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2019 Hopman Cup Men's singles Pat Rafter Arena, Queensland Tennis Centre USA vs Switzerland |
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Roger Federer will aim to put Switzerland on the front foot in their Hopman Cup tie against the USA when he plays Frances Tiafoe in the first match of the New Year. Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 8:30pm (AEDT).
The Fed Express is back to defend the Hopman Cup crown for Switzerland after the tournament gave him an ideal preparation over the last two years for a pair of successful assaults on the first grand slam of the year at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
He won the tournament last year alongside Belinda Bencic, and the Swiss got their campaign off to a brilliant start on Sunday by handing a beat down to the Great British team.
It might have been Federer’s first game since the off-season, but he showed no signs of rust, starting the new season in the way only he could – with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Cameron Norrie.
Norrie wasn’t in the same league as the world No.2, with Federer belting him all over the RAC Arena from start to finish.
Frances Tiafoe finished the 2018 season ranked just outside the seeding places for this year’s first grand slam, and he will remain there with no ATP points on offer at this tournament.
However, Tiafoe is a name who should be closely monitored by tennis fans, because, like other youngsters Alex De Minaur and Alexander Zverev, he has an immense amount of talent.
In saying that, he did fall short to another youngster in his first match of the year, losing to the Freek team and Stefano Tsitsipas in three tight, entertaining sets.
The pair have had three previous matches, and while Tiafoe has improved a lot in the last 12 months, previous results will still be lurking in the back of his mind here, given he hasn’t so much as taken a set of the Fed Express in two of their three previous meetings, although he did push Federer to five sets at the US Open last year.
Prediction
Federer has never had a problem dispatching Tiafoe before, and while the American is a much better player than he was 12 months ago when the pair last met, it’s still tough to see him stealing so much as a seat from the greatest player of all time.
Federer in straight sets.
Be sure to join The Roar for live coverage of this Hopman Cup match featuring Federer from 8:30pm (AEDT) and don’t forget to add a comment in the section below as all the action unfolds in Perth.
Start time: 8:30pm (AEDT)
Venue: RAC Arena, Perth
TV: Live, Nine Network
Online: Live, 9Now
Betting: Federer $1.36, Tiafoe $3.21
Overall record: Played 3, Federer 3, Tiafoe 0
Last meeting: Basel 2017, Federer defeat Tiafoe 6-1, 6-3
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