"I can't thank enough the people here in Cape Town. "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. 8 Feb 2020 at 09:15 CAPE TOWN: Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal attracted what organisers said was a world record crowd for a tennis match when they played an exhibition event in the Cape Town Stadium on Friday.The organisers said an audited attendance of 51,954 beat the 42,517 who watched Federer play Alexander Zverev of Germany in Mexico City last November.They also announced that the 'Match in Africa' raised US$3.5-million for the Roger Federer Foundation, which supports educational and athletic programmes for children in Africa.
Tickets will go on sale in early September as the two icons attempt to set a world record for most attendees at a tennis match. "Earlier in the day, Federer and his doubles partner billionaire Bill Gates beat Nadal and South-African born comedian Trevor Noah in a match with more flexible rules.The ceremonial coin toss was performed by World Cup-winning Springbok rugby captain Siya Kolisi, who presented Federer with a Springbok jersey. It was a big pleasure for me to be part of it. Federer, Nadal headed to Cape Town to play in Match for Africa. "I want to marry Roger," she shouted.Earlier in the afternoon, Federer and Nadal played tennis with children from townships in Hout Bay.The children are part of an afterschool activity programme with Zip Zap Circus which develops gross and fine motor skills.HONG KONG: Two dozen people in Hong Kong, including pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, have been charged with participating in an illegal assembly at a vigil on June 4 commemorating the crackdown on protesters in and around Beijing's Tiananmen square in 1989.A gunman who shot dead a suspected shooter who allegedly killed three, including a police major, at a gambling den in Bangkok’s Yannawa district on Monday night has surrendered, claiming self-defence.Three foreigners have recently been arrested in two different criminal cases, police said on Thursday.
Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal play out an exhibition in front of 51,954 fans, a new record for a tennis match, at Cape Town stadium. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal attracted what organisers said was a world record crowd for a tennis match when they played an exhibition event in the Cape Town Stadium on Friday. He gave it to Kolisi.Other high-profile South African sports stars in attendance included former Springbok captains John Smit and Jean de Villiers as well as Olympic swimmer Ryk Neethling.The match is the sixth edition of the event organised by the Roger Federer Foundation and is the first to take place in Africa. 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. Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal always draw a crowd, but even for them this was a record.Two of the greatest players to ever pick up a racquet came together in front of a sell-out crowd of 51,954 at Cape Town stadium, the biggest ever to watch a tennis match.Federer beat his great rival 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in the three-set exhibition match in aid of the Roger Federer Foundation, on what felt like something of a homecoming for the Swiss star.His mother was born in South Africa and although the Swiss great regularly holidayed there as a child, he had not been to Cape Town in 20 years.Signs around the cavernous football stadium said, "Welcome home, Roger," whilst the coin used for the toss was 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. "Roger's at a disadvantage.
I hoped to win just one Wimbledon.