Canas went into the game as one of the few players on the tour to hold a winning record against the world number one, but Tuesday's result evened things up at three victories apiece.
"The draw was tough with Guillermo in the second round. We've had some tough ones in the past and I knew it was going to be difficult," Federer told a news conference.
"I played well. I felt I was in the groove right away again from Monaco. It was a good match to start off the Rome campaign and I hope I can move on from here."
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