Picture Federer as unhappy winner
PARIS – Roger Federer was not amused.
As Federer finished an interview after his first-round French Open victory Sunday, an overzealous fan left his seat and approached the 17-time major champion right there on the main stadium court in search of the most modern of mementos – a cellphone selfie.
At first, Federer seemed startled. Then he looked uncomfortable, trying to brush away the unexpected guest, who appeared to be in his teens, before a guard led the spectator away.
And in the end, Federer was angry at what he considered a lapse in security.
“I’m not happy about it. Obviously, not (for) one second (am I) happy about it,” Federer said, adding that something similar happened a day earlier, when several kids interrupted his practice session at Roland Garros. “Normally I only speak on behalf of myself, but in this situation, I think I can speak on behalf of all the players – that that’s where you do your job, that’s where you want to feel safe.”
It was, certainly as far as Federer was concerned, the most noteworthy development on Day 1 at the clay-court Grand Slam tournament. Like No. 2 Federer, who beat Colombia’s Alejandro Falla 6-3, 6-3, 6-4, most seeded players easily progressed.
Nishikori breezes
Fifth-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan eased into the second round of the French Open, beating French wild-card Paul-Henri Mathieu 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.
Winning 79 percent of points on his first serve and hammering down seven aces, Nishikori converted seven of his 15 break points and took 2 hours, 10 minutes to brush the former big hope of French tennis off Court Suzanne Lenglen at Roland Garros.
“I think it was solid match,” Nishikori said. “I think it’s not easy to play three straight sets easy.”
The 25-year-old Nishikori, a U.S. Open finalist last year, is among the big outsiders at the French Open after defending his Barcelona title and making it to the semifinals in Madrid and the quarterfinals in Rome.
Looking ahead
When Frances Tiafoe steps on Court 5 at the French Open for his Grand Slam main-draw debut today, he’ll be the first 17-year-old American man to play in the tournament since 1989, when a couple of guys named Pete Sampras and Michael Chang did it.
Chang beat Sampras in the second round that year, then went on to become the youngest champion in Roland Garros history.
Tiafoe, who turned pro last month and is represented by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation Sports, earned a wild-card entry from the U.S. Tennis Association by finishing with the best results at three events played on green clay on the Challenger tour.
It won’t be his first time on the red clay in Paris. In 2014, as the top-seeded boy, he lost in the French Open junior tournament’s second round.