Roger Federer

The biggest names in tennis were in action Thursday at Roland Garros for Round 2 of the 2021 French Open.

Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal all earned spots in the next round, although there was a major shake-up in the women's draw as No. 1 seed Ashleigh Barty was forced to retire. She was one of several quality players in each bracket that saw their run in Paris come to an end.

Here is the latest from Day 5 of the Grand Slam event.

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Notable Results

Men's Draw

No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. Pablo Cuevas; 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

No. 3 Rafael Nadal def. Richard Gasquet; 6-0, 7-5, 6-2

No. 8 Roger Federer def. Marin Cilic; 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2

No. 9 Matteo Berrettini def. Federico Coria; 6-3, 6-3, 6-2

No. 10 Diego Schwartzman def. Aljaz Bedene; 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Mikael Ymer def. No. 14 Gael Monfils; 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3

No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Gianluca Mager; 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3

Philipp Kohlschreiber def. No. 24 Aslan Karatsev; 6-3, 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-1

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Women's Draw

Magda Linette def. No. 1 Ashleigh Barty; 6-1, 2-2 ret.

No. 4 Sofia Kenin def. Hailey Baptiste; 7-5, 6-3

No. 5 Elina Svitolina def. Ann Li; 6-0, 6-4

No. 8 Iga Swiatek def. Rebecca Peterson; 6-1, 6-1

Sloane Stephens def. No. 9 Karolina Pliskova; 7-5, 6-1

No. 13 Jennifer Brady def. Fiona Ferro; 6-4, 2-6, 7-5

No. 14 Elise Mertens def. Zarina Diyas; 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

No. 18 Karolina Muchova def. Varvara Lepchenko; 6-3, 6-4

No. 24 Coco Gauff def. Qiang Wang; 6-3, 7-6 (1)

Full results available at RolandGarros.com.

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Recap

The women's draw is now wide-open after Barty retired from her second-round match because of a hip injury.

"I was battling the pain, and it just became too severe, and like I said, was becoming unsafe," Barty told reporters after the match.

Magda Linette had dominated the first set before the match was called. The Poland native will get a chance to keep her momentum going with a battle against No. 25 Obs Jabeur.

Sloane Stephens created even more drama in the women's draw with a straight-set victory over No. 9 Karolina Pliskova. The American was especially impressive in the second set with three breaks while going 14-of-19 on service points for the 6-1 win.

QUICK 👏 WORK 👏@SloaneStephens captures her first Top 10 win in over two years, defeating Karolina Pliskova 7-5, 6-1.
How it happened: https://t.co/hmDaWKDoLf#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/zdNdj1hdY9

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 3, 2021

With Naomi Osaka already out of the tournament after withdrawing, there are few top seeds remaining in the field.

Defending champion Iga Swiatek is among those who can be a threat to win it all after a strong start to the tournament, including a 6-1, 6-1 victory Thursday.

No. Chance. 🙅‍♀️#RolandGarros | @iga_swiatek pic.twitter.com/9zAQYGEi6i

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2021

Iga Swiatek through two rounds at #RG21:

1R: d. Juvan 60 75
2R: d. Peterson 61 61

- Has held 14 of 16 service games
- Has broken serve in 11 of 16 return games
- Return points won vs. 2nd serve - 1R: 70%, 2R: 86%.

Faces 30th seed Kontaveit next. pic.twitter.com/hO0my7spUN

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 3, 2021

The men's draw had some surprises, including Mikael Ymer defeating No. 14 Gael Monfils, but the focus was on the Big Three cruising once again.

Djokovic showed how to come through in big moments on his way to a three-set win over Pablo Cuevas.

Ice cold ❄️@DjokerNole fends off 3 break points to take the opener 6-3 over Cuevas. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/xC3N3I4HFr

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2021

The No. 1 seed saved eight of the nine break points faced over the three sets, going 5-of-8 on break opportunities the other way. It led to what became an easy win for the superstar.

Federer overcame a difficult challenge from fellow veteran Marin Cilic.

The 38-year-old showcased his skill with some classic shots during the match:

A perfect flick of the wrist 🙌#RolandGarros | @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/VLdML37IkK

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2021

It’s the causal walk back for us 😏#RolandGarros | @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/v7h4JQtoGG

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) June 3, 2021

He also had 16 aces with only one double-fault. Though Cilic easily won the second set, Federer was too good with his serve to lose in Round 2.

Nadal also showed what he can do with an easy win over Richard Gasquet.

The first-set bagel was as one-sided as you might ever see at this level:

6-0 😳 @RafaelNadal drops just nine points against Gasquet!

📹: @rolandgarros pic.twitter.com/unWdvJ5AH7

— ATP Tour (@atptour) June 3, 2021

Gasquet fared better in the second set in front of the home crowd, but he could only win seven games overall in the match as Nadal thrived on his 35th birthday.

With Djokovic, Federer and Nadal all in one side of the draw, it could lead to some exciting battles down the line.

The reigning champions at Roland Garros have not dropped a set through two rounds.

Rafael Nadal and Iga Swiatek cruised into the third round with victories on Thursday.

The women's titleholder has been the more dominant of the 2020 singles champions, after outscoring her two opponents 25-7 through four sets. 

Nadal faced some fight from Richard Gasquet in Thursday's night match on Court Philippe-Chatrier, but the Frenchman did not do enough to seriously threaten the Spaniard's title hopes. 

Last year's runners-up in Paris also breezed into the third round, with Novak Djokovic and Sofia Kenin picking up straight-set victories. 

Not every seeded player had such an easy day on the clay. Gael Monfils, Alex De Minaur, Aslan Karatsev, Nikoloz Basilashvili and Taylor Fritz were upset in the men's draw, while America's Sloane Stephens knocked out ninth-seeded woman Karolina Pliskova. 

           

Thursday French Open Results

Men's Singles

No. 1 Novak Djokovic def. Pablo Cuevas, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

No. 3 Rafael Nadal def. Richard Gasquet, 6-2, 7-5, 6-2

No. 8 Roger Federer def. Marin Cilic, 6-2, 2-6, 7-6, (7-4), 6-2

No. 9 Matteo Berretini def. Federico Coria, 6-3, 6-3, 6-2

No. 10 Diego Schwartzman def. Aljaz Bedene, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Mikael Ymer def. No. 14 Gael Monfils, 6-0, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3

No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Gianluca Mager, 6-1, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3

Marco Cecchinato def. No. 21 Alex De Minaur, 6-4, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1

Philipp Kohlschriber def. No. 24 Aslan Karatsev, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 6-1

Carlos Alcaraz def. No. 28 Nikoloz Basiliashvili, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

Dominik Koepfer def. No. 30 Taylor Fritz, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

            

We are one round closer to seeing two of the "Big Three" in men's singles tennis square off. 

Nadal, Djokovic and Roger Federer all advanced to the third round on Thursday, and the Swiss star was the only member of the group to drop a set. 

Federer also faced the toughest opponent in Marin Cilic, who is one of the few previous major champions on the men's circuit outside of the Big Three.

Cilic controlled the second set by winning two of his five break points and fending off all four of the break-point opportunities created by the No. 8 seed. 

Federer battled through a third-set tiebreak to regain the edge in the match and then finished off the Croatian with relative ease in the fourth set. 

The 39-year-old won two of his three fourth-set breaks, did not allow Cilic a chance to break serve and won nine of the 21 receiving points on his opponent's serve. 

Nadal appeared to be on a fast path to the third round after he put up a 6-0 first-set win over Gasquet. The Frenchman put up more of a fight in the second and third sets, but he still could not come close to matching the Spaniard's quality. Nadal is now 17-0 all-time versus Gasquet. 

Nadal sits on the lighter side in the top half of the men's bracket. No. 10 Diego Schwartzman and No. 18 Jannik Sinner are the only two seeds left in that section. 

Monfils, Karatsev and Basilashvili were all ousted from the those two portions, with the most stunning loss coming for Basilashvili.

Eighteen-year-old Carlos Alcaraz swept the No. 28 seed and could be a surprise quarterfinalist if he gets past Schwartzman in a potential fourth-round match. 

Federer and Djokovic will have to go through a crop of young Italian players to face off in the final eight. Marco Cecchinato, Lorenzo Musetti and No. 9 seed Matteo Berrettini are still alive in the top two portions of the draw. 

      

Women's Singles

Magda Linette def. No. 1 Ashleigh Barty, 6-1, 2-2 (retired) 

No. 4 Sofia Kenin def. Hailey Baptiste, 7-5, 6-3

No. 5 Elina Svitolina def. Ann Li, 6-0, 6-4

No. 8 Iga Swiatek def. Rebecca Peterson, 6-1, 6-1

Sloane Stephens def. No. 9 Karolina Pliskova, 7-5, 6-1

No. 13 Jennifer Brady def. Fiona Ferro, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5

No. 14 Elise Mertens def. Zarina Diyas, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4

No. 17 Maria Sakkari def. Jasmine Paolini, 6-2, 6-3

No. 18 Karolina Muchova def. Varvara Lepchenko, 6-3, 6-4

No. 24 Coco Gauff def. Wang Qiang, 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)

No. 25 Ons Jabeur def. Astra Sharma, 6-2, 6-4

No. 28 Jessica Pegula def. Tereza Martincova, 6-3, 6-3

No. 30 Anett Kontaveit def. Kristian Mladenovic, 6-2, 6-0

Barbora Krejicova def. No. 32 Ekaterina Alexandrova, 6-2, 6-3

          

Swiatek should be viewed as the favorite to win the women's title after turning in another dominant performance and top seed Ashleigh Barty being forced to retire from the tournament.

Barty made it through the first set and four games in the second against Magda Linette before a hip injury saw her call an end to her chance to win two French Open titles in three years. 

The Australian expressed her disappointment to reporters after the match:

"It's heartbreaking. We have had such a brilliant clay court season, and to kind of get a little bit unlucky with timing more than anything, to have something kind of acute happen over the weekend and just kind of run out of time against the clock is disappointing. It won't take away the brilliant three months that we have had, as much as it hurts right now."

Swiatek still has to navigate a portion of the bracket that is littered with seeded players, but she has been the most dominant of the top-tier stars through the opening rounds. 

WTA Insider highlighted just how in control the 20-year-old has been at Roland Garros in her first major title defense: 

Iga Swiatek through two rounds at #RG21:

1R: d. Juvan 60 75
2R: d. Peterson 61 61

- Has held 14 of 16 service games
- Has broken serve in 11 of 16 return games
- Return points won vs. 2nd serve - 1R: 70%, 2R: 86%.

Faces 30th seed Kontaveit next. pic.twitter.com/hO0my7spUN

— WTA Insider (@WTA_insider) June 3, 2021

Swiatek will face No. 30 seed Anett Kontaveit in the third round, and an unseeded opponent will await in the fourth round. 

At least two American women will qualify for the final 16 out of the top half. Coco Gauff will play Jennifer Brady in the third round, while Sofia Kenin meets Jessica Pegula. 

The victories by those players were overshadowed by Stephens' straight-sets upset of Pliskova, which moved her head-to-head record in the series to 4-1. 

Stephens finished off the victory in emphatic fashion by winning three of seven break points created and taking 16 of 28 receiving points on Pliskova's serve. 

Next up for the 28-year-old is a meeting with No. 18 Karolina Muchova. If she gets past that match, she could take on No. 5 seed Elina Svitolina in a bid to reach the final eight. 

           

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from RolandGarros.com.

Roger Federer secured a four-set win over Marin Cilic Thursday to reach the third round of the 2021 French Open.

The Swiss defeated his Croatian opponent 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4), 6-2 in just over two-and-a-half hours. He had 16 aces and just one double-fault in the match.

Federer came out of the gate with his serve on point and needed just 30 minutes to finish the first set. 

The Maestro magic is still at work. 💫@RogerFederer gets past Marin Cilic 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-2 to reach his 16th third round in Paris.
Read more: https://t.co/hmDaWKDoLf#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/jiyW3Eg2Ec

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) June 3, 2021

Things turned on Federer in the second set, though, as Cilic was able to take advantage of some sloppy play. The 39-year-old had his serve broken twice and failed to convert on four break-point chances of his own. 

Federer only had 27 unforced errors in the match, but 10 of them came in the second set. 

Cilic earned seven aces and 20 winners in the third set, converting all three of his net-point chances, but that wasn't enough to clinch it.

Federer was able to keep pace and force a tiebreak, in which his second serve was instrumental in him holding on for a 7-4 win. He won nine of 13 second serves in the set. 

Moving into the fourth set, Federer went back to overpowering Cilic on serve. The 2009 French Open champion hit 74 percent of his first serves in play and won 14 of those 17 points to help secure a comfortable victory. 

At 39 years of age the oldest man in the singles draw is through to the third round!

Roger Federer beat Marin Cilic 6-2 2-6 7-6 6-2 and is in to the third round at #RolandGarros for the 16th time in his career.

He will face Dominik Koepfer next. pic.twitter.com/1at6UGQyoI

— Spreadex Sports (@SpreadexSport) June 3, 2021

The French Open is only Federer's third tournament of the season. This marks the first time he has won at least two matches at an event since the 2020 Australian Open when he lost to Novak Djokovic in the semifinals. 

While there is still a long way to go at Roland-Garros, the early returns from Federer have been promising. He will get back on the court Saturday against Germany's Dominik Koepfer in the third round. 

Thursday's schedule at Roland Garros is loaded with previous French Open champions and the favorites to win the 2021 edition of the tournament. 

Ashleigh Barty, Karolina Pliskova, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal will play on Court Philippe Chatrier, while Novak Djokovic, Elina Svitolina and Iga Swiatek are scheduled for the two other showcase courts. 

The stars playing on Chatrier face tougher test than they may have in previous second-round major matches. 

Barty appears to have the easiest match of the four seeded players since Magda Linette has advanced out of the second round at Roland Garros once in her career. 

American Sloane Stephens should provide a challenge to Pliskova, Federer takes on fellow major winner Marin Cilic, and Nadal gets Frenchman Richard Gasquet. 

The full order of play for Thursday's matches at Roland Garros can be found on the tournament's official website. 

     

Predictions

Sloane Stephens Provides Challenge for Karolina Pliskova

Stephens could be in the best position to upset a top-10 seed on Thursday. 

The 28-year-old American was a French Open finalist in 2018, made the quarterfinals in 2019 and owns a 3-1 head-to-head record over Pliskova. 

Stephens was far from perfect in the buildup to Roland Garros, but she did pick up a few victories over seeded players on the clay-court circuit. 

Stephens defeated Madison Keys in Charleston and beat Daria Kasatkina in three sets in Parma, Italy. She also pushed Ons Jabeur to a third set in Madrid and pushed Keys to three sets in Rome. 

The 58th-ranked woman in the world continued her run of three-set matches in the first round, where she beat Carla Suarez Navarro after stumbling in the first set. 

Pliskova was a semifinalist at Roland Garros in 2017, but she has not advanced past the third round in any of her other eight main-draw appearances. 

The No. 9 seed entered Roland Garros off a final appearance in Rome, but her path to get there was bumpy. She needed three sets to get past both Jelena Ostapenko and Petra Martic. 

In her three clay-court appearances prior to Paris, Pliskova went 7-3, with five of those victories coming in three sets. 

Even if Stephens does not come up with the upset, she should at least push Pliskova to a third set in a match that could be the best of the four scheduled for Chatrier. 

           

Roger Federer Loses at Least 1 Set to Marin Cilic

Federer and Cilic have been through some battles at major championships throughout their careers. 

The last match between the two major winners was the five-set Australian Open final in 2018. That was the third time Cilic took at least one set off Federer at a major. 

Federer needed five sets to get past Cilic in the 2016 Wimbledon quarterfinals and won in four sets at the 2011 U.S. Open. 

Federer could be the member of the men's Big Three most susceptible to an early upset in Paris because he just returned from an extended injury layoff. Djokovic and Nadal will be heavy favorites in each one of their matches during the first week of play. 

Cilic and Federer advanced out of the first round with relative ease, so they should be more than rested for the showdown that is expected on Chatrier. 

Cilic's 4-4 clay-court record in the buildup to Roland Garros may not suggest he will be up for the fight, but he had no problem winning in the first round and has picked off at least one set off Federer in three of their four Grand Slam meetings. 

The 2014 U.S. Open champion may not pull off the upset, but he will give Federer one of his toughest tests of the first week.

          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ATPTour.com and WTATennis.com.

The second day of the 2021 French Open is in the books, and the action at Roland Garros took a back seat to Naomi Osaka's withdrawal from the tournament.

The four-time Grand Slam champion initially announced she wasn't planning to do any press for the tournament. The four Grand Slam events issued a joint statement saying Osaka had received a fine and may be defaulted as a result of her decision. 

She followed up Monday to say she was walking away from the French Open altogether "so that everyone can get back to focusing on the tennis going on in Paris." Osaka's exit was the driving story but far from the only development out of the French capital. 

Sofia Kenin—last year's French Open runner-up—three-time champion Serena Williams and 2016 winner Garbine Muguruza all took the court Monday. In the men's draw, Roger Federer started his quest for a second title in Paris, and Daniil Medvedev was hopeful of advancing out of the first round for the first time.

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Monday Results

Women's Singles

No. 4 Sofia Kenin def. Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Tamara Zidansek def. No. 6 Bianca Andreescu 6-7(1), 7-6(2), 9-7

No. 7 Serena Williams def. Irina-Camelia Begu, 7-6(6)

No. 8 Iga Swiatek def. Kaja Juvan 6-0, 7-5

No. 10 Belinda Bencic def. Nadia Podoroska 6-0, 6-3

Marta Kostyuk def. No. 12 Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-4

No. 14 Elise Mertens def. Storm Sanders 6-4, 6-1

Polona Hercog def. No. 16 Kiki Bertens 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

Sorana Cirstea def. No. 19 Johanna Konta 7-6(5), 6-2  

No. 20 Marketa Vondrousova def. Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 6-3, 6-0

Camila Giorgi def. No. 22 Petra Martic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-4

No. 28 Jessica Pegula def. Lin Zhu 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

Harmony Tan def. Alize Cornet 6-4, 6-4 

Madison Brengle def. Maria Camila Osorio Serrano 7-5, 6-4

Rebecca Peterson def. Shelby Rogers 6-7(3), 7-6(10), 6-2

Zarina Diyas def. Heather Watson 6-4, 7-5 

Hailey Baptiste def. Anna Blinkova 6-1, 6-4 

Caroline Garcia def. Laura Siegemund 6-3, 6-1 

Martina Trevisan def. Alison Van Uytvanck 7-5, 4-6, 6-4

Varvara Gracheva def. Lara Arruabarrena 6-2, 6-3

Mihaela Buzarnescu def. Arantxa Rus 7-5, 7-5

Daria Kasatkina def. Misaki Doi 6-3, 5-7, 6-3

Saisai Zheng def. Sara Sorribes Tormo 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Tereza Martincova def. Ivana Jorovic 6-3, 7-6(6)

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Men's Singles

No. 2 Daniil Medvedev def. Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

No. 8 Roger Federer def. Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-4, 6-3

Lorenzo Musetti def. No. 13 David Goffin 6-0, 7-5, 7-6(3)

No. 15 Casper Ruud def. Benoit Paire 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6(4)

No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-1, 4-6, 6-7(4), 7-5, 6-4

Lloyd Harris def. No. 26 Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

No. 28 Nikoloz Basilashvili def. Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2

No. 30 Taylor Fritz def. Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

No. 31 John Isner def. Sam Querrey 7-6(2), 6-3, 6-4

No. 32 Reilly Opelka def. Andrej Martin 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Carlos Alcaraz def. Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(4)

Marin Cilic def. Arthur Rinderknech 7-6(6), 6-1, 6-2

Federico Delbonis def. Radu Albot 6-1, 2-6, 6-0, 6-1

Steve Johnson def. Frances Tiafoe 6-7(5), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1

Dominik Koepfer def. Mathias Bourgue 6-3, 6-3, 6-4

Filip Krajinovic def. Maximilian Marterer 6-4, 6-1, 7-6(3)

Gianluca Mager def. Peter Gojowczyk 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5

Kamil Majchrzak def. Arthur Cazaux 6-4, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Pedro Martinez def. Sebastian Korda 6-4, 6-2, 6-2

Thiago Monteiro def. Francisco Cerundolo 6-3, 6-4, 6-3

Jaume Munar def. Jordan Thompson 6-7(1), 6-1, 7-6(5), 6-4

Yoshihito Nishioka def. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 7-6(5)

Cameron Norrie def. Bjorn Fratangelo 7-5, 7-6(5), 6-2

Tommy Paul def. Christopher O'Connell 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 4-6 10-8

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Serena Overcomes Sluggish Start

Williams didn't have an ideal buildup to the French Open. She lost to Nadia Podoroska in the second round of the Italian Open, and another second-round exit followed at the Emilia-Romagna Open.

Irina-Camelia Begu pushed the 39-year-old to a tiebreaker in the opening set Monday, but the 23-time Grand Slam champion responded with a dominant second set.

It wasn't a signature performance from Williams, who finished with 27 winners and 30 unforced errors. But it was the kind of workmanlike effort you occasionally see from a higher seed early in a major tournament.

In the nick of time, Serena suddenly remembered how to play like Serena. Wins first set 7-6 (6) after saving set points against Begu in the first round of the French Open

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) May 31, 2021

Serena's game seems to be in first or second gear but she's competing very well.

Two big forehand swing volleys to fight back from 4-6 to 8-6 in the first set tiebreak over Begu to close out a roller coaster first set.#RG21

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) May 31, 2021

Williams also found a way to ingratiate herself to the French fans after the victory.

https://twitter.com/darcymaine_espn/status/1399470573076598790

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Federer Shakes off Rust for Straightforward Win

Even more so than Williams, Federer has played a light schedule in 2021. The French Open is just his third ATP Tour event of the season, and he went 1-2 in his two previous tournaments.

The Swiss star didn't encounter much trouble with Denis Istomin at Roland Garros. He broke Istomin's serve in the first game and didn't look back from there.

[8] @rogerfederer cruises into @rolandgarros 2R with a 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 victory over [Q] Istomin. #Federer never faced break point and converted 5 of 13 BPs. He hit 48 winners and won 80% of 1st serve pts and 79% of 2nd serve pts.

Federer is 14-0 in #RolandGarros 1R since 2004.

— ATP Media Info (@ATPMediaInfo) May 31, 2021

The French Open has historically been the hardest for Federer, so a 21st Grand Slam title is far from a given. Still, fans were happy to see the legend roll back the years for at least one day on the big stage.

Federer doing his Globetrotter thing against honorary Washington General Denis Istomin

— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) May 31, 2021

#Federer will turn 40 August 8th, moving great on the clay which he hasn’t played on in almost two years #FrenchOpen @NBCSports

— Adnan Virk (@adnansvirk) May 31, 2021

great start @rogerfederer @rolandgarros ! serve clicking and very clean play. Man, this is fun for so many to watch. #Frenchopen #Federer

— Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) May 31, 2021

A date with Marin Cilic now looms in the second round. They've already met five times at Grand Slam events, with Federer most recently getting the better of Cilic in the final of the 2018 Australian Open. 

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Kenin Outlasts Ostapenko

Osaka's exit opened up the women's singles draw a bit, and multiple top-20 seeds were bounced from the tournament Monday. Kenin was nearly one of them after getting pushed to three sets by Jelena Ostapenko.

The 22-year-old American struggled on serve, committing six double faults and winning just 57 percent of her first-service points and 44 percent of her second serves.

However, Kenin also won nine of her 10 break-point opportunities. Five of those breaks came in the third set as Ostapenko ran out of gas.

Kenin should have answered the question "what was the biggest skill you leaned on..." with "Ostapenko's inability to hold serve"

— Chris Fallica (@chrisfallica) May 31, 2021

What a bizarre third set for Kenin-Ostapenko -- 6-3, nine game, eight service breaks.

— Matt Futterman (@MattFutterman) May 31, 2021

Survive and advance would certainly be the apt cliche. Ostapenko was no pushover, having already won the French Open once in 2017 and reaching the third round in 2020.

Kenin got the win and will probably look to move on as quickly as possible.

Perhaps the most important action from Monday at Roland Garros came off of the court, when star Naomi Osaka announced she would withdraw from the French Open one day after she was fined for a violation of the media policy. 

But the show went on, with plenty of tennis played on both the men's and women's sides as first-round play continued in Paris.

Headlining Monday's matches was Roger Federer's return to Grand Slam action. The Swiss star, who turns 40 in August, had a pair of knee surgeries and hadn't played in a Grand Slam tournament since January 2020. 

On the women's side, No. 7 Serena Williams cruised to a two-set victory over Irina-Camelia Begu. The victory improved her first-round Grand Slam record to 77-1, per tennis reporter Ben Rothenberg. 

Notable Results

Men's Draw

No. 2 Daniil Medvedev def. Alexander Bublik 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

No. 8 Roger Federer def. Denis Istomin 6-2, 6-4, 6-3

No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Pierre-Hugues Herbert 6-1, 4-6, 6-7 (4), 7-5, 6-4

No. 15 Casper Ruud def. Benoit Paire 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (4)

No. 31 John Isner def. Sam Querrey 7-6 (2), 6-3, 6-4

Lorenzo Musetti def. No. 13 David Goffin 6-0, 7-5, 7-6 (3)

No. 28 Nikoloz Basilashvili def. Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2

No. 30 Taylor Fritz def. Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

No. 32 Reilly Opelka def. Andrej Martin 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

Lloyd Harris def. No. 26 Lorenzo Sonego 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

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Women's Draw

No. 8 Iga Swiatek def. Kaja Juvan 6-0, 7-5

No. 4 Sofia Kenin def. Jelena Ostapenko 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Marta Kostyuk def. No. 12 Garbine Muguruza 6-1, 6-4 

Tamara Zidansek def. No. 6 Bianca Andreescu 6 (1)-7, 7-6 (2), 9-7

No. 10 Belinda Bencic def. Nadia Podoroska 6-0, 6-3

No. 14 Elise Mertens def. Storm Sanders 6-4, 6-1

Polona Hercog def. No. 16 Kiki Bertens 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

Sorana Cirstea def. No. 19 Johanna Konta 7-6 (5), 6-2

No. 20 Marketa Vondrousova def. Kaia Kanepi 4-6, 6-3, 6-0

No. 28 Jessica Pegula def. Lin Zhu 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

No. 7 Serena Williams def. Irina-Camelia Begu 7-6 (6), 6-2

Full results available at RolandGarros.com.

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Recap

The men's draw was hardly surprising, with all but two ranked players moving on in Monday's action.

Among them was Federer, who easily handled the 204th-ranked player in the world, Denis Istomin, in straight sets. Istomin is the lowest-ranked player Federer has faced on the court since returned to play this season, though he struggled in earlier matches—going so far as to drop a first-round bout against No. 75 Pablo Andujar at the Geneva Open.

Rolling back the clock today 🕒

🎥: @rolandgarros | @rogerfederer pic.twitter.com/HBZCYJiitc

— ATP Tour (@atptour) May 31, 2021

He had little trouble, winning as many as eight points in a row while securing 80 percent of points on his first serve and 79 percent on his second serve. 

"I just felt overall much clearer, much better," he said of Monday's match. "Clearly also maybe the type of opponent allowed me to have many different ways to win the point. I knew if I came to the net, that was an option. Hitting a drop shot was always an option. Taking the ball early was an option."

Federer will take on Marin Cilic in second-round action. 

Medvedev was the top-ranked player on the court Monday, and he delivered with a sweep of Bublik in under two hours. The win at Roland Garros was a long time coming for the Russian, who was defeated in his first-round match in each of his last four outings. 

History made!! 💪🤔👊🤣 https://t.co/t9T9d1uJbE

— Daniil Medvedev (@DaniilMedwed) May 31, 2021

The win was just his second clay victory of the season. 

The two-time Grand Slam finalist acknowledged his poor history at the venue in his post-match interview.

"I felt I was not playing well in the past here, but this time I feel comfortable," the Russian said. "I am running well and moving well. I want to keep playing at this level."

He won seven break points and 77 percent of his first serves, giving up just 16 errors to Bublik's 45 en route to the victory, setting up his second-round match with unseeded American Tommy Paul. Paul defeated Australia's Christopher O'Connell in a marathon battle, going 6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 10-8 in a three-and-a-half-hour battle.

While the men's draw was predictable, the same couldn't be said for the women's side, where four top-seeded players dropped out during Monday's matches. Among them was Andreescu, who was seeded sixth but couldn't hang on to a one-set lead over unseeded Slovenian Zidansek, who is No. 85 in the world rankings. 

The Canadian star, 20, was previously undefeated in three matches on clay. She made 63 unforced errors, one week after pulling out of last week's tournament in Strasbourg, France, because of abdominal discomfort. 

"I didn’t feel like I played good tennis today," Andreescu told reporters after the match. "But at the same time, she played really, really well. She threw me off a lot with her heavy, spinny shots and her variety.

Zidansek earned her first top-10 win of her career following four losses and will face American Madison Brengle in second-round play.

What. A. Battle. 😮

Three hours and 20 minutes later, Tamara Zidansek has toppled No.6 seed Bianca Andreescu 6-7(1), 7-6(2), 9-7. #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/GjYrmYB6P5

— Roland-Garros (@rolandgarros) May 31, 2021

Andreescu was the only top-10 seed to drop Monday.

Williams, appearing in the first-ever night session at Roland Garros (where she is a three-time champion), fought through a pair of set points to claim the first-set win over Begu, then cruised to a second-set victory to advance to Round 2. 

How about that? 😍@serenawilliams is one step closer to equaling Margaret Court’s all-time record of 24 Grand Slam singles titles. Williams advances to the second round, 7-6(6), 6-2#RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/N6baI0Syar

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) May 31, 2021

She will take on Romania's Mihaela Buzarnescu.

Further down the rankings, rising American star Jessica Pegula, who was seeded 28th, earned a three-set victory over Lin Zhu of China.

Pegula, who made headlines by defeating Osaka in second-round play at the Italian Open, was seeded for the first time in a Grand Slam, appearing at the French Open for the third year in a row. 

She will play Tereza Martincova of the Czech Republic in the second round. 

Serena Williams and Roger Federer started off their 2021 French Open runs with straight-set victories on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Monday.

Williams ended a chaotic day in the women's bracket that saw four players in the top 20 eliminated in the first round.

The victory combined with results across the bottom half of the women's singles draw paved a better path for Williams to make a deep run at Roland Garros.

Federer looked strong in his first major appearance since the 2020 Australian Open. He has a long way to go to advance to the final, but Monday's win was a good first step in his return to Grand Slam tennis.

Daniil Medvedev, Sofia Kenin and Iga Swiatek were among the other top 10 seeds who advanced into the second round.

The first round will conclude Tuesday, with Novak Djokovic and Ashleigh Barty headlining the action.

          

Monday's French Open Results

Men's Singles

No. 2 Daniil Medvedev def. Alexander Bublik, 6-3, 6-3, 7-5

No. 8 Roger Federer def. Denis Istomin, 6-2, 6-4, 6-3

Lorenzo Musetti def. No. 13 David Goffin, 6-0, 7-5, 7-6 (7-3)

No. 15 Casper Ruud def. Benoit Paire, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)

No. 18 Jannik Sinner def. Pierre-Hugues Herbert, 6-1, 4-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-5, 6-4

Lloyd Harris def. No. 26 Lorenzo Sonego, 7-5, 6-4, 6-4

No. 28 Nikoloz Basilashvili def. Dusan Lajovic, 6-4, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2

No. 30 Taylor Fritz def. Joao Sousa, 6-4, 6-2, 6-4

No. 31 John Isner def. Sam Querrey, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3, 6-4

No. 32 Reilly Opelka def. Andrej Martin, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4

After suffering four consecutive first-round exits in Paris, Medvedev finally broke through into the second round with a straight-set victory.

The second-seeded Russian needed just under two hours to eliminate Alexander Bublik, who he bested in most stat categories.

Medvedev captured 79 percent of the points on his first serve and took seven of the 15 break points he forced against his 23-year-old opponent.

Medvedev should have a clear path to the second week of the tournament after No. 16 Grigor Dimitrov withdrew from the tournament Sunday. Dimitrov was the highest seed in Medvedev's section.

Federer also got off to a great start in Paris, but his path to the quarterfinals is far more difficult than the one Medvedev faces.

Federer blew past Denis Istomin in one hour and 33 minutes to set up a clash with Marin Cilic, who is one of a few major winners in the men's draw outside of the Big Three of Federer, Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.

The 20-time major winner could face Djokovic in the quarterfinals if both players continue to progress. Djokovic's section got easier after 19-year-old Lorenzo Musetti upset David Goffin.

Musetti is part of the newest generation of stars hoping to make their impact at major tournaments. His fellow 19-year-old Italian Jannik Sinner survived a five-set battle to move on to the second round.

The three seeded American men in the field advanced Monday. Taylor Fritz, John Isner and Reilly Opelka all came out on top in straight sets.

              

Women's Singles

No. 4 Sofia Kenin def. Jelena Ostapenko, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3

Tamara Zidansek def. No. 6 Bianca Andreescu, 6-7 (1-7), 7-6 (7-2), 9-7

No. 7 Serena Williams def. Irina Camelia Begu, 7-6 (8-6), 6-2

No. 8 Iga Swiatek def. Kaja Juvan, 6-0, 7-5

No. 10 Belinda Bencic def. Nadia Podoroska, 6-0, 6-3

Marta Kostyuk def. No. 12 Garbine Muguruza, 6-1, 6-4

No. 14 Elise Mertens def. Storm Sanders, 6-4, 6-1

Polona Hercog def. No. 16 Kiki Bertens, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4

Sorana Cirstea def. No. 19 Johanna Konta, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2

No. 20 Marketa Vondrousova def. Kaia Kanepi, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0

No. 28 Jessica Pegula def. Zhu Lin, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4

The women's singles draw looks much more wide open than it was 24 hours ago.

Four top 20 seeds were eliminated Monday and No. 2 seed Naomi Osaka opted to withdraw from the event.

Bianca Andreescu, Garbine Muguruza, Kiki Bertens and Johanna Konta all suffered first-round defeats.

Andreescu, Bertens and Konta were drawn into the bottom two sections of the draw alongside Osaka. That leaves No. 10 Belinda Bencic as the highest seed left in that portion of the draw.

If you go further up the draw, Williams looks to be in good shape to reach the semifinal round. Aryna Sabalenka is the only top 10 seed that would be in her way to the final four.

Williams closed Monday's action with a straight-set victory. She battled through a first-set tiebreak and then got stronger in the second set.

Reigning champion Iga Swiatek appears to be in a great spot as well in her section after she reeled off a straight-set victory over Kaja Juvan and Marta Kostyuk upset Muguruza.

Swiatek allowed just four break-point opportunities to Juvan in 18 games. The No. 8 seed won five of her 13 break points and converted on just over half of her receiving points.

Sofia Kenin, whom Swiatek beat in the 2020 women's final, was forced to battle to a win over 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko.

The fourth-seeded American pulled away in the third set by going 5-of-5 on break-point opportunities and 22-of-29 on her receiving points.

Kenin and Swiatek could face each other in the quarterfinals if they each win three more matches.

          

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from RolandGarros.com.

It had been more than 16 months since Roger Federer last played on a Grand Slam stage, but it looked like he never left.

Federer breezed to an easy 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 win over Denis Istomin in his first-round match at the 2021 French Open on Monday. The 39-year-old was efficient and sharp throughout the match, particularly with his serve.

“I think I was very focused, I’m finding match rhythm again whereas in Geneva I was all over the place...There was a lot going on in Geneva so I was just much better prepared mentally," Federer told Jon Wertheim on Tennis Channel.

Federer hadeight aces and hit 71 percent of his first serves in play. It was a championship-level performance from the all-time great, who has looked understandably rusty since returning to tennis from a 14-month layoff in March. 

“I’m just realistic that I know I will not win the French and whoever thought I would or could win it is wrong,” Federer said coming into the tournament. “Of course crazier things might have happened, but I’m not so sure in the past 50 years at the French Open somebody just rocked up at 40 years old being out for a year and a half and [went] on to just win.”

Despite being as humble as ever, Federer very much looked like someone capable of winning the event Monday. His serves were accurate and smartly placed, his returns crisp and he seemed to be moving better side to side than at any other point since his return. Federer finished with 48 winners against only 20 unforced errors. 

Istomin, a veteran who has long struggled on clay and is nearing the end of his career, may have been a perfect confidence-boosting match. The 34-year-old double-faulted four times and faced 13 break points.

Federer is 8-0 in his career against Istomin. He will face familiar foe Marin Cilic in the second round.

Serena Williams will add another historic achievement to her illustrious resume Monday at the 2021 French Open.

Williams will face Irina-Camelia Begu in the first official night match on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros.

Matches in previous years have been played under the lights on Chatrier, but they were forced to complete those contests at night because of weather delays or long matches that occurred earlier in the day.

Williams' match will finish off a loaded slate of stars on Chatrier, which begins with 2020 French Open women's singles champion Iga Swiatek.

Second-seeded man Daniil Medvedev will follow, and Roger Federer makes his return to Roland Garros in the final day match on the primary showcase court.

The full order of play for Monday's matches can be found here on the tournament's official website.

          

Predictions

Serena Williams Opens with Strong Showing

Williams has not advanced to the French Open final since 2016.

Her results in two clay-court tournaments this season suggest she is not the favorite to win at Roland Garros, but she should move on past Begu.

Williams went 1-2 in a pair of Italian clay tournaments, but she has not suffered a first-round exit in Paris since 2012.

The No. 7 seed holds a 1-0 head-to-head record over Begu. That victory was a straight-set win on the Rome clay in 2016.

Begu suffered a first-round exit in 2019 and 2020, won a single match in 2018 and went 2-2 in the clay-court buildup to Roland Garros.

Both of Begu's victories came over players outside the top 100 in the world rankings. One of her losses also occurred versus a woman further down the rankings.

If Williams was playing a tougher foe on clay, there may have been some concern about her status in the tournament.

But at least for Monday, Williams should be in great shape to cruise into the next round of her bracket, which got easier Sunday when No. 26 seed Angelique Kerber was upset.

          

Roger Federer Cruises in Roland Garros Return

After missing the last three Grand Slams, Federer will be back in action Monday.

Because of his absence, the 20-time major winner was dropped to the No. 8 seed. He is typically a top-three seed alongside Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic when fully fit.

Federer could not have asked for a better first-round opponent to get back into his major groove. He owns a 7-0 head-to-head record over Denis Istomin.

Istomin has not been strong on the Paris clay, as he owns a single spot in the second round since 2015.

That is a good sign for Federer, who lost a tune-up match in Geneva two weeks ago. That loss looks much better than it did since Pablo Andujar ousted Dominic Thiem on Sunday.

As long as Federer plays his game and does not press, he should cruise to a three-set victory over his Uzbek opponent.

         

Statistics obtained from ATPTour.com and WTATennis.com.

Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic are all on the same side of the men's draw for the 2021 French Open. 

The unusual draw was made possible by the seedings of Nadal and Federer. The Spaniard was handed the No. 3 seed, and the Swiss is eighth. 

The positioning of the three legends will allow one of the younger stars of men's tennis to reach the final at Roland Garros. 

On the women's side, the last two winners at Roland Garros are on the top half of the draw. 2019 winner Ashleigh Barty could be on a collision course with reigning champion Iga Swiatek in the semifinals. 

The same could happen with Naomi Osaka and Serena Williams, who were aligned in the bottom half of the draw along with Aryna Sabalenka, Bianca Andreescu and Petra Kvitova.

The bottom half of each draw will begin play Sunday and Monday, while the first round of the top half will be played Monday and Tuesday. 

The full French Open schedule can be found on RolandGarros.com. 

            

French Open Odds

Via DraftKings Sportsbook.

Men's Singles

Rafael Nadal (-125; bet $125 to win $100)

Stefanos Tsitsipas (+450; bet $100 to win $450)

Novak Djokovic (+500)

Alexander Zverev (+1100)

Dominic Thiem (+1200)

Andrey Rublev (+4000)

Casper Ruud (+4000)

Jannik Sinner (+4000)

      

Women's Singles

Iga Swiatek (+275)

Ashleigh Barty (+500)

Aryna Sabalenka (+800)

Naomi Osaka (+1200)

Garbine Muguruza (+1400)

Bianca Andreescu (+2000)

Petra Kvitova (+2000)

Coco Gauff (+2500)

Serena Williams (+2500)

Typically, only two of Nadal, Federer and Djokovic land in one part of the draw because they usually are the top three seeds in a major. 

Federer's long injury layoff pushed him down to No. 8, while Daniil Medvedev's recent play pushed him above Nadal to No. 2. 

As NBC Sports' Nick Zaccardi noted, it is the first time the Big Three are aligned in the same half of a major tournament draw. 

With the Big Three in the top half, one of Dominic Thiem, Stefanos Tsitsipas, Alexander Zverev and Medvedev have a clear path to the final without facing one of the legendary major champions. 

Medvedev carries the loftiest expectations into Roland Garros because he is the No. 2 seed, but he has never won a main-draw match on the Paris clay. If Medvedev gets over that hump, he could carve a path into his third Grand Slam final. He lost to Djokovic in the 2021 Australian Open final. 

Thiem should be viewed as the favorite to come out of the bottom half since he appeared in back-to-back French Open finals in 2018 and 2019. At +1200, Thiem may have the best betting value to win the tournament because of his history at the event. 

On the women's side, Swiatek and Barty are listed as the top two betting favorites, which means there will be value further down the board for the winner of the bottom half of the draw. 

The top half of the draw looks even tougher since 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza and 2017 winner Jelena Ostapenko are on that side of the bracket. 

Ostapenko will go head-to-head with No. 4 seed Sofia Kenin, who lost to Swiatek in the French final last October. 

Williams is the most recent French Open winner in the bottom half of the bracket, but she faces a tough path just to get to the quarterfinals. Angelique Kerber and Kvitova are in her part of the draw. 

Osaka, Andreescu and Sabalenka have easier draws in the bottom half, and that could lead to betting any of them to win the title. Osaka sits at +1200, Andreescu is +2000, and Sabalenka is the third favorite at +800. 

The women's draw has a better chance of producing a long-shot winner, like Swiatek in October, but picking out which player could achieve that feat is a tough task, especially with all of the previous major winners littered through the draw. 

     

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