Paris (AFP)

Roger Federer had hinted at it a few hours earlier and confirmed it on Sunday afternoon: as a preventive measure for a body still recovering, the Swiss decided to withdraw from Roland-Garros on the eve of his round of 16 .

So much so that his victory in the 3rd round, which could be his last match on Parisian clay, was acquired in the anonymity of a night session behind closed doors due to a curfew in France.

“I decided that I had to withdraw from the tournament. After two knee operations and over a year of rehabilitation, it is important that I listen to my body and that I do not go too fast in the return to health. competition, "said the Swiss, who will celebrate his 40th birthday in August, in a press release from the French Tennis Federation (FFT), which organizes the tournament.

Returned to competition in March, after a double arthroscopy of the right knee in 2020, Federer made Wimbledon - where he dreams of a 9th coronation and a 21st Grand Slam title - his priority objective.

And the matches both in Doha in March on hard (1 victory, 1 loss), as in Geneva in May (1 loss) and Roland-Garros on clay (3 wins before the forfeit) had for announced goal only prepare him for the grass season that he will start in Halle (Germany) the week after the Parisian Major.

On the night of Saturday to Sunday, he fought 3.35 am behind closed doors to eliminate the German Dominik Koepfer (59th) 7-6 (7/5), 6-7 (3/7), 7-6 (7 / 4), 7-5.

The former world No. 1, now 8th, hinted just after this match that he was not sure to play his round of 16 against Matteo Berrettini (9th).

The prospect, in case of victory against the Italian, would have been to face Novak Djokovic in the quarters, or even Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals.

"I don't know if I'm going to play," he said.

"I have to decide whether to keep playing or not. Isn't it too risky to keep shooting (on the knee), isn't it a good time to rest?" interrogates.

- "Reassess every match" -

"Every game I have to reassess the situation and see the next morning in what state I wake up and how my knee is doing. It may be even more true after a game as long as it is today." , he had specified.

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Federer nevertheless savored his victory in the 3rd round and more generally his career at Roland Garros which is the only Grand Slam tournament where he has won only once (2009).

"I am delighted to have won three matches. There is no better feeling than to be back on the pitch," assured Federer on Sunday, who had never yet withdrawn from a tournament. Grand Slam.

"The Roland-Garros tournament is sorry for the withdrawal of Roger Federer, who fought a magnificent fight last night. We were all delighted with his return to Paris where he played three high-level matches. We wish him the best for the continuation of the season, "said tournament director Guy Forget in the FFT press release.

- Badosa and Tsitsipas in quarters -

On the courts, the first qualified for the quarterfinals of the men's table is Stefanos Tsitsipas (5th) who clearly dominated Pablo Carreno (12th) 6-3, 6-2, 7-5.

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Winner of his first Masters 1000 in Monte-Carlo in mid-April, and coming close to beating Rafael Nadal in Barcelona, ​​then Novak Djokovic in Rome during the tour on clay, the 22-year-old Greek will face Daniil Medvedev (2nd) or Cristian Garin (23rd) for a place in the semi-finals.

In the women's table, Paula Badosa (35th), qualified for her first quarter in Grand Slam by beating Marketa Vondrousova (20th), finalist in Paris in 2019, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.

She will face Tamara Zidansek (85th) who released Sorana Cirstea (54th) 7-6 (7/4), 6-1.

The 23-year-old Slovenian had never made it past the second round in Major.

On the other hand, it is a return to quarterfinals at Roland Garros for Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (32nd) who defeated former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka (16th today), 5-7, 6-3, 6 -2.

The Russian, who had already reached this stage in 2011, will face Serena Williams (8th) or Elena Rybakina (22nd) for a place in the last four.

© 2021 AFP