Roger Federer’s run to his 18th grand slam title at last month’s Australian Open has been praised by world No.1 Andy Murray.
The 35-year-old entered Melbourne after being absent from the tour for six months due to a troublesome knee injury. Playing in his first tournament since Wimbledon, Federer defeated four top 10 seeds to win his first major title for three-and-a-half years.
“It’s incredible what he did in Australia after such a long break,” Murray said.
“We play so much — a lot of the year. Sometimes coming to events fresh can have some huge advantages.
“Him and Rafa were both coming back from a pretty significant period of time out and they both played extremely well. Maybe that’s something we can all learn from moving forwards.”
Murray, who suffered a shock fourth round to Mischa Zverev at the Australian Open, confirmed on Thursday that the Swiss player will play him in an exhibition event later this year. Federer is set to participate in the second edition of the ‘Andy Murray Live’ exhibition in November at the SSE Hydro in Glasgow. The event raises money for local and national charities. Last year, Murray raised over £305,000 for Unicef UK and Young People’s Futures (YPF).
“It’s really good he’s doing it. He’s just extremely popular. He’s one of the best players that’s ever played the game. It’s not just how much he’s won, but the way he plays and how he carries himself.” Murray said about Federer’s attendance.
“He said a few years ago he wants to go to places he’s not been. It’s great.”
The world No.1 has also shared some advice for his Swiss rival for when he travels to Scotland to play for the first time in his career.
“Don’t try the deep-fried Mars bars.” He joked.
“I tried one last year for the first time and it was horrific.”
“Stay away from them.”
The charity night will occur on November 7th and be broadcast live by Eurosport, who has secured the exclusive rights to the event. It is expected that the broadcaster will show the event live around the world.
“To have the chance to broadcast Andy Murray Live – featuring two of the finest players of this generation in Andy Murray and Roger Federer – on our platforms is a terrific opportunity for fans to see their heroes in action while also raising important funds for charity.” Eurosport CEO Peter Hutton said.
On the ATP Tour, the two players have played each other 25 times with Federer leading the head-to-head 14-11.
