Federer - Nadal 'Match in Africa' sets social media tongues wagging
As a curtain-raiser to the main event of the evening, fans were treated to a celebrity pro doubles match between Roger Federer/Bill Gates and Rafael Nadal/Trevor Noah. Photo: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency (ANA) As a curtain-raiser to the main event of the evening, fans were treated to a celebrity pro doubles match between Roger Federer/Bill Gates and Rafael Nadal/Trevor Noah. Photo: Phando Jikelo/African News Agency (ANA)
CAPE TOWN – Not only did the ‘Match in Africa’ exceed its target of raising $1 million for the Roger Federer Foundation by a whopping $3.5 million… it also set a new Guinness World Record by congregating 51,954 souls in attendance at a single tennis match.
The venue: the iconic Cape Town Stadium – host of the annual Cape Town Rugby Sevens – though this time on a blustery, ‘Cape Doctor’ wind-swept Friday night.
Sure, “looks at de scoreboard” a now famous, unnamed Afrikaans rugby commentator once said… in this case Federer beat his friend and rival-on-the-night Rafael Nadal 6-4 3-6 6-3 in an entertaining three-set extravaganza. But on the night, tennis and more importantly, South Africa… amid these local dark, economic and politically volatile days, was the ultimate winner.
This is how social medial responded:
First up, host Roger Federer
had this short post on twitter to say:
🤹♂️🥁🚀🏟
Speechless 😶 pic.twitter.com/oI3YSR7eLd
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) February 7, 2020
Comedian and host of the US based Daily Show, Trevor Noah
said:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Trevor Noah(@trevornoah) on Feb 7, 2020 at 3:54pm PST
IOL Sport's Ashfak Mohamed
reported from the post-match presser:
. @RafaelNadal says the @matchinafrica is "one of those days you don't forget" @IOLsport @IOL #MatchInAfrica #MatchForAfrica #Federer #Nadal pic.twitter.com/7pfluNzJFf
— Ashfak Mohamed (@ashfakmohamed) February 7, 2020
IOL Sport scribe Stuart Hess
wrote:
That was awesome last night. All of it. #MatchInAfrica pic.twitter.com/KVsZZ6oOfX
— stuart hess (@shockerhess) February 8, 2020
One more from Trevor Noah
, this time on twitter:
Calm before the storm. #MatchInAfrica @rogerfederer @RafaelNadal @BillGates pic.twitter.com/2sJKSHSMJS
— Trevor Noah (@Trevornoah) February 7, 2020
Broadcaster Supersport
posted:
A little SLICE of heaven ↪️🥴↩️ @rogerfederer and @RafaelNadal are putting on a show for the crowd at the Cape Town Stadium with some ridiculous shots, including this fantastic rally that saw the ball moving in all sorts of directions! #MatchInAfrica pic.twitter.com/N16TKC3AbJ
— SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) February 7, 2020
@blitzbokke7s
shared this video by Phando Jikelo of Federer meeting fans at the Grand Parade:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by BlitzBokke(@blitzbokke7s) on Feb 7, 2020 at 2:56pm PST
@DoubleFault28
shared these two gems from Nadal and Federer:
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28) February 7, 2020
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/Eurosport_RU?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Eurosport_RU) pic.twitter.com/xxEFfDXdMt
— doublefault28 (@doublefault28)
The ATP Tour
posted:
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by ATP Tour(@theatptour) on Feb 7, 2020 at 6:47pm PST
@b_bierbaum
caught this video of the record-breaking stadium crowd:
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A post shared by on the road to catch magic(@b_bierbaum) on Feb 7, 2020 at 6:16pm PST
Our compatriots from way 'Down Under
' posted: