Mischa Zverev is so far surviving against Roger, 3-2. For a serve and volleyer who takes such prohibitively deep first volleys, Zverev's still finding some nice angles (and Roger looks quite rusty, too). However, it seems like just a matter of time before Federer breaks him....but it is the other way around and Mischa serves for the set at 5-3....Taking at least the last eight points in a row, Mischa holds for the set. Shades of last year for Roger when he lost against Haas in his first match.
2nd set: Each of Mischa's service games have been played in one minute, 15 seconds. With Roger making a hash of Mischa's first volleys, Fed is making Zverev look like a world beater at the moment, 2-2. The match seems to be going downhill for Roger....after blowing two break points by about a combined thirty feet, Roger takes advantage of a pair of weak volleys, 4-2....but he doesn't come close to consolidating the break, 4-3....raising the severity of his serve and groundstrokes, Roger holds easily and then breaks for a 6-4 win.
3rd set: Powerful love game on serve from Roger, 1-love...poor Mischa is doing all the running in this match....Roger continuing his much improved play lately gets a break for 3-1....Roger saves a break point with a nice serve and volley, 5-2....Roger breaks again to win the match going away. Impressive set.
Roger went from looking understandably creaky to looking pretty damn good in the course of those three sets. He shook a lot of rust off, though obviously there is a lot more still to do if he is to defend his Wimbledon title strongly.