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Top-seeded Roger Federer made a victorious return to his hometown with a lopsided victory Tuesday in his opening match of the Swiss Indoors at Basel, Switzerland. Federer, seeking his eighth title in this event, dropped only four games and needed 61 minutes to complete a 6-1, 6-3 drubbing of Frances Tiafoe of the United States.
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Tiafoe pushed Federer to five sets in the first round of the U.S. Open, but the Swiss superstar dominated this time around. Federer won all 21 of his first-serve points and broke the American four times while never facing a break point.
A 12-time finalist here, Federer advanced to a matchup against Benoit Paire of France. Federer has won all four meetings against Paire, never yielding a set.
Defending champion Marin Cilic of Croatia also had an easy time in his first-round match, winning the first set 6-3 before Germany's Florian Mayer retired.
The second-seeded Cilic had seven aces in the first set en route to a second-round matchup against either countryman Borna Coric or Switzerland's Henri Laaksonen. Coric wrapped up a spot in the Next Gen ATP Finals when Tiafoe lost to Federer.
No. 3 seed David Goffin of Belgium also won in straight sets, dispatching Germany's Peter Gojowczyk 6-2, 7-5. Goffin withstood nine aces from the German but also converted five break points in his 81-minute victory.
Fifth-seeded Jack Sock of the United States averted an upset, dropping the opening set before rallying for a 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-5 victory over Canada's Vasek Pospisil. Sock saved 11 of 13 break points to advance against Hyeon Chung of South Korea.
No. 8 seed Mischa Zverev of Germany was not as fortunate and was ousted in straight sets by Argentina's Leonardo Mayer 7-5, 7-5. Mayer will next face either American Jared Donaldson or Hungarian qualifier Marton Fucsovics.
Paire ousted American Steve Johnson 6-3, 7-6 (4), while American Ryan Harrison rolled over Ukraine's Alexandr Dolgopolov 6-4, 6-1.
