Roger Federer hopes to be back in good shape for the Monte Carlo Masters, he says. The world number three has been out of action for the last few weeks with a virus that took a lot out of him.

"I'm very happy how things have gone in the last two weeks since the virus," he said on 10 April. "I didn't know if I was at the beginning of it or at the end of it but it was a really strange thing I was having.

"I never had a virus like that at an event that took so long and took so much out of me, so I'm happy I'm back and I've been in Monaco for basically nine days here practising on centre court so the preparation has never been better for this event, and that's a hopeful thing you know."

Federer will begin his attempt to win his first ever Monte Carlo Masters when he faces Spaniard Guillermo Garcia-Lopez today (12 April).

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