Federer makes winning return to French Open, Kerber suffers shock exit

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Roger Federer marked his return to Roland Garros after a four-year absence with a straight sets win over Italy's Lorenzo Sonego on Sunday, admitting he "felt on edge," as Angelique Kerber's hopes of completing a career Grand Slam suffered a quick kill.

Federer, a 20-time major winner, hadn't played the tournament since 2015 when he reached the quarter-finals.

However, on Sunday, it was as if the 37-year-old had never been away as he swept to a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 victory in one hour 41 minutes on a packed, rebuilt Court Philippe Chatrier.

It was his 60th successive first-round win at a Grand Slam.

"I felt on edge at the start, my heart was beating crazily," said Federer, who hailed the new-look stadium which has been 90 percent rebuilt in readiness for the installation of a retractable roof for 2020.

"I felt great playing on this court. It looks very attractive, so congratulations to everyone involved.

"Hopefully, I can play here again for my next match."

That match will be against German lucky loser Oscar Otte who won just his second match in eight years on tour by seeing off Malek Jaziri of Tunisia 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0.

"I would be surprised if Roger knew my name," said Otte, the world number 145.

Federer broke serve five times and fired 36 winners past 24-year-old Sonego, the world number 73 who made the quarter-finals at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Anastasia Potapova says she is "speechless" after knocking out her "idol" Angelique Kerber in the first round of the French Open on May 26, 2019. /VCG Photo

German fifth seed and reigning Wimbledon champion Kerber saw her hopes of a career Grand Slam ended by Russian teenager Anastasia Potapova.

Kerber slumped to a 6-4, 6-2 defeat to 18-year-old Potapova who was making her French Open debut.

"Kerber is actually one of my idols, and when I was young I was looking for her game," said the 81st-ranked Russian who hit 28 winners past her German opponent.

Kerber, 31, has now lost six times in the French Open first round.

The German left-hander had come into Roland Garros carrying a right ankle injury which forced her to pull out of the Italian Open and retire from her second round tie in Madrid.

"I didn't have many expectations coming in," said Kerber, who was broken six times in the match which brought the curtain up on the new-look Chatrier arena.

Potapova's first win over a top 10 player gives her a second-round clash against 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic.

"I was just speechless," she said. "I didn't know what to say and what to do, but, yes, I was so happy at that moment, and I'm still so happy.

"I live for this win, for these emotions, for these moments. I'm going to do everything to live it through again and again and again."

Potapova will next take on Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, who stunned China's 56th-seeded Wang Yafan 6-4, 6-3 in the first round.

Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori is untroubled in his encounter against French wildcard Quentin Halys. /VCG Photo

Greek sixth seed Stefanos Tsitsipas, who stunned Federer on his way to the Australian Open semi-finals and beat 11-time Roland Garros champion Rafael Nadal in Madrid, also made the second round.

The 20-year-old sixth seed brushed aside Germany's Maximilian Marterer 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (7/4).

Other winners on the first day included Japanese seventh seed Kei Nishikori, a quarter-finalist in 2015, who eased past France's Quentin Halys 6-2, 6-3, 6-4.

However, Italian 16th seed Marco Cecchinato, the man who sent Novak Djokovic crashing out in the quarter-finals in 2018, fell at the first hurdle.

Source(s): AFP