Roger Federer kicked off the defense of his French Open crown Monday defeating Peter Luczak, an Australian residing in Sweden, 6-4, 6-1, 6-2 in 1:48 minutes of play.
Federer, the world No. 1, committed only 11 unforced errors, lost only 14 of the 64 points played on his service and offered only one break point to his opponent early in the game.
“I have not had missed on my first serve,” Federer said about his first set. “Then it was easier for me, he was overplaying. I’ve been able to release me. At the end of the game, I played great depreciated. It was a perfect match to start my Roland Garros .
He will face Alejandro Falla of Colombia in the second round.
By winning last year at Roland Garros, Federer had won the only Grand Slam title missing from his trophy case, becoming only the sixth player to complete a career Grand Slam.
It is only the second time in nine years that Federer arrives in Paris without a title won on clay. But the Swiss winner of 16 Grand Slam tournaments has shown no weakness in his game against Australia’s 71st world that has lost its fourth game in four appearances at Roland Garros.
Federer is playing his 44th career Grand Slam tournament. Tuesday will mark the 11th anniversary of his first career Grand Slam main draw match, as documented below in the book “ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY” by Randy Walker ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com).
May 25, 1999 – Ranked No. 111 in the world, 17-year-old Roger Federer plays in his first main draw match at a major tournament at the French Open, losing to two-time reigning U.S. Open champion Patrick Rafter of Australia 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. Writes Rene Stauffer in the book The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection, “He (Roger) jumped out to win the first set against the world’s No. 3-ranked player who then was at the peak of his career. However, the sun came out and the conditions became warmer and faster. The clay courts dried out and balls moved much faster through the court. The Australian’s attacking serve-and-volley style seemed to run on automatic and he won in four sets. ‘The young man from Switzerland could be one of the people who will shape the next ten years,’ the French sports newspaper L’Equipe wrote during the tournament. Rafter shared the same opinion. “The boy impressed me very much,” he said. “If he works hard and has a good attitude, he could become an excellent player.’”