HAMBURG: Roger Federer struggled in his first match since his Wimbledon humiliation when he had to come back from a set down to defeat Germany’s Daniel Brands in his Hamburg opener on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old, top-seeded Federer won 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 against the world number 58 to reach the third round of a tournament he last played in 2008.

Federer, now ranked five in the world, his lowest point for a decade, goes on to face Jan Hajek of the Czech Republic for a quarter-final spot.

The Swiss great is using this event and the Gstaad tournament, which starts on July 22, to bounce back from his shock Wimbledon exit ahead of next month’s US Open.

Federer crashed out of Wimbledon, where he was the seven-time champion, at the hands of Ukraine’s 116-ranked Sergiy Stakhovsky in his worst Grand Slam defeat for a decade.

The second round loss ended his run of 36 consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final appearances, having not gone out of a major before the last eight since the 2004 French Open.

Hajek reached the third round with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 win over Latvian 15th seed, Ernests Gulbis.

Earlier, Tommy Haas outlasted qualifier Blaz Kavcic of Slovenia 6-1, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the third round.

The second-seeded Haas blew a 4-1 lead in the third set. But he held serve and broke to clinch the match when Kavcic sent a forehand long.

The 35-year-old Haas was runner-up in the tournament last year and is the oldest player in the top 100. He is looking for his second title at home this season after winning in Munich.

Defending champion Juan Monaco of Argentina, seeded fifth, beat Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-4.

Lino, 3 others into Swedish Open quarters

In Bastad, Sweden, fifth-seeded Lourdes Dominguez Lino, No. 8 Johanna Larsson, Klara Zakopalova and Virginie Razzano reached the quarterfinals of the Swedish Open on Wednesday.

Dominguez Lino rallied past Teliana Pereira 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, and Larsson defeated Nina Bratchikova 6-2, 6-3 at the clay-court tournament on Sweden’s west coast.

Zakopalova broke serve five times to beat Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-3, 6-1, and Razzano came from behind to down Alexandra Dulgheru 3-6, 6-0, 6-4.

Also, second-seeded Simona Halep advanced to the second round by beating Rebecca Peterson of Sweden 6-4, 6-0. The Romanian has recently surged in the rankings after winning three WTA titles in five weeks.