Victorious Roger Federer creates history yet again!
History is created yet again as Roger Federer emerges triumphant against Serena Williams in the Hopman Cup. However this experience goes much beyond that as two of the game’s greats treated fans worldwide to an unforgettable evening.
As many as over 14,000 fans in Perth and millions around the world had been eagerly waiting for this mega-event.
The two legends, Federer and Williams, holders of a combined 43 singles Grand Slam crowns, won their singles matches to keep the mixed doubles clash alive and the deciding match lived up to the hype it had generated as both players left the court with big smiles.
The local media boasted for this to be the the most anticipated clash involving men and women since 1973’s “Battle of the Sexes” where Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in an exhibition match. But what makes it stand out was that there was only mutual respect between Federer and Williams.
From an excerpt of an interview, 20-times Grand Slam winner Federer, quotes, “It was great fun. What a pleasure. What an honour. Thank you for making it possible,I was nervous returning. People talk about her serve so much and I see why it is such a wonderful serve because you just can’t read it.”
Playing in front of the highest single session attendance in the tournament’s history, the team of Federer and Belinda Bencic beat Williams and Frances Tiafoe 4-2 4-3(3) to clinch the tie to top the group. Earlier, Federer hardly broke sweat in his singles match against Tiafoe, taking his game up a notch at 4-4 in the first set to win 6-4 6-1. Williams, who had powered past Greece’s Maria Sakkari in straight sets on Monday, then fought back from a set down to seal a 4-6 6-4 6-3 win over Bencic to level the contest at 1-1.
It’s only time we witness more such power packed performances coming live onto the field.
