Fourth seed Roger Federer tackled 21-year-old Argentine Diego Sebastian Schwartzman in the second round of the French Open on Wednesday afternoon.
It proved to be relatively straight-forward for the former world number one, who advanced into round three with a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over the youngster.
As a result, the Swiss will face Dmitry Tursunov in the next round.
Read how it all unfolded in Sports Mole's live text coverage of the action below.
Hello all! Sports Mole's French Open coverage continues this afternoon as fourth-seed and former world number one Roger Federer faces 21-year-old Argentine Diego Sebastian Schwartzman. The pair have never met on the tennis court, but on paper, it appears to be a fairly straight-forward progression into round three for the Swiss maestro. The weather, meanwhile, is stable for the time being!
As touched upon, Federer needed just 84 minutes to breeze past Slovakia's Lukas Lacko in the first round on Sunday. The Swiss eventually took the match 6-2 6-4 6-2 and will be looking for a similar score this afternoon. Just a reminder that the winner of this match will face either Sam Querrey or Dmitry Tursunov in the next round of the competition. As it stands, the two players are level at one-set-all.
Despite a sensational career, Federer has won the French Open just once – in 2009. That is in contrast to the Australian Open, which he has won four times, Wimbledon, where he has triumphed on seven occasions and the US Open, which he has won five times. In the French last year, Federer was eliminated in the quarter-finals.
Schwartzman, meanwhile, overcame Portugal's Gastao Elias with a score of 6-4 6-2 7-5 in the first round. The 21-year-old is currently ranked at 109 in the world, but he has had an impressive clay season in 2014 – winning 23 of his 33 matches. He had to play three qualification matches to earn a spot in the first round proper, dropping just one set in the process. Can the youngster cause a shock this afternoon?
Right, both players have joined us on court this afternoon. Federer will serve first on Suzanne Lenglen.
Confident start from Federer as the Swiss holds to love in impressive fashion. It could be a long afternoon for Schwartzman that is for certain.
The 21-year-old responds with a hold of his own to move level at 1-1. The Argentine rises into a 40-15 lead before being pegged back, but manages to hold with a forehand down the line.
BREAK! Wow. The first break of the match goes to Schwartzman as a brilliant forehand sets up break point, which he takes at the first time of asking. It has been a confident start from the youngster.
BREAK! We are back on serve here as Federer manages to break straight back. The Swiss races into a 0-40 lead to set up break point, he misses the first, but takes the second and this first set is now back on serve.
Confident service game from Federer as the Swiss races into a 40-30 lead, before holding with a passing forehand. Not too much in the way of long rallies thus far, but Schwartzman has offered enough to suggest that he can harm Federer this afternoon.
BREAK! Federer moves 0-15 ahead as his 21-year-old opponent smashes the net from close range, before the server fires long to leave Federer 0-30 ahead. That becomes 0-40 when Schwartzman fires long once more and Federer secures the break when the Argentine cannot return a powerful backhand.
Schwartzman is just struggling to find his range at the moment as the Argentine nets in the first point of the game, before Federer whips a forehand down the line to move 30-0 ahead. A fine volley from Federer makes it 40-0 and the Swiss secures the hold with an ace.
Federer fires long in the opening point of the game to leave the server 15-0 ahead, but Schwartzman then fires long to leave the score on terms. It becomes 30-15 when Federer hits a passing shot wide, before the Swiss slices to hand his opponent game point. The 21-year-old nets his first game point, but takes his second with a fine chip.
Schwartzman struggles to return Federer's first two serves to leave the Swiss 30-0 ahead, but the 21-year-old moves onto the board when the Swiss fires wide. Federer then fires long to leave the score at 30-30, but a fine volley sees the former World number one gain set point. He indeed takes it when the 21-year-old fires long once more.
Well, that was fairly straight-forward for Federer. There has not been too much in the way of long rallies thus far, with Federer in impressive form from the baseline. That said, Schwartzman will take confidence from the fact that he has already broken the Federer serve.
Confident start to the set from the youngster as he races into a 40-0 lead, but a fine passing shot from Federer moves the Swiss onto the board. Schwartzman manages to hold, however, when Federer whips a forehand wide.
Schwartzman nets the first point of the game to leave Federer 15-0 ahead, before an ace moves the Swiss into a two-point lead. Federer allows the 21-year-old back in after hitting the net, before Schwartzman collects two more points in quick succession to leave the game at deuce. Schwartzman moves to advantage after Federer nets, but the Swiss recovers with a smash for deuce two. Another ace hands Federer advantage and he eventually secures the hold when his opponent nets from close range.
Schwartzman races into a 30-0 lead following a couple of net shots from Federer, but the 21-year-old then finds the net himself to move Federer onto the board. Another forehand from Federer is called long, however, before Schwartzman holds when Federer nets.
Slightly untidy from Federer as he fires long at 15-0, but a powerful forehand allows the Swiss to move 30-15 ahead. Another thunderous serve puts Schwartzman in trouble, but the 21-year-old respond with his best shot of the match - a brilliant whipped forehand from a wide position. Federer, however, holds with another serve that his opponent simply cannot recover.
Federer attempts to place a forehand down the line, but just fires wide as Schwartzman moves 30-15 ahead on serve. The Swiss misses in the same corner to hand his opponent two game points and the youngster takes the first to keep the second set on serve.
A brilliant backhand from Federer moves the Swiss 15-0 ahead on serve and it quickly becomes 30-0 when Schwartzman fires long of the baseline. A double-fault allows the 21-year-old onto the board, but Federer moves 40-15 ahead when Schwartzman misses a deep forehand. The Swiss secures the hold with a brilliant volley at the net. It was such delicate hands from the number four in the world.
Federer nets at 15-15 to leave Schwartzman ahead on serve, before the Swiss fires long to hand his 21-year-old opponent game point and the youngster indeed takes it as Federer fires long.
The second set remains on serve as Federer holds. A powerful forehand moves the Swiss 15-0 ahead, before Schwartzman nets moments later. The 21-year-old does move onto the board with a volley, however, before Federer fires wide to leave the score at 30-30. A smash moves Federer 40-30 ahead and the Swiss closes out the game when his opponent fires long.
BREAK! A wonderful backhand from Federer moves the Swiss 0-30 ahead, but Schwartzman moves to 15-30 when the Swiss nets from close range. A sensational forehand from the 21-year-old then levels it at 30-30, but he then nets to hand Federer break point. The Swiss follows suit, however, to leave the game at deuce. Both players exchange points up until deuce four, but eventually Federer breaks when Schwartzman fires wide before hitting the net.
Confident start to the game as a smash from Federer moves the Swiss 15-0 ahead, before he produces another brilliant ace. It becomes 40-0 when Schwartzman fires wide and Federer closes out the second set at the first time of asking when his 21-year-old opponent hits the net.
So there we have it. Federer secures a vital break towards the end of the second set before holding to move 2-0 ahead in the match. Schwartzman has shown moments of brilliance, but it is difficult to imagine the Argentine turning it around from this position. Will it be 3-0 Federer in the second round?
Schwartzman again shows his confidence at the net as the Argentine comes in at 0-15 before whipping a forehand past his Swiss opponent. Federer then fires long to leave the server ahead, but Schwartzman follows suit in the next point. Eventually the game heads for deuce following a double-fault, but the youngster manages to hold with a drop shot at the net.
Federer produces a brilliant drop shot of his own to move 30-0 ahead on serve, before producing a fine passing shot to set up three game points. The Swiss claims the first when Schwartzman fires long.
BREAK! Schwartzman shows another piece of brilliance as he moves 15-0 ahead with a deep lob, but Federer comes to the net to move level in the next point. Another forehand pass allows the server to regain the lead, but he then fires long to leave the score at 30-30. Federer then produces a brilliant forehand to set up break point and takes it at the first time of asking when Schwartzman fires wide.
Confident start to the game from Federer as the Swiss moves 15-0 ahead when Schwartzman fires wide, but the Swiss then hits the net to leave the score on terms. An overhead smash allows Federer to regain the lead, but once more he hits the net to hand his 21-year-old opponent hope at 30-30. Eventually, however, the world number four closes it out with a whipped forehand.
Confident start to the game from Schwartzman as the Argentine fires a backhand past Federer, before producing a deep lob to move 30-0 ahead. The youngster can only fire long in the next point, however, as Federer moves onto the board in this particular game. It then becomes 30-30 when Schwartzman's forehand just misses the line, but Federer follows suit to hand the youngster game point, which he takes when Federer fires long.
The first point on the Federer serve goes to Schwartzman as the Swiss fires wide from a deep position, before the former world number one strikes the net to leave the score at 0-30. Schwartzman cannot take advantage of a short forehand from Federer, however, firing long to allow the server onto the board. It quickly becomes 30-30 when the youngster nets and eventually Federer closes out the game with another ace.
A double-fault from the server allows Federer to move 15-30 ahead in the seventh game of the second set, before Schwartzman hits the net to leave the Swiss with two break points at a vital moment in the match. The first of which is saved by Schwartzman's first ace of the match, before Federer nets for deuce. A fine volley at the net then allows the youngster to gain advantage, but he cannot take it as another wide forehand takes the game into deuce two. Eventually Schwartzman manages to hold when Federer nets.
Impressive service game from Federer as the Swiss holds to love after a couple of errors from his 21-year-old opponent. Schwartzman must serve to stay in this second-round match.
Impressive start to the game from Schwartzman as he moves 15-0 ahead with another overhead smash, but the Argentine then finds the net to leave the score on terms. The pair exchange points once more as the scores moves to 30-30, before Federer fires long to leave his 21-year-old opponent with game point. Schwartzman indeed takes it with a brilliant drop shot.
Federer moves 15-0 ahead when Schwartzman whips a forehand just wide of the line, before finding the net to leave the former world number one with a 30-0 lead. Schwartzman covers the ground quickly in the next point, however, before whipping a forehand past his opponent to move onto the board. Federer, however, sets up two match points when the Argentine fires long. Federer takes the first with a powerful serve to book his spot in the next round.
GAME, SET AND MATCH! FEDERER 6-3 6-4 6-4 SCHWARTZMAN
So there we have it. Federer moves into the third round of the competition with a 6-3 6-4 6-4 victory over impressive youngster Schwartzman. The Argentine showed moments of class, but ultimately did not have enough to beat the former world number one. That is just about it from me this afternoon, but be sure to remain with Sports Mole for all the reaction. Until next time!
