Roger Federer got off to a smooth start at the French Open yesterday as he advanced to the second round of the clay-court Grand Slam with a 6-3, 6-3, 6-4 win over Alejandro Falla, before having to quickly sidestep a spectator who breached tight security to race toward the Swiss legend on the showpiece Philippe Chatrier Court.
Facing a player who pushed him to five sets at Wimbledon five years ago, the 2009 champion was never threatened this time, extending his unbeaten run against the world No. 111 to 8-0.
He looked more concerned when a fan sprinted from the stands and past muscular security guards in an effort to grab a “selfie” with the 17-time Grand Slam winner.
Photo: AP
Although the 33-year-old Federer was not harmed and the fan was prevented from reaching his target, the incident will lead to more questions over security at an event which has endured similar court invasions in the past.
With coaches Stefan Edberg and Severin Luthi closely watching behind their shades, Federer put on a solid display, hitting eight aces and 43 winners.
“I love coming here,” the second seed said. “I wasn’t broken. I’m happy.”
On a sunny first day of play at Roland Garros, last year’s runner-up Simona Halep also advanced in straight sets in the women’s singles draw.
Federer put Falla under pressure in the eighth game of the first set, breaking for a 5-3 lead when the Colombian could not handle a good backhand return. Federer shouted “come on” after earning a set point in his next service game and closed it out when Falla sent a backhand into the net.
Federer’s flashy outfit, with pink shorts and a lilac shirt, was almost as eye-catching as some of the shots the former world No. 1 produced. He broke again for a 2-1 lead in the second set following a game in which he left Falla stranded with a perfectly hit defensive lob.
Federer wrapped up the second set with another break in the ninth game.
At 4-3 down in the third, Falla called a trainer to get his right thigh massaged. The Colombian held his next serve, but could not prevent Federer from breaking him in the 10th game as the Swiss unleashed a forehand attack that he returned wide.
On the women’s side, third seed Halep hit an ace on match point to beat Russia’s Evgeniya Rodina 7-5, 6-4, while ninth seed Ekaterina Markova breezed past wild-card Louisa Chirico of the US 6-4, 6-2.
Halep made a big breakthrough at the French Open last year, losing in the women’s singles final to Maria Sharapova after not conceding a set in her previous matches.
Halep, who said she is stronger than last year both physically and mentally, is bidding to become the first Romanian to win a Grand Slam title since Virginia Ruzici at the French Open in 1978.
“I have stronger body and I have improved a lot in my game,” she said. “Serve is better, so I feel more confident now with my game.”
Up against Halep in the second round is veteran Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, who defeated Lauren Davis of the US 6-3, 3-6, 6-3.
Lucic-Baroni, who won her first match at Roland Garros since 2002, upset Halep at the US Open last year.
“I have not good memories from that match,” Halep said. “I just was blocked and I couldn’t hit the ball.”
On paper, the 33-year-old Federer has a relatively easy draw until the fourth round, where he could meet 13th seed Gael Monfil before a potential quarter-final against his Davis Cup teammate Stanislas Wawrinka, who beat Marsel Ilhan 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
Federer, who achieved a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in 2009 after three runner-up finishes, has not made it to the final on the Parisian clay since 2011.
He lost in the fourth round last year, but has been playing excellent tennis recently and has a 26-5 record this year. On clay, he lost in the final in Rome after claiming an 85th career title in Istanbul, Turkey.
Among the other seeded players to advance to the second round yesterday were No. 19 Roberto Bautista Agut and No. 22 Philipp Kohlschreiber.
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