Two days into the US Open and already deep holes have been punched in the draws, with more fancied players being eliminated early.
And five-time men’s champion Roger Federer survived a major scare before seeing off American teenager Frances Tiafoe to advance to the second round. The 36-year-old Swiss won 4-6, 6-2, 6-1, 1-6, 6-4 in his first-ever match under the Arthur Ashe Stadium roof, due to the rain which curtailed the day’s action.
In the women’s draw, former world No 1 and defending champion Angelique Kerber was beaten by Naomi Osaka of Japan 6-3, 6-1, and the sixth-seeded German became only the second defending women’s champion in the Open era to be eliminated in the first round of the US Open.
‘I think, yeah, it was not my day, completely not my day today,’ Kerber told the media.
Federer needed five sets to ensure that he reached the second round, and the No 3 seed goes on to face Slovenia’s Blaz Kavcic or Mikhail Youzhny of Russia on Thursday.
Only nine players completed their matches, as rain wiped out much of Tuesday’s schedule.
Men’s top seed Rafael Nadal beat Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (8-6), 6-2, 6-2, before American 15th-seed Madison Keys opened the night session with a 6-3, 7-6 (8-6) victory over Belgian Elise Mertens.
They benefited from the stadium court roof, which was not in place when Federer last played at Flushing Meadows two years ago, a knee injury forcing him out 12 months ago. A crowd of almost 24 000 packed in to see his return to New York, but 19-year-old Tiafoe ensured they saw a far closer contest than expected.
With No 2 Simona Halep’s loss to Maria Sharapova on Monday night and seventh-seeded Johanna Konta also falling, three of the top seven seeds on the women’s side were gone by noon on day two, with Serena Williams not playing because she’s pregnant.
Women’s No 23, Barbora Strycova, advanced with a 6-1 6-3 victory over Japan’s Misaki Doi, while No 28, Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine, was upset by Yanina Wickmayer of Belgium, 6-3 6-1.
Sanity was restored when world No 1, Karolina Pliskova, emerged unscathed with a 6-2 6-1 victory over Magda Linette of Poland.
READ: Maria Sharapova beats No 2 seed Simona Halep
Photo: Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
