Federer escapes - just

Rain created havoc on Day Two of the 2017 US Open, but not before Naomi Osaka had  created havoc of her own for defending champion Angie Kerber.

Not since 2005 had a champion lost in the first round after winning the title the previous year. Kerber followed the dreaded example of Sveta Kuznetsova.

Continuing a poor year, Kerber was easy fodder for an aggressive and fearless young Japanese player.

Despite hitting 10 winners to 5, Osaka could not find a way through the Kerber defence. In fact Angie had the first break point in the fifth game, saved by a winning backhand volley.

In the eighth game Kerber wasted a game point and a double fault presented Osaka with her initial break chance which she devoured hungrily.  Serving for the set at 5-3 Kerber saw two chances to break back slip away as well as set one.

Osaka smashed the sixth seed in set two, contributing a further 12 winners and limiting unforced errors to 5.  Kerber's unforced error count increased by 10 to a match total of 23, while winners only reached 9 by the conclusion of a decisive 6-3 6-1 dismissal.

In the space of 2 days three of the top eight seeds are gone.

The four other matches decided prior to rain were:

Karolina Pliskova (1) d Magda Linette 6-2 6-1

Barbora Strycova (23) d Misaki Doi 6-1 6-3

Yanina Wickmayer d Lesia Tsurenko (28) 6-3 6-1

Sorana Cirstea d Lesley Kerkhove 6-1 6-3

Other matches incomplete will be finished on Day 3, weather permitting.

Jelena Ostapenko was fortunate to have her match against Lara Arruabarrena shifted to Centre Court in order to complete - the Roland Garros champ was leading 6-2 1-6 3-1 and ended the clash quickly, winning the remaining three games and booking a second round berth 6-2 1-6 6-1, 

No further action on outside courts but the scheduled Centre Court battles were concluded.

Rafa Nadal (1) began scratchily but soon flowed into a nice rhythm, waving goodbye to Dusan Lajovic 7-6 (6) 6-2 6-2.

Madison Keys (15) was too accomplished for Elise Mertens, winning 6-3 7-6 (6).

Then, finally, the match of the day - Roger Federer (3) v Frances Tiafoe, the American teenager.

All sensible thought suggested this would be over in three sets and the crowd would be home relatively early.

Not so as Tiafoe had all the running in set one.  Federer committed 18 unforced errors and was terrible on his second serve.

One break was enough and the first set was the American's.

Roger settled , as one would expect, and cleaned up the next two sets 6-2 6-1 and people prepared for a fast finish.

Another brilliant effort from the young talent - he embarrassed the third seed 6-1 and forced him into a fifth and deciding set.  

Federer achieved a break in the fourth game and held on to that until he served for the match at 5-3.

Tiafoe pressured the Swiss great and incredibly broke back, but the adrenalin of the moment was too much and Federer capitalised on some mistakes to break again and win the match 4-6 6-2 6-1 1-6 6-4.