SHANGHAI, China -- Roger Federer's back was fine. His game still needs mending.
Gilles Simon defeated Federer 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the Masters Cup on Monday in the Swiss star's first match since a sore back forced him out of his previous tournament.
Later, Andy Murray of Britain beat Andy Roddick 6-4, 1-6, 6-1 in the other Red group match.
The second-ranked Federer said earlier he didn't know what to expect when he played his first round-robin match in the season-ending event for the top eight players.
It turned out to be flashes of his usual brilliance, then a quick slide downhill. Federer faltered late in the second set with a rash of errors that allowed Simon to get back into the match.
"Definitely today shots maybe I miss I normally don't miss," Federer said. "I think that's just lack of practice and just uncertainty where my back was today. Now at least I have a match under my belt, especially three sets, and I hope I can play better in the next match."
Federer withdrew from the Paris Masters 10 days ago because of his sore back.
"I was sort of skeptical going into the match because the practice sessions haven't been hard at all," Federer said. "I really tried to not push it at all. So I was actually happy that the back felt OK."
The four-time Masters Cup winner also gave credit to Simon, who won their only previous meeting, also in three sets, in Toronto in July.
"The better you play, the better he plays," Federer said. "He's quite a unique player and he makes you work hard and runs very well."
Federer also lost his first match last year at the Masters Cup but went on to win the title.
"It's great," he said. "It's the only tournament where I really have a chance after losing first rounds."
The ninth-ranked Simon, added to the field when No. 1 Rafael Nadal withdrew with knee tendinitis, started finding the lines and capitalized on Federer's slip in play in the last two sets.
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