Federer in town for Paris Masters, to face Raonic today

Roger Federer yesterday confirmed his participation at this year’s Paris Masters after a three-year absence.The Swiss world number three will face Canada’s Milos Raonic today after receiving a bye in the first round.“I feel like it’s better for me to play matches rather than practice, and I think that’s it. As long as I don’t feel like I’m taking a chance on my health prior to London (the ATP Tour Finals), that’s the key as well,” Federer said.“I’m happy to play tomorrow. I feel like I recovered well from last week. So yeah, I’ll give it a go tomorrow. I’m excited,” he added, after winning the Swiss indoor championships in Basel on Sunday.Raonic beat Frenchman Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 6-7 (4), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5) yesterday.Federer’s only tournament victory in Bercy came in 2011. On his last appearance in 2015 he was knocked out by American John Isner in the round of 16. It will be the first non-Grand Slam event to feature Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic since last year’s Indian Wells Masters.Meanwhile French hopes of success in Paris were dented when Pierre-Hugues Herbert, Jeremy Chardy and Benoit Paire were eliminated in the first round yesterday. World number 57 Herbert was beaten by Kazakhstan’s Mikhail Kukushkin in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 7-5) while Jeremy Chardy, ranked 40th, lost 6-4, 6-4 to Spain’s Fernando Verdasco.The 56th-ranked Paire made the opening round through the qualifiers but lost 6-4, 6-4 to Hungary’s Marton Fucsovics. Gilles Simon defeated compatriot Lucas Pouille 6-3, 6-4 in an all-French affair to advance to the second round yesterday. The 33-year-old Simon outplayed Pouille with some clean and disciplined tennis, claiming three breaks of serve and only giving away nine unforced errors to win in 1 hour and 24 minutes. Edmund’s season overKyle Edmund was forced to end his season yesterday as the British number one withdrew from the Paris Masters with a knee injury. Edmund has been advised to rest after scans showed a small amount of fluid behind his left knee.The 23-year-old hopes to recover in time for the start of the 2019 season.It has been a breakthrough year for world number 15 Edmund, who won his first ATP Tour title and also reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open in January.Edmund, whose record is 36-21 for the year, had still been in the race for a place as an alternate at the ATP Tour Finals in London next month before pulling out of the Paris Masters.