Melbourne, AUS -- January 20, 2020
Roger's 2020 season started on a positive note as he took the court in Melbourne for his first round match. The Swiss star looked near flawless on Monday as he faced American, Steve Johnson.
The 6-time Australian Open Champion showed no nerves as he stepped out on court to take his 98th match win in Melbourne winning it 6-3, 6-2, 6-2. He walked away with 34 winners and 11 aces and wrapped up the victory in just 81 minutes.
“I think, for me, really, the first three rounds are key to get going, to get used to the pressure, stay calm, when to save break point or 30/30 points… or just to stay calm if you're down a set and a break or whatever it might be. This is sort of the unknown that can be a little bit scary at times. But today there was none of that, because I broke early each set and was able to get on a roll, play freely after that. And also, I felt I had margin. Anything I was doing I felt like I had the game under control. That might not be the case in the next round, so I just think I have to be careful. Round-by-round, point-for-point mentality. I know other guys that are playing extremely well right now so I think it's just important to stay very calm about things right now,” said Roger.