By Matthew Lambert For Mailonline
Published: 16:28 BST, 26 May 2019 | Updated: 16:28 BST, 26 May 2019
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After three years away, the Roger Federer show is back in town, and if the Swiss is pleased to be back in Paris, Paris is ecstatic to have him back.
The 37-year-old walked out to a standing ovation and chants of 'Roger…Roger…Roger'. As he warmed up, every stroke was greeted with 'allez'. He won the first point of the match with a lucky net cord, which was greeted with the rich applause that would normally accompany a winner.
Federer proceeded to put on a show for his adoring fans, slicing and dicing Italian world No 73 Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-4, 6-4 in the first round of the French Open.
Roger Federer celebrates after winning his first round match against Italy's Lorenzo Sonego
The 24-year-old Sonego is no slouch, especially on this surface. Of the 10 finals he has made - all below ATP Tour level - eight have been on the red dirt. He has begun to emerge from the secondary Challenger Tour this year, making the quarter finals of a Masters event for the first time.
But Sonego was not going to be allowed to ruin Federer's Parisian homecoming, his return to the place where he made his Grand Slam debut 20 years ago and his return after three years in which he did not trust his body to put up with the rigours of clay court tennis.
It has been easy to forget during his absence how good a clay court player Federer is. He slides beautifully, defends well and knows how to draw his opponents forward when they are camped out behind the baseline.
Having said that, expectations should
