Federer back in groove; Venus, Sharapova exit Cincinnati

Roger Federer shook off the rust in his first match since Wimbledon as women's drawcards Maria Sharapova and Venus Williams withdrew injured from the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Masters. Federer, who took more than a month off after losing the Wimbledon final to Novak Djokovic, beat Roberto Bautista Agut 6-4, 6-4, improving to 4-0 over the Spaniard without the loss of a set. "It was a good win for me, it can only get tougher from here," said Federer, seeking a record seventh title here.