London (dpa)
Swiss tennis star Roger Federer hinted that he might make a farewell tour, following playing the last official match of his professional career, on Friday evening.
Federer, who has won 20 titles in the four Grand Slam tournaments, played with Spanish star Rafael Nadal in the doubles competitions in the Laver Cup, but failed to win, and bid farewell to the fans on the field following the match.
The duo, Jack Sock and Francis Tiafoe, of Team World, imposed their dominance and beat Federer and Nadal, of Team Europe, 4-6, 7-6, 11-9, but the match remained a celebration for Federer, 41, and tears fell from the eyes of both Federer and Nadal following the match, which lasted two hours and 14 minutes and was attended by 17,500 fans, as the stands were full.
The loss of Federer and Nadal did not affect the feelings of love that the fans showed to the Swiss star at the end of his professional career.
Federer had announced last week that participating in the doubles competitions in the Laver Cup would be the last of his career, but he kept the door open regarding the possibility of reappearing on tennis courts around the world but outside professional competitions.
“I have absolutely no plans for where, how and when, all I know is that I would like to go and play in places I’ve never played before, and I say thank you for years to come to all those who have been so supportive of me,” Federer said in a post-match press conference.
He added: “The difficult thing regarding the Laver Cup is that the tickets are all sold out already, and you know that a lot of people probably wanted to come here and they mightn’t.”
He added that there might be another way we can all celebrate together.
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Rafael Nadal
Federer and Nadal cried in the last match of the “Planet Tennis”, sparking a wide interaction
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Dubai, United Arab Emirates (CNN) – A clip of tennis stars Rafael Nadel and Roger Federer crying, following the latter’s retirement match, Friday, sparked a wide interaction on social media.
After Federer and Nadal played a doubles match in the Laver Cup tennis, which ended in their loss, the two stars appeared to cry side by side as they mourned Federer’s retirement from the world of yellow football.
The shot sparked wide reactions, as the former Egyptian goalkeeper, Ahmed Schubert, commented on it, saying: “The greatness of the competition is in a picture… Nadal cried for Roger Federer’s retirement from tennis,” as he put it.
A large number of tweeters commented on the snapshot, expressing their sadness at the retirement of “Planet Tennis”.
Federer had announced a few days ago that the Laver Championship will be the last in the professional tennis world, following 24 years he spent at the professional level, in which he achieved historical achievements that placed him among the greatest in the history of this game.
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Roger Federer will pair with Rafael Nadal in his goodbye to tennis
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
From the Laver Cup they confirmed that Roger Federer will say goodbye to tennis by pairing up with Rafael Nadal, in the doubles duel this Friday once morest Frances Tiafoe and Jack Sock.
You will have your dream goodbye. the swiss Roger Federer will say goodbye to professional tennis with a doubles match with the Spaniard Rafael Nadalwithin the framework of the Laver Cup in London.
The order of play this Friday revealed the expected couple, who already competed in the first edition of the Laver, in Prague 2017. The rivals of Federer and Nadal will be the Americans Jack Sock y Frances Tiafoe.
The match will be played on Friday, in the night shift, following a singles duel between Andy Murray and Alex de Miñaur, which will start at 3:00 p.m. in our country. The clash of doubles is estimated for around 5:00 p.m. in Chile.
This will be Federer’s only match at the Laver Cup, as the Swiss has warned that he is not physically ready to play singles matches. It will also be his first meeting since he lost in the 2021 Wimbledon quarterfinals.
Federer arrived in London on Monday, before holding a press conference in which he detailed the reasons for his retirement, at 41 years old and following having barely been able to play 20 games in more than two and a half years. Nadal, for his part, lands this Thursday in London, following exercising at his academy in Manacor.
The Spaniard, who is awaiting the birth of his first child, has not competed since he fell in the round of 16 of the last US Open.
The line-up is set for Day 1 of #LaverCup pic.twitter.com/HnulRs01KX
— Laver Cup (@LaverCup) September 22, 2022
The emotion of ‘Rafa’ to be with Roger Federer
Rafael Nadal assured that playing alongside Roger Federer, in his last professional match, will be something “unforgettable”.
The Spaniard landed in London this Thursday for the Laver Cup, in which he will play the doubles match this Friday alongside ‘His Majesty’, who announced his retirement last week.
“It’s a different pressure following everything we’ve shared. Being part of this historical moment is going to be unforgettable for me. I am very excited, I hope I can play well and create a good moment and win the match”, Nadal said at a press conference.
“Being by Roger’s side once once more is something I look forward to and it makes me very happy,” added the Spaniard.
Flushing Meadows: Tunisian Anas Jaber in the quarter-finals for the first time
written by Alexandra Hartman Editor-in-Chief
Australian Nick Kyrgios of Russia, world number one, Daniil Medvedev, was stripped of the US Open tennis title, the last of the four Grand Slams, when he beat him 7-6 (13-11), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 on Sunday in the fourth round, while Tunisian Anas Jaber reached the quarter-finals for the first time.
It is the first time that the Australian, ranked 25th in the world and 23rd in the tournament, has reached the quarter-finals in Flushing Meadows, and Jaber followed suit, the fifth in the world, by defeating Russian Veronika Kudermitova 7-6 (7-1), 6-4.
Kyrgios, who lost the third Grand Slam final to Novak Djokovic to Serbia, will meet Karen Khachanov, the 31st in the world and 27th in the tournament, who beat Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta 12th 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6 3 in three hours and 21 minutes.
It was the third time that Kyrgios met with Medvedev this year, as the Russian won the first confrontation in the second round of the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam in January, and the Australian responded in the same round of the Montreal Masters 1000 points last August .
“I’m glad I was finally able to show in New York how well I can play,” said Kyrgios, 27. “I work every day, really hard.”
“It was a great match, obviously Daniel played under a lot of pressure because he was defending the title, but I’ve played amazing in the last two months.”
With his loss today, Medvedev will lose the first place in the world rankings to Spain’s Rafael Nadal, third, or his compatriot Carlos Alcaras, fourth, or Norway’s Rod Casper, fifth, who are still in the competition.
Medvedev praised his Australian opponent, stressing that he raised his level of play to the same level as Nadal and Djokovic.
“Nick today played somewhat at the level of Novak and Rafa,” the Russian said. “If he plays like this until the end of the tournament, he has every chance to win it.”
Italian Matteo Berrettini booked his ticket to the quarter-finals by defeating Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in a marathon match 3-6, 7-6 (7/2), 6-3, 4-6, 6-2.
In the next round, Berrettini will meet seventh-seeded Casper Ruud, who has become the first Norwegian in history to reach the quarter-finals at Flushing Meadows, following defeating French Corentin Mute 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (4/7), 6-2.
The 26-year-old Italian, ranked 14th in the world, continued his distinguished series of results in the tournament, following he eliminated Britain’s Andy Murray in the previous round.
Despite missing Roland Garros (French Open) and Wimbledon this year due to injury and illness, the Italian performed well in the four Grand Slams that preceded them.
He reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open earlier this year, and the quarter-finals of Flushing Meadows last year.
Berrettini was Wimbledon runner-up in 2021, which came shortly following reaching the quarter-finals at the French Open.
For his part, Rudd reached this role in Flushing Meadows for the first time, and the third in the Grand Slam in 2022.
Woroud, who is an expert on clay, had reached the Roland Garros final this year and lost to Nadal.
Among the women, Jaber continued her march towards the quarter-finals, when she defeated 18th-year-old Russian Veronika Kudretova 7-6 (7-1), 6-4.
It is the first time that Jaber, the runner-up for Wimbledon, the third grand slam, has reached the quarter-finals of the American Championships and set up a date with Australian Ajla Tomljanovic, who had knocked out American Serena Williams from the third round on Friday and beat Russian Lyudmila Samsonova for the 35th Sunday 7-6 (10-8). ) and 6-1.
Jaber sent a message to the American fans in order to support them in the next match, saying, “I will face Ayla, who beat Serena…”.
Jaber has never skipped the third round in Flushing Meadows previously.
The 17th French Caroline Garcia reached the same round for the first time in Flushing Meadows, by defeating American Alison Risk-Amritraj 6-4, 6-1.
Garcia has already reached this role in a major tournament once, which was at Roland Garros 2017.
The 28-year-old has been making outstanding levels recently and reached New York following winning the Cincinnati 1,000th title and unbeaten in her last 12 matches.
The French have previously lost all three of their matches once morest the American.
“Alison is a very strong player, she is a fighter and she moves well but I was ready for that,” she said following the win.
Garcia will meet in the next round with the other American Coco Gauff, the 12th, who defeated China’s Zhang Shuai 7-5, 7-5.