Federer undaunted by defeat in Italian Open

9:25 AM ET

ROME — Roger Federer was not the least bit concerned after getting beat 7-6 (2), 6-4 by 15th-ranked Dominic Thiem in the third round of the Italian Open on Thursday.

After withdrawing from last week’s Madrid Open with lower-back pain, Federer was just glad that he was able to play two matches on the clay in Rome.

“It doesn’t matter how I played. [What is] important is that I didn’t have any setbacks and I was able to step on the tennis court and that I tried what I could with what I had,” said Federer, who defeated German teenager Alexander Zverev in straight sets Wednesday. “I knew I wasn’t good enough for any result here, so that’s why I hope you don’t read into it so much, and I don’t.

“This is like, ‘Who cares about the results here?’ It matters what comes now in the next couple of months.”

With only 10 days before the French Open begins, however, Federer needs to figure out how to manage the pain.

“Now obviously time starts ticking more toward Paris,” said Federer, who also missed 10 weeks earlier this year after surgery on his left knee to repair a torn meniscus. “Clearly the way I’m playing right now is never going to be enough for any good run in Paris, and then I also wouldn’t play this …

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