Roger Federer won the first round in straight sets.
(Keystone)
Switzerland's top men's tennis player, Roger Federer, has defeated Nicolas Escude of France in the first round of the $800,000 Lyon grand prix tennis tournament.
Federer disposed of Escude in straight sets, winning the first 6-3. He battled to overcome the Frenchman in the second, eventually taking it in a tie-break (7-6).
The 19-year-old from Basel was dominant in his serving game, and didn't concede a single break-point to his opponent.
In Thursday's second round match he will play the winner of the encounter between number seven seed Cédric Pioline of France and Slovakia's Karol Kucera.
Federer, who on Monday rose to 24th in the sport's world rankings, has a positive balance in head to head encounters against both players. He beat Pioline in their only previous match and has defeated Kucera twice without reply.
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