Roger Federer made a rockin’ return Sunday at Roland Garros, blowing past Italian Lorenzo Sonego 6-2, 6-4, 6-4.

In his first French Open match in four years, Federer dominated smacking 36 winners to just 15 unforced, and breaking the 24-year-old Sonego five times.

“Because there has been some pressure in the beginning, obviously some nerves, many people wanted to know how it was going to be for me, how I was going to be back.

“There has been a lot of attention lately with my return. When I started the match, I started it well, so it shows that the pressure is not acting on me,” Federer said.

“I was right away playing well on the centre court here in Roland Garros. The duration of the match wasn’t a problem. No problems with my body before or after the match. And then I have… two-and-a-half days… it’s ideal for me for the start of the tournament.”

Federer will now meet lucky loser on Oscar Otte but that will come after two days off. The Swiss said he requested a Sunday start to give him extra time.

Earlier, Stefanos Tsitsipas also rolled into the second round. In his first career Chatrier match, the Greek eased past Germany’s Maximilian Marterer 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(4).

“Very satisfied. I was playing really well the first two sets of the match. Better than I thought I would. Third set was tricky. I felt like he started pressing more, started going for his shots more, faster, stronger,” Tsitsipas said. “I stayed mentally strong and closed the tie-break at the end.”

Marin Cilic also enjoyed an easy day getting past Italian birthday boy Thomas Fabbiano 6-3, 7-5, 6-1.

“I would have wanted obviously to play few more matches in these tournaments. I had a couple of OK tournaments and a few losses,” Cilic said. “But in this week, I focused a lot just to have good intensity in the training, to have good focus. It’s important when you come to the Grand Slams that you are focused every single session, that you can keep going on like that.

“Happy with the level that I produced today in the first match.”

Next for Cilic is Grigor Dimitrov who held off Janko Tipsarevic o 6-3, 6-0, 3-6, 6-7(4), 6-4.

“I lost the focus,” Dimitrov said. “But overall it was great to win that match. This is what I have waited for, to win matches like that. In the past months, all those matches have gone the other way around for me. And I just felt that this time, at the important moment, I really stepped up.”

Diego Schwartzman also advanced in five sets over Marton Fucsovics. Kei Nishikori blew out French wildcard Quentin Halys. David Goffin won in straights.

Thirty-seven-year-old Nicolas Mahut scored another big win upsetting 2018 semifinalist Marco Cecchinato from two sets down.

The tournament lost a couple players to injuries as Felix Auger-Aliassime withdrew due to an adductor injury he suffered over the weekend in Geneva. And American Sam Querrey also pulled out.

On tap on a big Monday, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic make their debut. Nadal will meet former USC standout Yannick Hanfmann. Djokovic, seeking a second Career Slam and 4th straight slams, faces rising Pol Huburt Hurkacz.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Dominic Thiem are also in action.

MONDAY FRENCH OPEN SCHEDULE
Court Philippe CHATRIER Début à 11h00
Caroline WOZNIACKI (DEN) [13] v Veronika KUDERMETOVA (RUS)
Yannick HANFMANN (GER) v Rafael NADAL (ESP) [2]
Novak DJOKOVIC (SRB) [1] v Hubert HURKACZ (POL)
Serena WILLIAMS (USA)[10] v Vitalia DIATCHENKO (RUS)

Court Suzanne LENGLEN Début à 11h00
Pauline PARMENTIER (FRA) v Kiki BERTENS (NED) [4]
Sorana CIRSTEA (ROU) v Petra KVITOVA (CZE) [6]
Jo-Wilfried TSONGA (FRA) v Peter GOJOWCZYK (GER)
Dominic THIEM (AUT)[4] v Tommy PAUL (USA)