Rafael Nadal (L) of Spain and Roger Federer of Switzerland (Photo : Reuters)
The 2015 edition of the French Open officially started on Sunday with Roger Federer all ready to begin his 17th campaign on the red dirt against veteran netter Alejandro Falla of Columbia on Philippe Chatrier at 7:00 p.m US Eastern Time.
Yearning for his second French Open title and an elusive 18th Grand Slam crown, the 33-year old Federer got a lucky break during the draw after he was placed in a bracket void of traditional contenders such as Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic.
Nevertheless, Federer is aware that every opponent presents a different challenge to him, and a seasoned player like Falla is no exception. The 31-year old Columbian made it in the main draw by getting a lucky losers card from the tournament organizers, but it doesn't mean he can be taken lightly.
Despite failing to win against Federer in seven occasions, Falla managed to push Federer to the limit in some of their matches, including a five-setter loss to the Swiss Maestro at the 2010 Wimbledon Open. Moreover, his best performance in a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the fourth round at the 2011 French Open, proving that he's more than capable of pulling off a big upset.
Federer, who is coming off a gallant runner-up finish to Novak Djokovic in the final of the Rome Master, will set yet another record the moment he steps on the court, making it his 62nd men's major tournament appearance.
Aside from Federer, up-and-coming star Kei Nishikori will also kick off his campaign against Frenchman Paul-Henri Mathieu, while Swiss veteran and former Australian Open champ Stanislas Wawrinka takes on Marsel Ilhan of Turkey.
Live Stream, Results & Updates on Day 1 of the French Open
Day 1 matches can be watched on NBC, ESPN 2 and the Tennis Channel, while live streaming feed is available on Tennis Channel Live, ESPN Watch and Sports Streaming. Scores, Results & Updates are available on the tournament official twitter account at Roland Garros 2015 Twitter.
