Melbourne, Jan 17 (IANS) On Saturday night at the Australian Open, Roger Federer, Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Patrick Rafter, and Ashleigh Barty entertained the crowd with a lively exhibition doubles match during the opening ceremony, sharing laughs throughout.

Federer arrived in Melbourne on Thursday morning and received a warm welcome from fans. The tennis icon later spoke about the Alcaraz and Sinner rivalry that has etched itself into the tennis landscape in a similar manner to Federer vs. Rafael Nadal. The six-time Australian Open champion participated in the Grand Slam’s inaugural ceremony in a special ‘Battle of the World No. 1s’ game on Saturday.

As the lights illuminated Rod Laver Arena, the crowd fell quiet as the four ATP No. 1 Club members walked out together, then rose once more when Rod Laver stepped in for the coin toss.

Six-time Australian Open champion Federer immediately set the tone for the evening, taking the microphone and greeting the crowd as though he had never left. "I have missed you and it is great to be back. It’s just where we left off, so many memories and nice to dive back into it,” ATP reported.

Hewitt was already bouncing on his toes, Rafter appeared relaxed, and Agassi calmly scanned the arena before the match started.

Hewitt started the match serving, and the crowd quickly erupted in cheers. Federer hit a forehand lob that, despite being framed, surprisingly landed as a winner over Rafter, causing all four players to laugh and Hewitt to shake his head.

As the match progressed, the contrasting styles became evident. Agassi joked about remaining behind the baseline, while Rafter tried to avoid hitting forehands at all costs. In a first-to-four format, the first two sets went by quickly, with the score at 4-2, 2-4, and the Australians taking the first set.

With a third set remaining to determine the winner, Barty stepped onto the court to replace Agassi. The former World No. 1, who won the Australian Open in 2022 before retiring, was greeted with loud cheers upon her return. Barty swiftly settled into her rhythm from the baseline, and alongside Federer, secured a 4-2 victory in the third set, in front of a record-time crowd of 10 champion Novak Djokovic, who watched from courtside.

"It was beautiful. It was fantastic. I couldn't be any happier. Just being back in Melbourne with my friends, legends, rivals, is always a thrill. I am a big historian of the game and looked back at who has paved the way for us and this is a beautiful moment for tennis and obviously I am looking forward to the Australian Open,” Federer said after the game.

Agassi has won the Australian Open four times, and Hewitt made it to the final in 2005. Rafter's top performance was reaching the semi-finals in 2001. The Australian Open begins on Sunday, with Carlos Alcaraz competing. Jannik Sinner is the two-time defending champion.

--IANS

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