Roger Federer tops Rafael Nadal in South Africa

Associated PressFeb 9, 2020, 1:28 PM EST

AP Photo

Roger Federer wasn’t going to lose this one to Rafael Nadal.

Not on what felt like a homecoming for Federer, who beat his great rival 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in a three-set exhibition match at a soccer stadium in Cape Town, South Africa, on Friday.

It was Federer’s first match in his mother’s country of birth, and the country the Swiss great rates as his second home.

Almost everything was for Federer on the night. The caps and T-shirts with RF logos all across the crowd. The “Welcome home, Roger” signs being held up. The coin for the toss, a newly minted 20 Swiss Francs with Federer’s image on it. Federer recently became the first living Swiss to be engraved on one of the nation’s coins.

Even South Africa’s biggest sports stars were in awe. Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s Rugby World Cup-winning captain, came out pre-match to present Federer with a South Africa team jersey with Federer’s name on the back. He was asked who he was supporting.

“Definitely Team Roger,” Kolisi said. “Sorry, Nadal, I love you, too.”

Nadal smiled graciously on the other side of the net.

The exhibition at Cape Town Stadium was to raise money for the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports early childhood education in six southern African countries, including South Africa. The foundation was hoping to top $1 million from the exhibition. It raised $3.5 million.

Also, a sellout crowd of 51,954 came to the Cape Town Stadium – built for the 2010 soccer World Cup – to watch Federer and Nadal turn it on. That’s the biggest crowd ever on record for a tennis match. Organizers said the demand for tickets was in the region of 200,000 requests.

“It was a magical evening,” said Federer, who came to South Africa regularly on childhood vacations with his family but hadn’t been to Cape Town in 20 years.

The 38-year-old Federer, winner of a record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, and the 33-year-old Nadal, with 19 slams, laughed and joked regularly between points.

But they were typically competitive when the ball was in play.

Federer won the first point with a high backhand volley, and broke in the first game on the way to taking the opening set 6-4.

Nadal broke back twice at the start of the second set and unleashed his big forehand winners, grunting loudly in the process, to level at one-set-all.

Federer won with a dainty drop shot on match point. Nadal gave everything to get there, and was going so fast he couldn’t stop in time and had to leap over the net.

He ended up standing next to Federer and they hugged.

“We tried our best as always,” Nadal said. “It’s a lifetime experience playing in front of such an amazing crowd in an amazing stadium. It was a big pleasure for me to be part of it.”

Ultimately, the match showed off the real friendship that lies beneath the fierce rivalry that began when Federer and Nadal played each other for the first time on tour at the Miami Open 16 years ago.

Federer also revealed that on the day of the exhibition, Nadal told him for the first time that he secretly cried for joy when Federer finally won the French Open in 2009.

Federer pulled in a couple of big-name friends alongside Nadal to help out on the night: Bill Gates and The Daily Show host Trevor Noah. Before the main match, Federer and Gates teamed up to beat Nadal and Noah 6-3 in a one-set doubles exhibition.

Microsoft co-founder Gates played one pinpoint lob volley that the announcer described as “the billionaire’s touch.”

Comedian Noah did plenty of good-natured trash talking. He shares a similar heritage to Federer. Both have Swiss fathers and South African mothers.

“Roger’s at a disadvantage. We’re both half-Swiss, half-South African, so I’m in his head. I know what he’s going to do,” Noah, who wore a pink shirt and black headband to match partner Nadal, said before the doubles match.

Nadal has a 14-10 advantage over Federer in finals, leads 10-4 in their meetings at Grand Slams, and 24-16 in their career matches. Five years younger, the Spaniard may well go past Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slams.

“I hope I can still play for a bit longer,” Federer said. “We’ll see how much more. But there’s still lots to look forward to.

“In my dreams, I never dreamed this far. I hoped to win just one Wimbledon. If he (Nadal) catches me, it’s OK.”

Jabeur bounces back at French Open, Ruud and Andreeva advance

Associated PressMay 30, 2023, 11:32 AM EDT

Getty Images

PARIS — Ons Jabeur got a do-over on Court Philippe Chatrier at the French Open and won this time.

A year after her first-round exit, the No. 7 seed Jabeur beat Lucia Bronzetti 6-4, 6-1 to help erase some bad memories and answer questions about a recent calf injury.

The Tunisian, a crowd favorite in Paris, smiled and expressed relief in not repeating last year’s mistake, when she lost to Magda Linette of Poland.

“I’m very happy to win my first match on Philippe Chatrier – because I’ve never won here,” Jabeur said on court about the clay-court tournament’s main stadium.

Now she can focus on trying to win her first major. She was runner-up at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open last year.

The 28-year-old Jabeur has also battled injuries this season. She had knee surgery after the Australian Open, and was then sidelined with a calf injury. She had stopped playing against top-ranked Iga Swiatek at the clay-court tournament in Stuttgart, Germany, in late April and then pulled out of the Madrid Open.

“It was a very difficult period for me after Stuttgart,” said Jabeur, adding that she’s beginning to find her rhythm.

Jabeur struck 27 winner’s to Bronzetti’s seven, though with 24 unforced errors she’ll have room to improve.

Mirra Andreeva had a memorable Grand Slam debut by dominating Alison Riske-Amritraj 6-2, 6-1. Andreeva’s older sister – 18-year-old Erika – was facing Emma Navarro later in the day.

Later, Swiatek gets her French Open title defense started against Cristina Bucsa, who is ranked 70th.

On the men’s side, No. 4 seed Casper Ruud beat qualifier Elias Ymer 6-4, 6-3, 6-2, to remind the higher-profile tournament favorites that he was runner-up to Rafael Nadal last year at Roland Garros.

New mom Elina Svitolina beats seeded player at French Open in 1st Slam match in 16 months

Associated PressMay 30, 2023, 11:27 AM EDT

Getty Images

PARIS — So much has changed for Elina Svitolina, who played – and won – her first Grand Slam match in nearly 1 1/2 years at the French Open, eliminating 2022 semifinalist Martina Trevisan 6-2, 6-2.

For one thing, she’s now a mother: Svitolina and her husband, French tennis player Gael Monfils, welcomed their daughter, Skaï, in October. For another, Svitolina is now ranked 192nd, nowhere near the career high of No. 3 she first reached in 2017, back in the days when she was regularly reaching the second weeks of major tournaments – including a pair of semifinal runs. Away from the courts, her home country of Ukraine was invaded by Russia last year, and the war continues.

“Everything,” she said, “is kind of old and new for me right now.”

In sum, Svitolina is juggling a lot nowadays.

She hadn’t played at a Slam since a third-round exit at the Australian Open in January 2022. She hadn’t played a match anywhere since March 2022, when she was still ranked 20th.

“It was always in my head … to come back, but I didn’t put any pressure on myself, because obviously with the war going on, with the pregnancy, you never know how complicated it will go,” the 28-year-old Svitolina said.

The work to return to the tour after giving birth began this January; her initial WTA match came at Charleston, South Carolina, in April. She won her first title since returning to action, at a smaller event on red clay in Strasbourg, France.

At Roland Garros, she used her big forehand to compile a 20-12 edge in winners and never faced a single break point against Trevisan, who was seeded 26th.

Trevisan cried as she spoke after the match about a problem with her right foot that made it difficult to even walk and prompted her to stop playing during her quarterfinal last week at the Morocco Open, where she was the defending champion.

Still, she gave Svitolina credit.

“Even though she’s just coming back from having a daughter, she’s a champion,” Trevisan said. “And she’s coming off a title, so she’s confident.”

Svitolina talked about feeling “awful when you’re pregnant, especially the last months,” but getting into a position now where she thinks she’s stronger than before – in more ways than one.

“I feel that I can handle the work that I do off the court and, match by match, I’m getting better. Also mentally, because mental (state) can influence your physicality, as well,” she said. “I tried to find the balance, and I feel like I’m seeing (things) a little bit again differently as well after the break. Everything is getting there. The puzzles are getting slowly into place.”