Three to See, Day 2: Federer gets American upstart Tiafoe in opener

Each day of the tournament, we'll preview and predict three must-see matches at Flushing Meadows.

Angelique Kerber [6] vs. Naomi Osaka

What’s the next step down from “flying under the radar?” That’s where Kerber has been residing for most of 2017. The defending US Open champion started the year at No. 1, but is currently buried at No. 16 in the Race to Singapore. Now that the pressure is off and the expectations have vanished, can she find her game again? She’ll start with what could be a tough one in Osaka. The 19-year-old is still exceptionally erratic, but she has established herself in the Top 50, and she reached the third round at the Open last year.

Winner: Kerber

Rafael Nadal [1] vs. Dusan Lajovic

For a top seed, Nadal doesn’t come to this year’s Open brimming with confidence in his form. He played poorly in his losses to Denis Shapovalov and Nick Kyrgios this summer, and admitted that he felt some pressure to justify his new No. 1 ranking. In his current state, a lot of opponents could give him a serious run, but it’s hard to say if Lajovic is one of them. He’s talented, but he lost his only meeting with Rafa, at the French Open in 2014, in three quick sets. More important, his one-handed backhand will likely be vulnerable to the Nadal crosscourt forehand. That’s usually not a winning formula, even against a subpar Rafa.

Winner: Nadal

Roger Federer [3] vs. Frances Tiafoe

Opening-round night matches tend to be blowouts, and on paper this would appear to be another one: Federer has won 19 major titles; Tiafoe has won seven ATP matches. But it should have its electric moments. The 19-year-old Tiafoe pushed Federer to a first-set tiebreaker in their only meeting, in Miami earlier this year. And in the last Open tune-up, in Cincinnati, he recorded his biggest win so far, over Alexander Zverev. Federer, meanwhile, could show signs of rust after sitting out Cincy with a balky back. But while Tiafoe’s speed will help him make some inroads, and energize the crowd, he would probably have to redline for three sets to win.

Winner: Federer

—2017 Grand Slam Encores: Gear up for the U.S. Open and sign up for Tennis Channel Plus to watch Australian Open, Wimbledon and Roland Garros 2017 action on demand.

—Slam Classics: Take a look back at some of the best Grand Slams in tennis history and watch full-length classic matches on Tennis Channel Plus.

—Get Tennis Channel Plus for 650+ live events all year long.

—Tennis Channel Plus is available on any streaming device, on mobile, always on the GO (desktop, iOS, Android, Apple TV, Roku and Amazon Fire). Subscribe today at BuyTCPlus.com.