Right here’s a twenty second century tennis trivia query: “Who was Roger Federer’s final opponent?”
Trick reply. There have been two: Jack Sock and Frances Tiafoe.
Sock and Tiafoe, each Individuals, are undoubtedly the supporting actors in Friday evening’s Federer-centric farewell manufacturing. However they pose an actual risk to Federer going out on a excessive observe.
Sock, particularly, has performed much more doubles in recent times than Federer or his celebrity companion, Rafael Nadal, who’ve lengthy centered virtually completely on singles.
Sock, 29, has a glittering 205-96 profession file in doubles and has been ranked as excessive as No. 2 on the earth. He just lately gained the title in Washington, D.C., with companion Nick Kyrgios and simply helped the USA Davis Cup workforce advance to the quarterfinals by partnering with Rajeev Ram to win two essential matches.
Federer and Nadal have each gained gold medals on the Olympics in males’s doubles. Sock’s gold got here in blended doubles in 2016 with Bethanie Mattek-Sands. However in contrast to Federer or Nadal, Sock has gained Grand Slam doubles titles: three in males’s doubles and one in blended doubles.
Sock has a giant serve, an imposing forehand with an excessive grip and fabulous contact and reflexes on the internet. Regardless of his stable body and generally sleepy gaze, he additionally could be very fast, which implies that he and the speedy Tiafoe will have the ability to shut quite a lot of gaps in a rush tonight towards Federer and Nadal.
However although Tiafoe, 24, simply broke by to succeed in the semifinals in singles this month on the U.S. Open, he might be the weak hyperlink on this match. He has but to win a doubles title on tour and has a dropping profession file of 23-39.
Tiafoe, an extrovert with a flashy sport, does like a giant event and an electrical crowd, nevertheless, as he proved once more in New York this 12 months. He definitely appeared relaxed within the run-up.
“I’m simply excited to play two up-and-comers tomorrow,” Tiafoe joked on Thursday.
Sock already has performed these up-and-comers in doubles on the Laver Cup, dropping with companion Sam Querrey in 2017 to Federer and Nadal of their first-ever official match collectively.
For Tiafoe, given the circumstances, it is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime expertise.