Roger Federer dispatches Peter Gojowczyk in Cincinnati

Peter Gojowczyk did little wrong against Roger Federer in Cincinnati on Tuesday, but the German was no match for the seven-time winner.

Roger Federer made a confident start in his bid to claim an eighth Cincinnati Masters title, the Swiss brushing aside Peter Gojowczyk in straight sets on Tuesday.

Roger Federer of Switzerland returns a shot to Peter Gojowczyk of Germany during Day 4 of the Western and Southern Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 14, 2018 in Mason, Ohio. (AFP)

A winner at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Ohio as recently as 2015, Federer was playing for the first time since turning 37 last week.

But the second seed made light of his status as the sport’s elder statesman by easing to a 6-4 6-4 victory in one hour and 13 minutes against the German world number 47.

The highest ranked player in the field in Rafael Nadal’s absence, Federer will now face Argentina’s Leonardo Mayer for a place in the quarter-finals.

Gojowczyk initially held his own up against the Swiss great, but when a backhand down the line on the run went long in the fifth game, the crucial first break went Federer’s way.

Some signs of rust were present from a player who had not competed since his surprise defeat to Kevin Anderson at Wimbledon, Federer offering up three break points in a lengthy eighth game.

But Gojowczyk proved unable to take them, Federer later coming to the net and putting away a confident backhand volley to hold to love and take the opener.

And while Gojowczyk held his serve throughout the remainder of the second set, Federer did not put a foot wrong, holding to love to win it on his first match point.