Rome: Federer was scheduled to play against Sousa on Wednesday, but the day's play was washed out due to rain. The match was played on Thursday and Federer had no problem in brushing aside the challenge.
"I'm happy we got to play a good match. I think it's a slippery court here, I must say. It's tough to play I think for all the players. Every clay court plays slightly different: Monaco, Madrid, Barcelona, here, Paris," Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) quoted Federer as saying.
"I think when it's a bit nicer weather here, it slides a lot. I came out of the blocks well, had a good feeling. Didn't get broken. That on clay in a first round is a good sign," he added.