I hope to do well here," said Federer, who won the tournament in 2005 and 2006. "I know (Rafael) Nadal is here and that makes this event very interesting."
Also, fifth-seeded Ernests Gulbis of Latvia beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 6-3, 7-6 (6) and eighth-seeded Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany defeated Andreas Seppi of Italy 6-2, 6-4. in the fourth game of the second set before easing to victory in 68 minutes.
