Bopanna was seen volleying back at the evergreen maestro on Saturday!
Swiss tennis star Roger Federer (Photo: AFP)
Roger Federer, on the verge of an unprecedented 20th Grand Slam title, has been busy training on Saturday with Indian doubles ace Rohan Bopanna on the eve of their respective Australian Open 2018 finals.
Just a relaxed Saturday afternoon hit . @rogerfederer @theljubicic @thedavidoff @AustralianOpen #tennis #melbourne #tennislife pic.twitter.com/QDk3Sbutsu
— Rohan Bopanna (@rohanbopanna) January 27, 2018
Advertisement
Federer, the defending champion in Melbourne and second seed, faces the sixth-seeded Marin Cilic for a chance at his sixth Slam Down Under on Sunday.
The 36-year-old Swiss has the edge against Cilic, holding a 8-1 record against the 6’6 Croatian but this is their first-ever meeting on the hardcourts of Melbourne.
Notably, Cilic stunned Federer enroute to his maiden US Open title in 2014, but considering Federer’s ominous form for the past two weeks, the veteran is very much the favourite.
As his rivals have struggled with injuries, Federer has made a mockery of his age to once again, rewrite the history books and he is yet to drop a set in the year’s first Slam.
Cilic has been in fine fettle too, stunning the likes of Rafael Nadal to reach his first final in Australia and his contest with the evergreen Federer promises to be an intriguing one for sure.
Roger at practice with @rohanbopanna Toru Hanai pic.twitter.com/1yjvCDQPIK
— Maria (@inspiredtennis) January 27, 2018
Before the men’s singles final, however, Bopanna and his Hungarian partner Timea Babos will battle it out against former ally Gabriella Dabrowski and Mate Pavic for a shot at the Mixed Doubles crown.
Bopanna, a well-known player on the doubles circuit, won his maiden Slam in 2017 when he partnered with Dabrowski to lift the French Open title and his massive serve is among the best on the ATP Tour.
The 37-year-old paired with Edouard Roger-Vasselin in the men’s doubles but the 10th-seeded duo fell in the round of 16.
Advertisement
