Federer delights in routine win over Mayer at US Open

11:08 - 02 September 2015

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Having been the victim of a major scare from Leonardo Mayer last year, Roger Federer was delighted to ease past the Argentinian at the US Open on Tuesday.

Roger Federer revealed he had feared a much sterner challenge from Leonardo Mayer after breezing past the Argentinian to reach the US Open second round.

The champion at Flushing Meadows in each year between 2004 and 2008 could hardly have asked for a more routine start to his latest campaign as he dropped just five games on Tuesday in a match lasting 77 minutes.

Federer's dominant victory provided a sharp contrast to his last meeting with Mayer, which saw the Swiss save five match points in Shanghai last year before eventually prevailing in an encounter he described as "one of the luckiest matches I've ever won in my career".

As the world number 34, Mayer shaped as one of the toughest opponents Federer could have faced in the first round this week.

"Well, that's the thing. You just don't know how these matches are played out," said Federer following his 6-1 6-2 6-2 success.

"Looking ahead, it definitely looked like a very tough draw in the first round. For me, anyways.

"But then again, today was much faster than Shanghai. It's a different place and different conditions. It allowed me to play fast-court tennis against him, which wasn't really the case in Shanghai. Plus I wasn't quite sure how conditions were there. The ball was flat and wasn't bouncing at all.

"I don't know. I just got a little bit surprised how big he was serving, as well, over there. I think I was better prepared here this time around. Plus, I'm playing very well at the moment. Playing with confidence. [I] got off to a good start. Then the match obviously can be very different.

"I actually wasn't so confident yesterday and today. I got that lucky in Shanghai, so it was just creeping around in my mind that maybe today was going to be a bad day.

"Plus I had practiced with him, you know, here, I don't know, the day of the draw, and he was playing very well in practice, too. It wasn't just Shanghai I was looking at.

"I'm happy I'm through. I'm happy I played as good as I did. I feel like I played pretty freely, considering it was the first-round match, which is always not easy to do."