US Open SmashTalk: Was Tiafoe terrific or Federer fragile?

Roger Federer may have won his first-round match on Tuesday night, but it was far from convincing.

The Tennismash team of Paul Moore, Vivienne Christie, Matt Trollope and Leigh Rogers give their thoughts on what that result means for Federer as well as discuss Angelique Kerber’s future, Karolina Pliskova’s favouritism (or lack thereof) and what is grabbing their attention on Day 3 of the US Open.

Agree or disagree with our panel? Have your say on Facebook and Twitter using #SmashTalk.

What did you make of Roger Federer’s five-set win over Frances Tiafoe in the first round?

Moore: That Roger Federer isn’t going to win his third Slam this year. If any of his rivals were watching, they would have taken heart from this performance. Federer looked erratic, laboured, and most importantly beatable. Perhaps he was just having a bad day at the office, but perhaps not. He struggled under attack, and clearly wasn’t moving freely around the court. These are worrying times for Fed Fans…

Christie: It’s felt a bit all-or-nothing for Federer this season. Alongside two Grand Slams and two other titles he’s also lost to a world No.302 (Tommy Haas in Stuttgart) and No.116 (Evgeny Donskoy in Dubai) so a loss to a talented world No.70 in Tiafoe was never out of the question. The slow start and late lapse were notably un-Federer-like but what mattered was he found his way eventually. Possible back problems aside, I’d like to think Federer has blown out the US Open cobwebs. From here, I suspect he’ll now move forward more freely.

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Trollope: That’s the least convincing I’ve seen Federer look all season. His movement appeared hampered – which is surprising given his back tweak occurred more than two weeks ago in the Montreal final, and he hasn’t played since – and he had little feel on his shots. Sure, Tiafoe played inspired tennis, but a fully fit and firing Federer should have easily handled a player so raw. If his condition doesn’t improve – five sets of tennis won’t have helped – I can’t see him winning the tournament.

Rogers: Federer is a champion and should never be written off, but that performance proves he is far from his best right now. His lack of match form was evident and he still does not look 100 per cent fit. Was his movement hampered by the cooler night air? Perhaps, but that was still a far from convincing first-round win for a title favourite.

Why aren’t people talking more about world No.1, top seed and last year’s finalist Karolina Pliskova?

Moore: You could put it down to Muguruza’s sparkling form or the return of Sharapova, but the reality is that Karolina Pliskova is not very interesting. Yes, she plays great tennis and yes, she’s a worthy world No.1. But she’s not particularly engaging (either on or off the court). In a country that likes its glitz and glamour, unfortunately Karolina doesn’t cut the mustard.

Christie: It’s not your fault, Karolina! It’s just hard to take rankings, or even seedings, seriously when the No.1 is yet to claim a Grand Slam title. And the fact that eight women could challenge for top spot after the US Open adds to the ho-hum factor. Yes, Pliskova was a finalist in 2016 but given her second-round loss at Wimbledon – when expectation were so high – it’s hard to talk seriously of her as a contender so early.

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Trollope: It’s a good question, given she should be one of the absolute favourites. I’d say it’s because the last time we pegged her as a slam favourite, she bombed in the second round at Wimbledon after winning in Eastbourne. She enjoyed a steady rather than spectacular build-up to the US Open and she’s slipped a little under the radar. Her resounding first-round win should put her back in the conversation.

Rogers: The reality is, despite her ranking, Pliskova does not have the x-factor and high profile of rivals such as Garbine Muguruza and Maria Sharapova. She soon will – but for now, slipping under the radar best suits the Czech’s personality and I believe she is set for another deep profile-boosting run in New York.

What advice would you give Angelique Kerber after her latest loss?

Moore: Does anyone else see a similarity between Angelique Kerber and Novak Djokovic? Bear with me on this. What I mean is that both have realised their life ambitions, and both have struggled to deal with the reality of doing so. Djokovic is taking time to recalibrate, and Kerber should do the same. Stumbling around the world getting walloped by players she would normally beat is painful to watch and can’t be much fun.

Christie: To put all her heart and energy into the Asian swing. This Grand Slam season is done but there is at least time to add a title, or even match wins, after a time when they’ve been baffling absent. Losing sadly seems to have become a habit for the talented Angie; time now to focus on rediscovering her rhythm and building a foundation for next year.

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Trollope: Drop back to some International-level tournaments and win some matches. Kerber said after her loss to Osaka that she’d had “much less matches (than) last year.” So, she needs to go and play some. Stepping down to a lower tier of tournament would ensure she’s not coming up against as many big or dangerous names as often, hopefully allowing her to get on a bit of a roll. And once she does, she may begin trending in the right direction again.

Rogers: Find a way to rediscover your love of the game. It is sad to see Kerber looking so stressed on court, but falling outside of the top 10 might actually be what she needs. It should alleviate some of the pressure she has felt this season and give her more flexibility (without the WTA top 10 year-end restriction rules) to plan her 2018 schedule. A step back to International-level events to get some much-needed match confidence should help.

What are you looking out for on Day 3?

Moore: First up – what happened to the US Open scheduling on day three? I’d be bummed if I had bought an Ashe day ticket. Saying that, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga v Denis Shapovalov should be fun. Sure, neither of them are going to win the tournament, but they both play big ballsy tennis, and Shapovalov has the right kind of attitude to spring an upset.

Christie: I’m intrigued to see how Maria Sharapova backs up over that stunning round one victory when she takes on Timea Babos. Among some intriguing cross-generational contests the standout is Denis Shapovalov’s first career meeting with Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The 18-year-old Canadian upset Juan Martin del Potro and Rafael Nadal to reach a first Masters semifinal in Montreal and gained impressive momentum through qualifying. The flashy Tsonga is 14 years older but could meet his match in a young player also becoming known for shot-making and showmanship.

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Trollope: the match between Dominika Cibulkova and Sloane Stephens. Both are in form – Cibulkova reached the New Haven final, Stephens back-to-back semifinals in Toronto and Cincinnati – and possess attacking instincts and power which should make for a high-intensity contest.

Rogers: The final match scheduled on Grandstand is a #NextGen showdown between insanely talented duo Borna Coric and Alexander Zverev. Their only previous professional meeting was decided in a third-set tiebreak (won by Coric in Cincinnati, 2015). This could be another classic.