Nadal-Federer are a hit off court too
Pragya Tiwari, December 14, 2015, New Delhi, DHNS
Swiss ace looks forward to working with new coach Ljubicic
It was a rare sight, at least in this part of the world. Mahesh Bhupathi flanked by tennis superstars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal and the two binding all and sundry with their gift of repartee. Together, the three comprise for 42 Grand Slams and the effect was captivating.
The panes of the press conference room were thronged by the eager fans who braved the security to catch a glimpse of two greats -- Federer and Nadal. When Nadal waved at them in the midst of a question and answer session following the match between Indian Aces and the USE Royals, the effect was good enough to bring the roof down!
Federer, who was taking a question from a lady scribe, instantly quipped, “see they love your voice so much!”
It never appeared the two have been part of some of the relentless on-court battles, that they form a rivalry to be the best. Nadal had beaten Federer in their one-set battle on Saturday, but neither of them made much of it. Federer was all smiles in defeat, Nadal gracious. In between, they kept poking fun at each other to keep the laughter going.
As Nadal courted various questions from his form to Olympics, he admitted his handicap in spoken English: “My English, you know..." he smiled. Federer was quick to get at him. "Go on, Rafa. I am enjoying listening to this!"
Nadal had his chance when the two were asked about the absence of their showdown at the US Open. “The blame is on me, I messed up one time on match point. He was waiting (in the final),” said Federer referring to the 2010 US Open semifinal which he lost to Novak Djokovic.
Nadal pounced on it by slyly: “Actually, it was twice! (Federer had two match points).”
On a serious note, the Swiss champion insisted IPTL was serious tennis and not an exhibition event. He had arrived late Friday night and was glad to put up a fight against Nadal. "I thought I would do worse because I was rusty, while Rafa had played in Manila and here before this," said Federer, who will also appear in Dubai and Singapore legs but did not make any commitment to IPTL next season. “Glad I could give him a fight.”
“Yes, I was hoping for the same. Some fight from your side,” Nadal chipped in.
There has been considerable interest after Federer hired Ivan Ljubicic as coach after a two-year successful stint with Stefan Edberg. Federer believed Ljubicic could bring something exciting to his team.
“The two years (with Edberg) have been amazing, he was a hero of mine growing up. Ivan, I have known him for long, long time. It's first time I have someone within my team that has played against players that I have played against. My coaches in the past have all been players from a different generation. I think Ivan can bring something very exciting to my team. I like when you have a lot of information. I'm looking forward to the next year,” he said.
Federer was also eager to partner compatriot Martina Hingis for the 2016 Olympics. “She was a hero of mine. I used to be a 15-year-old practising at the National Tennis Centre while she was winning Wimbledon at 16. It's beautiful to see that she is still playing.”
The panes of the press conference room were thronged by the eager fans who braved the security to catch a glimpse of two greats -- Federer and Nadal. When Nadal waved at them in the midst of a question and answer session following the match between Indian Aces and the USE Royals, the effect was good enough to bring the roof down!
Federer, who was taking a question from a lady scribe, instantly quipped, “see they love your voice so much!”
It never appeared the two have been part of some of the relentless on-court battles, that they form a rivalry to be the best. Nadal had beaten Federer in their one-set battle on Saturday, but neither of them made much of it. Federer was all smiles in defeat, Nadal gracious. In between, they kept poking fun at each other to keep the laughter going.
As Nadal courted various questions from his form to Olympics, he admitted his handicap in spoken English: “My English, you know..." he smiled. Federer was quick to get at him. "Go on, Rafa. I am enjoying listening to this!"
Nadal had his chance when the two were asked about the absence of their showdown at the US Open. “The blame is on me, I messed up one time on match point. He was waiting (in the final),” said Federer referring to the 2010 US Open semifinal which he lost to Novak Djokovic.
Nadal pounced on it by slyly: “Actually, it was twice! (Federer had two match points).”
On a serious note, the Swiss champion insisted IPTL was serious tennis and not an exhibition event. He had arrived late Friday night and was glad to put up a fight against Nadal. "I thought I would do worse because I was rusty, while Rafa had played in Manila and here before this," said Federer, who will also appear in Dubai and Singapore legs but did not make any commitment to IPTL next season. “Glad I could give him a fight.”
“Yes, I was hoping for the same. Some fight from your side,” Nadal chipped in.
There has been considerable interest after Federer hired Ivan Ljubicic as coach after a two-year successful stint with Stefan Edberg. Federer believed Ljubicic could bring something exciting to his team.
“The two years (with Edberg) have been amazing, he was a hero of mine growing up. Ivan, I have known him for long, long time. It's first time I have someone within my team that has played against players that I have played against. My coaches in the past have all been players from a different generation. I think Ivan can bring something very exciting to my team. I like when you have a lot of information. I'm looking forward to the next year,” he said.
Federer was also eager to partner compatriot Martina Hingis for the 2016 Olympics. “She was a hero of mine. I used to be a 15-year-old practising at the National Tennis Centre while she was winning Wimbledon at 16. It's beautiful to see that she is still playing.”
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