PARIS – Roger Federer on Tuesday confirmed his participation at this year’s Paris Masters after a three-year absence.
The Swiss world number three will play the winner of the tie between France’s Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Croatia’s Milos Raonic on Wednesday after recieving a bye in the first round.
“I prefer playing to training as long as I don’t take any risks ahead of the London Masters, (November 11-18),” Federer said.
“I feel like I’ve recovered well after last week. I feel good today (Tuesday),” he added after winning the Swiss indoor championships in Basel on Sunday.
Federer’s only tournament victory in Bercy came in 2011. On his last appearance in 2015 he was knocked-out by American Jon Isner in the Round of 16.
Meanwhile French hopes of success were dented when Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Jeremy Chardy and Benoit Paire were knocked-out in the first round on Tuesday.
World number 57 Herbert was beaten by Kazakhstan’s Mikail Kukushkin in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 7-5) while Jeremy Chardy, ranked 40th, lost 6-4, 6-4 to Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.
The 56th-ranked Paire made the opening round through the qualifiers but lost 6-4, 6-4 to Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics.
AFP