After a long 17-month wait, Roger Federer will finally step on the court at a Grand Slam match tomorrow. He last played at the Australian Open 2020 where Novak Djokovic thrashed him in the finals. Even though he recently underwent two knee surgeries, he looks fully fit and fine right now.

The Swiss ace will play against the qualifier Denis Istomin in the first round of the French Open 2021. Fans are quite excited and want to witness some of his brilliant skills tomorrow.

Roger Federer v Denis Istomin: Preview

World No.8 Federer hasn’t played many matches on clay lately. He made a return on the court at the ATP Geneva Open 2021 where Pablo Andujar defeated him in three sets. Even though Federer played some beautiful forehand winners, the Spaniard crushed him by playing some fabulous shots targeting his baseline.

On the other hand, Istomin hasn’t played a single main draw match this year. However, he defeated Damir Dzumhur in the qualifiers to seal a spot in the main draw of the French Open 2021.

While Istomin is famous for his quick play, Federer is a player who likes to set his opponent. The former World No.1 will surely come prepared for the drop shots- a thing that caused him huge troubles during his match against Andujar. He’ll certainly try to avoid long rallies and take the advantage of his brilliant service in the match tomorrow.

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Roger Federer v Denis Istomin: Head-to-Head

On the tour, the Swiss great has been completely dominant over Istomin so far. He leads the head-to-head battle 7-0 and has only dropped two sets against him.

The two last met in the first round of the Australian Open 2019 in which Federer thrashed Istomin in straight sets. Thus, it’ll be intriguing to see if Federer manages to extend his hegemony over Istomin or the Uzbek player will take revenge of his last defeat.

Federer v Istomin: Prediction

Though not at his best, Federer will surely start as the favorite before the match. However, if Istomin manages to play some long rallies and makes Federer tired, there is a chance that he might turn the tables around.

It is certainly the best chance to beat Federer as he hasn’t been that great on clay lately. But, one must not forget that he is still a 20-time Grand Slam winner and has the potential of ending the match in straight sets.

Will Federer be able to impress his fans with an incredible win over Istomin tomorrow?

Also Read: “Doesn’t Mean That I Ain’t Going to be Hard to Beat”: Roger Federer’s Honest Admission Ahead of French Open 2021