Roger Federer "dancing on clouds and floating above the sands" at 2021 French Open

Tennis icon Roger Federer breezed past Denis Istomin in the opening round of the 2021 French Open in just 93 minutes. The 2009 champion was playing his first Grand Slam match in 487 days but hammered Uzbek Istomin 6-2, 6-4, 6-3 to cruise into the second round. Federer also appeared to enjoy his own footwork on the clay court, highlighting his incredible movement at the age of 39. 

Roger Federer Twitter post: Tennis legend flaunts athleticism and nifty footwork at French Open 2021

Federer returned to the French Open in style and put up a masterful display against Denis Istomin on Monday. It was Federer's first competition at any major tournament in 16 months and only his second at the French Open since 2015. However, the 20-time Grand Slam winner looked extremely comfortable on the court and even tried out different ideas and tactics against Istomin. Showing no signs of rust, really, or trouble with the right knee that needed two operations last year, Federer improved to an 8-0 record against Istomin. 

In fact, Federer was moving so smoothly on the court that Tennis Channel highlighted some of his footwork against Istomin on the clay court. It was only a matter of time before Federer then responded to his own movement and expressed how he felt. "Dancing on clouds and floating above the sand," wrote Federer. 

Roger Federer French Open record

Federer won his first and only French Open in 2009 and has finished as a runner-up on four occasions. This was only his second appearance at the French Open since 2015. Just before the French Open, Federer trained with Gael Monfils, who praised his movement and said, “In one day, he had really picked up the pace“. However, prior to the tournament, Federer ruled himself out of winning the French Open. He said, “I’m just realistic that I know I will not win the French and whoever thought I would or could win it is wrong.” 

French Open 2021: Federer vs Cilic prediction, H2H and preview of Round 2 game

Awaiting Roger Federer in the second round is Marin Cilic. Cilic belongs to the very small group of former Grand Slam champions left in the draw (Federer, Djokovic, Nadal, Cilic). The Croat owns just one head-to-head victory over Federer (2014 US Open semifinals), losing on nine occasions. Their only clay-court meeting was a 6-4 6-3 victory for the Swiss at Monte Carlo. This game is set to test Federer a bit more than his game against Istomin. However, current World No. 8 Federer has shown that once he gets into his groove, he can be extremely lethal and hard to stop. Our prediction for the game is a win for Federer. 

Image Credits - Roger Federer Instagram