Roger Federer Breezes Past Yoshihito Nishioka for Round 1 Win at 2018 US Open

Roger Federer cruised to victory in the first round of the 2018 U.S. Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing, New York, on Tuesday.

The five-time U.S. Open champion defeated Yoshihito Nishioka in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, 6-4.

ESPN Stats & Info shared this nugget from Federer's win:

Federer returned to competition at the Western & Southern Open earlier this month, his first tournament back since exiting Wimbledon in the quarterfinals. He finished runner-up to Novak Djokovic in Mason, Ohio, and keen to make a strong start against Nishioka.

The 37-year-old was simply a class above his opponent Tuesday night.

With the temperature in the high 80s in New York City, the Charlotte Observer's Rick Bonnell wondered if Federer was trying to beat the heat:

Federer opened the match by breaking Nishioka's serve in the first game, setting the tone for what would be a one-sided contest. He broke Nishioka again to go ahead 4-1 in the opening set and then had a set point while up 5-1 with Nishioka serving. Although Nishioka held on, Federer took the set a game later.

The first point in that seventh game told the story of the match. In no time, Federer had Nishioka on the defensive to eventually set up a forehand winner:

The following two sets played out in much the same fashion. According to the U.S. Open's official website, Federer collected 56 winners, compared to 18 for Nishioka. Nishioka actually had 12 fewer unforced errors, but his risk-averse approach only made life easier for Federer on the baseline.

Nishioka trailed 0-4 in the third set before coming alive a bit. He drew some applause from the New York crowd with shots like this:

Ultimately, Nishioka was delaying the inevitable, as Federer held serve in the 10th game to secure the victory.

Federer will meet Benoit Paire in the second round after Paire dispatched of Dennis Novak in four sets. Federer and Paire have met on six occasions, with Federer winning all six. In addition, Federer has dropped just one set to the 29-year-old Frenchman.

Based on how efficiently he defeated Nishioka, Federer shouldn't have much trouble booking his place in the third round.