Serena Williams and Roger Federer - delicacies on New Year's Day
Big tennis on the first day of the new year is coming to Perth: the Swiss team with Roger Federer and Belinda Bencic will meet Serena Williams and Frances Tiafoe at the Hopman Cup.
by tennisnet
last edit:
Jan 01, 2019, 08:41 am
Anyone who has not yet familiarized themselves with the details of the Hopman Cup's customs could think that the next edition of the "Battle of the Sexes" is imminent. Without Bobby Riggs and also without Billie Jean King, but with Roger Federer and Serena Williams. In fact, the two legends will face each other on Tuesday evening (local time) in Perth, but only in the final double.
In detail, the maestro will have to deal with Frances Tiafoe, who was beaten in three sets against Stefanos Tsitsipas in the first group game. The Greek in turn had previously lost to Cameron Norrie, who in turn had no chance against Roger Federer.
Tiafoe close to sensation against Federer
The absolutely logical conclusion that Tiafoe will now go down against Federer with flying flags is inadmissible. Well, Federer won the recent encounter in Basel in autumn 2017 with 6: 3 and 6: 1, a few weeks earlier, however, Tiafoe sniffed the sensation in the first round of the US Open - and lost just under five sets.
Frances Tiafoe finished last year at position 39 on the ATP charts and qualified for the #NextGen Masters in Milan. There, however, the American lost two of his three group games and did not make it to the semi-finals.
Serena Williams leads against Belinda Bencic
Roger Federer was engaged even a week longer, the maestro gave his farewell performance in 2018 in the semifinals of the ATP Finals in London. There the Swiss lost to eventual winner Alexander Zverev.
Serena Williams, on the other hand, had stayed away from the tennis circus after the memorable finale at the US Open. In the opening match against Maria Sakkari, the 23-time major winner already showed her own power tennis in some scenes.
Serena played three matches against Belinda Bencic, two of them won. The last meeting took place in round one of the Australian Open 2017, the tournament in which the American was already looking forward to her soon becoming mother. And where Serena had won her last Grand Slam title so far.