Paris: All Roger Federer had to do was strike a few silky forehands in his first practice session at Roland Garros for four years to create something of a social media frenzy.
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Ever since the 37-year-old announced he was ending his self-imposed French Open exile, anticipation has been growing and video footage of his gentle warm-up sent his legions of fans into a frenzy.
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It is 10 years since Federer claimed his one and only title on the Parisian dirt — completing his career slam with victory over Swede Robin Soderling.
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He opted to skip the French Open for the past three years — a decision based on prolonging his career — but a decade after lifting La Coupe des Mousquetaires he returns not just for old time’s sake, but because the Swiss must truly believe he has a chance of a 21st Grand Slam title.
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Federer showed enough in a quarter-final run in Madrid — his first clay court tournament for three years — that he had not forgotten how to slide with the best of them.
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He also won a couple of rounds in Rome last week before withdrawing ahead of his match against Stefanos Tsitsipas citing a minor injury concern.
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Federer will step into a new look Roland Garros this year and admits it has been hard to be away.
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“What made me decide to come back to Roland-Garros? In the end, it’s envy,” he said.
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“I like slipping, cushioning, riding at odds, playing with angles and to see the fans I have not seen here.”
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Federer’s last match at Roland Garros was a quarter-final loss to fellow Swiss Stan Wawrinka in 2015.
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Since then he has added two Australian Opens and one more Wimbledon title to his glittering record and he clearly still hungers after the game’s biggest prizes.
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But with his 38th birthday looming and a host of dangerous claycourters assembling in Paris, it would surely top any of his previous feats if he reclaimed the title.
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“You can’t say never because it’s Roger,” twice French Open runner-up Alex Corretja said.
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“In my opinion he’s not one of the favourites because there’s a lot of guys who can hurt his game on the clay.”
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Federer will hope for warm conditions to speed up the courts and perhaps allow him to use his serve-and-volley tactics.
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“I always thought that serve and volleying on a hot day on clay almost has more reward than on a grass court sometimes because the ball jumps out of the strike zone,” he said.
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The conditions, and the luck of the draw, will play a big factor in Federer’s prospects over the next two weeks but whatever happens this year’s French Open story will be all the more memorable for his return.
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“I don’t think he has in his mind winning the French Open, he will just go there day by day and whatever he does it will be a bonus,” Corretja said.
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“Whether it’s two, three, four or five matches, it will help him arrive at Wimbledon with more rhythm.”