When Brett Lee met Roger Federer in Dubai
Former Aussie speedster in awe of Swiss tennis great
Dubai: “It’s not every day you bump into an absolute legend. Even better guy off the court @rogerfederer,” wrote former Australian fast bowler Brett Lee, who has just recently moved to Dubai. The Instagram post shows the Aussie quick with arguably the greatest tennis player ever, on a golf course in Dubai.
Federer has previously spoken about his affinity for cricket, especially given his mother is South African. He has also met India’s batting legend Sachin Tendulkar and discussed cricket with him, so it comes as no surprise that he has bonded with Lee as well.
It is also a well-known fact that Federer has a home in Dubai and during his active years in tennis, would use the city as a preferred venue for pre-season practice, particularly ahead of the Australian Open. He was also a regular at the Dubai tennis which followed the year’s first Grand Slam, winning the title a record eight times.
Great ambassador
And according to Australian Open champion and current world No 1 Carlos Alcaraz, the Swiss maestro is pretty adept on the golf course too, revealing earlier that the 44-year-old had beaten him over a round.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion has been a great ambassador for the sport, so it comes as no surprise that his International Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony sold out in two minutes on Wednesday. As a result, plans had to be made to add an outdoor watch party that will make room for thousands more fans.
"As a small but historic venue, our capacity is limited," the Hall posted on social media.
The Hall said it anticipated the excitement about the first man to win 20 Grand Slam singles titles, who will be inducted in the Newport-based shrine on Aug. 29 along with broadcaster Mary Carillo. In addition to the 900 tickets originally available for the induction ceremony, the Hall will open its 3,600-seat stadium for a watch party.
The Tennis Hall, which is housed in the 19th Century Newport Casino, recently underwent a $3 million renovation to prepare for upcoming induction ceremonies to honour Federer and Serena Williams, who will be eligible next year unless she makes a comeback.
