Roger Federer seemed to have talked his way into a scare before beginning an up-and-down defence of his Dubai Open title with a recovery against an opponent even more popular than himself on Monday. The Grand Slam record-holder had said before the match that often took him a while to suss out players he had never previously played - and sure enough he ran into trouble against the best player in the Arab world, Malek Jaziri, dropping the first set to loud cheers.

By Xola Potelwa GOVHU, South Africa, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Roger Federer was back in South Africa for the first time in eight years and it was not long before he was surrounded by a swarm of three-year-old toddlers tugging at his shirt and hankering to play a game of tennis. Unlike many of the fans the 17-times grand slam champion usually encounters, these children hold a special place in the Swiss champion's heart as his charitable foundation is helping to educate them.

Roger Federer will support the campaign to have squash included in the 2020 Olympics, after meeting the sport's longtime number one Nicol David at the Rotterdam World Tennis tournament. Federer, winner of 17 Grand Slam tennis titles, made his endorsement only a few days after the International Olympic Committee said it would remove wrestling from the Games, a decision which has met with a storm of controversy. "I started with a wooden racquet in squash," said Federer, after losing to France's Julien Benneteau in the Rotterdam quarter-finals.

* Shock defeat for defending champion * Federer loses in quarter-finals (Adds quotes) By Theo Ruizenaar ROTTERDAM, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Defending champion Roger Federer suffered a shock 6-3 7-5 defeat by Frenchman Julien Benneteau, who has yet to lift a tour title during his 13-year career, in the World Indoor Tournament quarter-finals on Friday. The top seed struggled throughout with his first serve and was broken three times in the opening set.