That was an entertaining match, both men playing their part and contributing to an enjoyable spectacle with various feats of drop-shot oneupmanship and lighthearted exchanges at the net. But of course Roger Federer was too good. Marcel Granollers played his part and had his chances but he was no match for the mighty Federer, who marches on into the third round. That sound, he might not be entirely happy with how he played. He probably made a few too many mistakes for his liking and he won’t be happy about Granollers breaking him twice. Still, he’s through in straight sets. Thanks for reading. Bye.
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ROGER FEDERER WINS 6-2, 7-6, 6-3
Federer, serving for the match, claims the first point with an unreturned serve, and although he drops the next one, he then overpowers Granollers with a smash to make it 30-15. Granollers wants to keep this going for as long as possible, though, and he makes it 30-all with a clever backhand volley at the net. There’s still work to be done - but Federer then flays a backhand past Granollers to earn his first match point. And that’s all he needs. He misses a first serve but it doesn’t matter, Granollers netting a backhand return off the second. That’s it. Roger Federer is into the third round.
Third set: Federer 6-2, 7-6, 5-3 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers earns himself a stay of execution with a lovely little lob at the net. This has been very enjoyable at times. But it’s almost over. Federer will serve for the match.
Third set: Federer* 6-2, 7-6, 5-2 Granollers (*denotes server): A collector’s item at the start of this game: a two-handed backhand from Federer to make it 15-0. He holds to love. The end is nigh.
Third set: Federer 6-2, 7-6, 4-2 Granollers* (*denotes server): Federer ekes out two break points, Granollers overwhelmed and sticking a forehand into the net, but he can’t take the first, sneezing a backhand miles past the baseline, or the second, slicing a backhand into the net. Deuce. Federer then tries a drop shot but Granollers outwits him with a glorious flicked forehand. Federer creams a forehand away, though, to drag the game back to deuce. Another delightful forehand from Federer, followed by a smash at the net, presents him with a third break point, and he doesn’t pass this one up. Granollers wafts a slice long and Federer breaks. “Come on!” he yelps.
Third set: Federer* 6-2, 7-6, 3-2 Granollers (*denotes server): Federer holds easily enough. Suddenly he can spy victory.
Third set: Federer 6-2, 7-6, 2-2 Granollers* (*denotes server): This is incredible! At 15-30, Federer, seemingly out of the point on two separate occasions, slides back and forth across the baseline and twice claws sliced forehands over the net to dumbfound Granollers, who eventually fires into the net! Federer has two break points. He only needs one. We are back on serve.
Third set: Federer* 6-2, 7-6, 1-2 Granollers (*denotes server): Federer restores a semblance of normality with a hold to 15.
Third set: Federer 6-2, 7-6, 0-2 Granollers* (*denotes server): That was a weird and surprising loss of concentration from Federer. And so is this. He’s up 0-30 in this game, only to let his level slip again, giving up three consecutive points to make it 40-30. Granollers holds and consolidates the break.
Third set: Federer* 6-2, 7-6, 0-1 Granollers (*denotes server): This is not how Federer would have envisaged the start of the third set going. He commits two errors on the backhand side and Granollers breaks! The comeback is on! It’s definitely on.
Roger Federer wins the second set 7-6 to lead 6-2, 7-6
Second-set tie-break: Federer 7-1 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers drags another backhand wide and the second set is Federer’s! Not without a fight, though. Granollers will feel he should have won it when he had a game point at 4-2, only to pick a very bad moment to double-fault. You cannot afford to be that wasteful against Federer. Momentum shifted, he was always likely to make the most of that
Second-set tie-break: Federer* 6-1 Granollers (*denotes server): Federer ha five set points.
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Second-set tie-break: Federer* 5-1 Granollers (*denotes server): Granollers can only block a backhand return into the net.
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Second-set tie-break: Federer 4-1 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers plonks a backhand wide. He’s in trouble now. That’s an expensive miss.
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Second-set tie-break: Federer 3-1 Granollers* (*denotes server): A stunning backhand return down the line from Federer!
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Second-set tie-break: Federer* 2-1 Granollers (*denotes server): An ace from Federer.
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Second-set tie-break: Federer* 1-1 Granollers (*denotes server): Federer hits back.
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Second-set tie-break: Federer 0-1 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers starts the tie-break with a cross-court forehand.
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Second set: Federer* 6-2, 6-6 Granollers (*denotes server): We shall have a tie-break.
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Second set: Federer 6-2, 5-6 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers holds to 15. At the very least, he has forced a tie-break.
Second set: Federer* 6-2, 5-5 Granollers (*denotes server): Federer does hold to stay in the second set.
Second set: Federer 6-2, 4-5 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers is smiling after spinning a drop shot away to make it 30-15. Federer doesn’t even bother going for it. He knew. Granollers wins the next two points and Federer will have to hold to stay in the second set.
Second set: Federer* 6-2, 4-4 Granollers (*denotes server): I fear that Granollers is going to regret that double-fault. To compound his disappointment, he thought that the first serve was an ace, only for the umpire to call it out. It would have sealed the game and thirty seconds later, the second serve was out and Federer was back in it. The margins between success and failure can be so fine.
Second set: Federer 6-2, 3-4 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers simply has to consolidate the break here. What he doesn’t need to do is double-fault at 30-15. Federer smells blood - but he lets Granollers off the hook with a wild forehand. 40-30. A point for a 5-2 lead. But Federer is too good here, a backhand down the line setting him up for an easy volley to drag the game to deuce. Federer, though, has lost a bit of his early flow and a terrible backhand gives Granollers another chance to hold. Can he? Nope. For goodness sake. A double fault. What a time to do that and soon Federer has a break point. A lengthy rally ensues but eventually Federer wears Granollers down and punishes him with a forehand down the line. We’re back on serve.
Second set: Federer* 6-2, 2-4 Granollers (*denotes server): Here’s a chance for Granollers! He wins the first point and then roars away with the second, a coruscating forehand from right to left helping him into a 0-30 lead. Is a break on the way? Maybe! Soon it’s 15-40. There’s a ripple around the court. Federer hushes it with a serve-volley combo to save the first break point. But he can’t save the second! A brilliant backhand return from Granollers is enough for him to break and suddenly we have a proper match on our hands!
Second set: Federer 6-2, 2-3 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers chunters after Federer makes it 15-30, whizzing a forehand down the line. He might be in trouble here. But he digs in on serve to cling on and make it 30-all, then 40-30. Granollers snatches the game by wanding a drop shot over the net, Federer flummoxed.
Second set: Federer* 6-2, 2-2 Granollers (*denotes server): At full stretch, Federer slices an overhead just out of Granollers’ grasp, before winning a game of cat and mouse at the net to take a 40-0 lead. He holds to 15. Granollers has been out of depth on the Federer serve.
Second set: Federer 6-2, 1-2 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers steams into a 40-0 lead, but Federer isn’t going to let him wriggle away that easily. It’s 40-30 quickly enough. But Granollers holds Federer off with an ace down the middle.
Second set: Federer* 6-2, 1-1 Granollers (*denotes server): Everyone’s too interested in Fifa today, no one’s paying attention to me.
Second set: Federer 6-2, 0-1 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers steadies the ship a little by holding in the first game of the second set.
ROGER FEDERER WINS THE FIRST SET 6-2
It’s not happening for Granollers. He starts this game by knocking a backhand past the baseline. 15-0. It’s soon 30-0, Federer romping to the net and dabbing a backhand volley away into the open court, and Federer has three break points when a defensive lob from Granollers drifts long. He can’t take the first. He can take the second. He charges to the net and Granollers, knocked off-balance by a volley from Federer, slices a forehand wide. And that’s the first set.
First set: Federer 5-2 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers looks like he has this game under control at 30-15, but he loses the next point and then double-faults to give Federer a break point. Uh oh! Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh! Bad move. Ill-advised. Federer doesn’t even have to do much to break. Granollers flaps a backhand into the net and Federer will serve for the first set.
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First set: Federer* 4-2 Granollers (*denotes server): Federer punches a volley into the corner and puts a smash away to hold to 15. This has been rather drama-free so far.
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First set: Federer 3-2 Granollers* (*denotes server): Federer whistles a forehand just wide to give up the first point; Granollers then runs around his backhand and whips a forehand down the line to claim the second, before the Federer backhand malfunctions, as it sometimes tends to do. Granollers holds to love.
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First set: Federer* 3-1 Granollers (*denotes server): Federer holds to love. He was never in trouble.
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First set: Federer 2-1 Granollers* (*denotes server): Granollers gets his own back with an impressive drop shot to make it 30-15, Federer slipping and sliding and stooping and unable to reach the ball in time. So he plays the next point as though he’s taken that impetuousness from Granollers as a personal affront, walloping a forehand into the corner to make it 30-all. The next two points are traded and the game goes to deuce, no let-up from Federer. But Granollers holds, winning a drop shot contest on the final point. He’ll be relieved.
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First set: Federer* 2-0 Granollers (*denotes server): Ping! Ace. 15-0. Ping! Ace. 30-0. Federer is already having fun. It’s soon 40-0. He seals a love game with a feathery drop shot from the back of the court.
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First set: Federer 1-0 Granollers* (*denotes server): Let’s begin. I’ll level with you, I missed the first few points of this, the opening game, as I was trying to work out how to get the match on my screen. It’s this loveable attention to detail that keeps you guys coming back to this place, isn’t it? Anyway I join the players with Federer in possession up 15-40 and in possession of two break points. He wastes the first with an errant backhand down the line, but not the second, a forehand screaming out of the reach of Granollers. A perfect start for Federer, an inauspicious start for good old me.
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Tok! Tok! Tok! They’re knocking up.
Preamble
Hello. So Roger Federer is still around. Not going anywhere in a hurry. Could be with us for a while yet. He’s 33 and he’s still going strong. Overstaying his welcome, though? Not a bit of it. Enjoy him while you can. You’ll be sorry when he’s gone. Thirty-three years old and he’s still the No2 seed at the French Open, which is a remarkable feat of skill, commitment, fitness, athleticism, underrated endurance and everyday taken-for-granted Federer-brand genius - the most genius kind of genius there is! Mind you, having said all that, I wouldn’t be surprised if an awkward couple of hours awaits him against Spain’s Marcel Granollers.
Play begins at: when it begins at.
