Wimbledon champion Roger Federer saved seven match points to beat Australian qualifier Scott Draper 4-6 6-3 7-6 (12-10) in the first round of the Cincinnati Masters tennis tournament.

Federer withstood four successive match points to rally from 6-2 down in the tiebreaker, with a lob off his back foot from behind the baseline, a crosscourt winner, unreturnable serve, and an unforced error by Draper.

The third-seeded Federer saved his seventh in the match at 8-9 with an ace.

He needed four chances of his own to win.

After missing three match points at 7-6, 8-7, and 10-9, Federer received his fourth at 11-10 after Draper double-faulted.

Federer clinched it with a service winner.

Federer needs to reach the semi-finals in order to overtake Andre Agassi for the No.11 ranking.

Agassi, fined $US60,000 ($A91,400) for withdrawing at the weekend after Friday's draw had been made will not be competing again until the US Open, which begins on August 25.

In other matches eighth-seeded Rainer Schuettler beat Stefan Koubek 6-2 7-5, and will next meet Jarkko Nieminen, who outlasted Fernando Vicente 7-5 3-6 6-4.

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