The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)

Tiafoe, 19, sets up match against Federer in Miami

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Now things will get a little more challengin­g for Frances Tiafoe at the Miami Open in Key Biscayne, Florida.

Tiafoe, a 19-year-old from Maryland, set up a second-round meeting against 18-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer at the hard-court tournament by beating Konstantin Kravchuk 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 on Thursday.

Tiafoe hit 12 aces and accumulate­d 14 break points, converting five, on the 32-year-old Kravchuk’s serve. This was Tiafoe’s third career match victory at a Grand Slam or Masters event. Kravchuk, meanwhile, dropped to 0-7 overall this season.

Tiafoe is ranked 101st, Kravchuk 103rd. The level of competitio­n will rise against the fourthseed­ed — and former No. 1-ranked — Federer.

In other men’s firstround action, Horacio Zeballos came back to beat Gastao Elias 6-7 (2), 6-2, 7-5 and earn a matchup against topseeded Stan Wawrinka next. Wawrinka lost to Federer in the final at Indian Wells, California, on Sunday.

Elsewhere, Adrian Mannarino defeated qualifier Benjamin Becker 7-6 (6), 6-3 and will next face No. 32 Paolo Lorenzi, Borna Coric edged Marcel Granollers 7-6 (6), 4-6, 6-3, and Tommy Robredo topped Nikoloz Basilashvi­li 3-6, 6-4, 6-2.

In second-round women’s matches, Lucie Safarova eliminated 23rd-seeded Daria Gavrilova 6-2, 6-2, while Kirsten Flipkens beat No. 29 Ana Konjuh 7-6 (4), 6-7 (6), 6-2.

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