Tiafoe sets up Federer clash

Life is about to get more difficult for Frances Tiafoe at the Miami Open.

Tiafoe, a 19-year-old from Maryland, set up a second-round meeting against 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the hard-court tournament by beating Konstantin Kravchuk 7-5 5-7 6-1 on Thursday.

Tiafoe hit 12 aces and accumulated 14 break points, converting five, on the 32-year-old Kravchuk’s serve. This was Tiafoe’s third career-match victory at a Grand Slam or Masters event.

Tiafoe is ranked 101st, Kravchuk 103rd. The level of competition will rise against the fourth-seeded – and former No. 1-ranked – Federer.

In other men’s first-round action, Horacio Zeballos came back to beat Gastao Elias 6-7 (7-2) 6-2 7-5 and earn a match-up against top-seeded Stan Wawrinka.

Wawrinka lost to Federer in the final at Indian Wells, California, on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Adrian Mannarino defeated qualifier Benjamin Becker 7-6 (8-6) 6-3 and will next face No. 32 Paolo Lorenzi, Borna Coric edged Marcel Granollers 7-6 (8-6) 4-6 6-3 and Tommy Robredo defeated Nikoloz Basilashvili 3-6 6-4 6-2.