Back in Paris, Federer keeping eye on present

Associated Press

PARIS

Roger Federer’s return to Roland Garros feels a bit like what happens when a wildly popular rock star goes back on tour after years away.

He plays his greatest hits: the no-look, back-to-the-net, over-the-shoulder volley winner; the sliced backhand returns; the aces to erase break points. He elicits “oohs” and “aahs” and raucous applause. His audience includes parents, familiar with his work in his younger days, bringing their kids to the show.

In Federer’s case, one father-child duo had the best seats in the house Friday at Court Suzanne Lenglen. That’s because Christian Ruud, a guy who happened to be in the French Open field himself when Federer made his Grand Slam debut all the way back in 1999, was in the front row, watching his 20-year-old son, Casper, lose to the 37-year-old Federer 6-3, 6-1, 7-6 (8) in the third round in 2019.

“That’s how unbelievable a champion he is, being to play on a high level for 20 years. I’ve been impressed with him my whole life — and I still [am],” said Christian Ruud, who coaches Casper.

Federer, the elder Ruud said, “cannot play forever, but he’s still playing at an amazing level.”

Certainly good enough to reach the fourth round in Paris for the record 14th time, a mark that was equaled a few hours later when Federer’s longtime rival, Rafael Nadal, equaled it with his own victory.

While Federer raced through nine consecutive games in one stretch — “The first two sets went pretty quick,” Casper Ruud acknowledged — and hasn’t dropped a set this week, Nadal was pushed a bit by 27th-seeded David Goffin.

Still, Nadal recovered quickly after ceding a set, the first he’d lost to Goffin in their four matches on clay, before emerging to win 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3.

Pursuing a 12th championship at the French Open, Nadal improved to 89-2 at the clay-court tournament; Friday marked exactly 10 years since his first defeat, against Robin Soderling in the fourth round in 2009 (the only year Federer won the title).

That setback came on a gray, rainy day. This victory was bathed in sunshine, which is far more to Nadal’s liking.

He and Federer are moving closer to a semifinal showdown. First they’ll need to get to the quarterfinals with victories Sunday, when each faces an Argentine opponent: Federer plays 68th-ranked Leonardo Mayer, and Nadal takes on 78th-ranked Juan Ignacio Londero, who is making his major tournament debut.

Another men’s fourth-round matchup was set when No. 7 Kei Nishikori and Benoit Paire advanced.

In the women’s draw, 2018 runner-up Sloane Stephens meets 2016 champion Garbine Muguruza in the fourth round, when other matches will include 12th-seeded Anastasija Sevastova against 19-year-old Marketa Vondrousova; and No. 31 Petra Martic — who upset No. 2 Karolina Pliskova — against Kaia Kanepi.