Tied for Andre Agassi for 28 night match wins at the US Open, Roger Federer would be looking to add his name to the history books yet again tonight. He faced Steve Darcis from Belgium, neither opponent had faced each other before. To soften your memories, Darcis is the player who defeated Rafael Nadal in the opening round of Wimbledon in 2013. Both players may have not played each other, but they’re aware of what each can do.
Federer sharp early
The Swiss was at it again, winning 100 percent of his first serve points and net approaches as well through the first three games. Stats do not lie, Federer was for sure the early aggressor.
The Swiss won the next five games and broke Darcis three times on his serve. Of course, there isn’t much to say about the Belgian, except that he was getting outplayed. Darcis, who had only won two points in the first set, gave Federer an easy 6-1 set in a staggering 22 minutes.
Second set, same story
This writer was not sure how fast that set was, but it almost felt like a blink of an eye. Federer was blistering, winning the first three games of the second set, (with ease we'd say) leaving him at 3-0. Darcis would eventually find himself on the scoreboard, by winning the next game. Courtside commentator Brad Gilbert one point says “I’m not sure if Federer is sweating.” implying it's way too easy out there for the two seed.
As the set progressed, Darcis would only win one more game, (that’s also one more than the first set) and handed a break to Federer to claim the second set (6-2) in just under an hour for the match.
Federer making it look too easy
A quick and strong start to the third set, just like the sets before, Federer would find himself up 2-0. Darcis, although did have a small chance at survival in the third game. A break point chance against the Swiss on his serve, which would be the closest the Belgian would get all night. “Fed” would hang on and secure his serve at 3-0, followed by another break against Darcis' serve. The world number 66 would fight off the humiliating “bagel”; a good moral victory in his case. Federer would shortly close things out in regular fashion, winning the match in just 80 minutes. With 46 winners compared to 8, it’s fair to call this a beatdown by the Swiss.
Jump on the bandwagon while you can, because it seems like Federer will be making a deep run at the US Open this year. He now has the most night match wins at the US Open ever, Fed looks laser-focused, in top form on his game, and fresh. Winning these matches in straights sets and quickly, is only beneficial for him at his age. Federer looks to carry on this momentum next against the German, Philipp Kohlschreiber.