Just 19 years old, Frances Tiafoe was playing at the Miami Open on Thursday for a chance to take the court against 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer. Tiafoe and Konstantin Kravchuk went into their first-round contest knowing that the winner would run into Federer on Saturday.
For almost two full sets, Tiafoe played like there was no extra pressure of any kind. He seized a set and 4-1 lead, but Kravchuk knew a thing or two about sets and 4-1 leads. At the recent Indian Wells Masters, the unheralded Russian squandered that exact lead against Fabio Fognini and ended up falling to the Italian in three sets.
It was almost Kravchuk’s turn to reverse roles in Miami.
He erased all of the second-set deficit and forced a third, but Tiafoe restored order to the proceedings just in time. The world No. 101, had to qualify just to get into the main draw, stormed through the decider to prevail 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 after two hours and one minute.
Tiafoe explained the roller-coaster ride. “Seeing the draw,” he noted, “was probably why, being up a set and 4-1, I started rushing and thinking, ‘Oh, my God, I’m going to play Roger–I’m going to play Roger.
“Then I started thinking, ‘Okay, if I don’t get it done I won’t (play Roger).’ Yeah, I mean he’s my idol–everyone’s idol. People still on tour in the locker room stare at him. He’s an absolute legend. We hope he never retires because he’s such a good ambassador for the sport…. It’s Roger Federer. This guy has about a million Grand Slams and done everything. I mean, I can’t tell you how excited I am to play.”
But his first idol was Juan Martin Del Potro, whose signature massive forehands are also the staple of Tiafoe’s game. Federer, on the other hand, is “too smooth to emulate,” according to the teenager.
“Yeah, you can’t emulate a guy like him,” Tiafoe said of the 35-year-old. “He makes it look way too easy. My actually biggest idol was Del Potro, so playing him in Acapulco was amazing for me. Partly I liked him because he beat Federer at the (2009) U.S. Open final. You know, just someone different. So easy to like him and Rafa and all those top guys.
“(But) Roger, he’s everyone’s idol, and I really can’t wait to play him. I wish I almost didn’t have to wait. I almost want to play right now.”
He won’t have to wait long.
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