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Monday 27 May 2019
Many happy returns for Federer at 1st French Open since 2015

By HOWARD FENDRICH in the second after 40.
AP Tennis Writer “There are times when you
PARIS (AP) — Roger Feder- recognize that he makes
er entered a refurbished the difficult things look
Court Philippe Chatrier for easy. It’s incredible,” So-
his first French Open match nego said. “All you can do
since 2015, greeted by the is hope he messes up now
sun peeking through the and then, because other-
clouds and the full-throat- wise, it’s really hard.”
ed support of spectators in Federer gave the folks what
their designer sunglasses, they wanted, providing a
straw hats and sweaters live-and-in-person highlight
tied over their shoulders. reel of his full and consider-
Were it permitted, perhaps able repertoire. There was
some ticket-holders would the ace at 121 mph (195
have embraced Federer kph) to begin his first service
right then and there, deliv- game, and the ace at 110
ering a kiss on each cheek, mph (178 kph) to conclude
as if reunited with an old it. The drop-volley winner
friend at a sidewalk cafe. on the run. The serve-and-
Alas, the welcome was volley putaway. The sprint
limited to wild applause for an up-the-line winner
and enthusiastic chants of Switzerland’s Roger Federer plays a shot against Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego during their first round off a delicate drop shot by
his first name — “Roh-zher! match of the French Open tennis tournament at the Roland Garros stadium in Paris, Sunday, May Sonego that was so good,
Roh-zher!” — before and 26, 2019. and so apparently hard to
during a 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 victory Associated Press reach, that an Italian fan
against Lorenzo Sonego of na Kuznetsova, along with tropical plants, with a 5-7, lem, ending his then-record gushed, “Bravo! Bravo!” in
Italy on Sunday. The match victories for Sloane Ste- 6-2, 6-2 victory over Taylor streak of 65 consecutive praise of her countryman
lasted a mere 101 minutes phens, Garbiñe Muguruza, Townsend of the U.S. appearances at majors. before Federer got to the
yet Federer found enough Marin Cilic and Kei Nishikori. Later in that same spot, Federer then skipped the ball.
time and space to sprinkle Kerber has been dealing the 38-year-old Williams, entire clay-court circuit in “In the important moments,
in some tremendous shot- with an injured foot and a seven-time Grand Slam each of the past two sea- he raises his level and turns
making. was beaten 6-4, 6-2 by An- titlist and the 2002 runner- sons to focus on preparing into a computer,” Sonego
“The reception I got today astasia Potapova. That was up in Paris, exited in the first for grass and hard courts. said. “He never makes the
was crazy. Was really nice the opening match in the round for the fourth time Not since a quarterfinal loss wrong choice.”
to see a full stadium for a largely rebuilt main stadi- in the past seven years at to Stan Wawrinka four years Really, the lone blip for
first round like this,” Federer um, a structure of concrete Roland Garros. She was ago had Federer compet- Federer came when he
said, comparing the atmo- and glass that is expected broken in seven of her nine ed at Roland Garros, which double-faulted to get bro-
sphere to that of a final. to have a retractable roof service games during a 6-3, is why he described himself ken for the only time, elic-
“I feel,” he said, “that the by the 2020 French Open 6-3 loss to No. 9 seed Elina Sunday as “quite tense at iting an admonishing slap
public missed me. And I and now features padded Svitolina. the start.” of racket strings from him
missed them, as well.” beige seats instead of plas- The guy certainly appeared Didn’t seem that way, — and a collective “Aw-
His presence at the year’s tic green ones. delighted to make his return though. More like someone wwww” of dismay from his
second Grand Slam tour- Across the way, 2016 to a tournament he won a who never went away. He thousands of admirers. That
nament was the highlight champion Muguruza in- decade ago, completing led the 73rd-ranked So- was part of a three-game,
of Day 1, which included augurated the new 5,290- a career Grand Slam, but nego, who was making his dozen-minute surge for So-
losses by multiple major seat Court Simonne Ma- sat out each of the past French Open debut, 4-0 nego, who got within 4-3 in
winners Venus Williams, An- thieu, which is surrounded three years. In 2016, he was after less than 15 minutes, the second set before ced-
gelique Kerber and Svetla- by greenhouses displaying sidelined by a back prob- then went up a set and 4-0 ing it..q
Cataldo wins Giro stage as Roglic

crashes on borrowed bike

COMO, Italy (AP) — As- to 47 seconds over Ro- rized climbs in the final part
tana rider Dario Cataldo glic, who had to borrow a of the stage. Cataldo and
has won the 15th stage of teammate’s bike during Cattaneo had a two-man
the Giro d’Italia on a night- the race. The Slovenian breakaway.
mare day for race favorite then crashed near the end, “I just followed Cattaneo’s
Primoz Roglic. hitting a barrier on a turn attack,” Cataldo said.
The Italian finished the during the descent of the “Then I was confident in
232-kilometer (144-mile) Civiglio, and crossed the myself. To win a stage at
route from Ivrea to Como line with cuts on his face the Giro d’Italia is amazing.
in 5 hours, 48 minutes, 15 around 50 seconds behind It’s something I’ve been
seconds on Sunday. Mattia Cataldo. dreaming of all my life.”
Cattaneo was second with Another race favorite, Vin- The end of the stage fol-
the same time, and Simon cenzo Nibali, is third overall, lowed many of the same
Yates was 11 seconds be- 1:47 behind, after finishing roads used in the Giro di
hind in third. sixth. Lombardia single-day clas-
Italy’s Dario Cataldo celebrates as he crosses the the finish line Movistar rider Richard Car- Sunday’s stage was mainly sic The three-week race
to win the 15th stage of the Giro d’Italia cycling race, from Ivrea apaz of Ecuador increased flat for the first 160 kilome- ends in Verona on June 2.
to Como, Sunday, May 26, 2019.
Associated Press his overall lead from seven ters but had three catego- Monday is a rest day.q