Cruising in Monte Carlo usually refers to something people do out on the blue Mediterranean. On Tuesday, it was a term better applied to Roger Federer, and the way he defeated Philipp Kohlschreiber on the red terre battue at the Monte Carlo Country Club.
The score was 6-2, 6-1 for the second-seeded Swiss, and the 50-minute, second-round (after a Federer bye) encounter was about as one-sided as it gets on the men’s tour.
In the first set, Federer was ahead 3-0 in seven minutes; in the second it took him a little longer—nine minutes—to gain a 3-0 advantage.
Perhaps the most telling stat of the match is one that was available before it even began. Kohlschreiber, 27 and in his tenth year as a pro, was 0-17 against players ranked in the Top 3. Make that 0-18 after a performance that rarely got a reaction from the well-heeled crowd, who were at least able to spend a pleasant midday in the sunshine.
An efficient Federer faced but one break point, when leading 4-2 in the opening set, and Kohlschreiber botched it with a lame backhand error wide. The German, who has a tendency to mope when things go south, did not put on much of a show and fell to 0-6 against Federer, with only one set won, in their career head-to-head.
All and all, it was an ideal start to Federer’s clay-court season. Hitting 21 winners to just nine unforced errors, Federer was watched by Severin Luthi and wife Mirka, but Paul Annacone was unseen. Those in attendance saw Federer make a rather tame fashion statement; he wore a collarless top—which on the color chart can probably best be described as a very "blue" blue—with traditional white shorts, socks, shoes and headband.
So Federer’s 10th Monte Carlo is neatly underway, with his best result being a runner-up, three years in a row to Rafael Nadal in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Next in line for Federer, on Thursday, will likely be No. 15 seed Marin Cilic, who on Wednesday will face the winner of today's match between Pere Riba and Potito Starace.
—Tom Tebbutt