Making his first French Open appearance since 2015, Roger Federer has coasted through two matches and now finds himself in the third round. Federer followed up a rout of Lorenzo Sonego by beating lucky loser Oscar Otte 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 on Thursday afternoon.
The 37-year-old Swiss is now 6-1 on clay this season.
“I must say I feel really good, considering I haven’t played here in that long,” Federer said. “Especially if I think back a few weeks and months ago before Madrid, didn’t know how successful I was going to play or how I was going to feel on the clay. Honestly, I was looking at a worst-case scenario, losing first round in Madrid and then somehow having a tough draw here as well and not getting past the first-round hurdle, and now I am talking about having won enough matches in Madrid and Rome, winning my first matches here in straight sets.
“All of a sudden, you feel the clay-court season has been busy…and it’s nice this way. So I hope I can keep it up…. I’m very happy. We’ll see how far it’s going to take me.”
As for Rafael Nadal, he is obviously expected to take another trip to the French Open final–and capture title No. 12. Through two matches, albeit against a pair of qualifiers, Nadal is looking like his typically dominant self. The second-ranked Spaniard hammered Yannick Hanfmann 6-2, 6-1, 6-3 and then made easy work of Yannick Maden 6-1, 6-2, 6-4.
“I don’t like the word ‘easy,’ because when you win (it) always looks easier,” Nadal explained. “When you play well, things looks easier. When you are playing bad, things looks very difficult. Easy is never, but I can [it was] a comfortable victory. I have been in control most [of] the time (through two rounds). And that’s the only thing that really matters.”
Nothing was easy for Grigor Dimitrov and Benoit Paire on Thursday evening, and that was no surprise given their quality of opposition. Dimitrov overcame Marin Cilic 6-7(3), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3, while Paire outlasted good friend fellow Frenchman Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-2, 6-2, 5-7, 6-7(6), 11-9 in the nightcap on Court Suzanne Lenglen. Herbert almost staged a second comeback from two sets down in the span of three days, having previously stunned a red-hot Daniil Medvedev.
Paire finally finished off Herbert around 9:00 p.m., just barely beating the darkness deadline in front of a raucous French crowd.
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Fedal SF?
If Fed does make it that far then he will have done pretty well as his draw is reasonably tough.
Tsitsipas doesn’t appear to have started at his best but may be able to up his level if/when he plays Fed. I would’ve had him taking out Fed at the start of the tournament, although it’s a close call. Ruud & Schwartzmann (assuming Diego now makes it) can also pose some threat.
I’d sign for that! But I think Tsitsi will take Fed out.
If he gets that far,yes.
Schwartzman lost to Mayer, who I don’t think will trouble Fed at all.
Fed’s match vs Rudd will be a lot tougher than Rafa’s…and Rudd may even win a set🎾🇫🇷
Interesting. I think Goffin is a much more accomplished player than Ruud but Fed hasn’t met this Ruud before – I think he played his dad back in the day though. 🙂