Stepanek awaits world number two in Madrid tomorrow night

When Roger Federer withdrew from the Stockholm Open announced that he needed “a proper rest”, there weren’t many people expecting to see him back in action within a fortnight.

But tomorrow night, the US Open champion will return to the court to face Radek Stepanek in the Madrid Masters, a tournament that he won in 2006 and lost the final of last year.

Stepanek has twice beaten Federer, including earlier this year in Rome but both victories came on clay while Federer has won both previous hard-court encounters in straight sets.

Is Federer right to return so soon or should he have sat out the rest of the year? Let us know with a comment below.