Federer beats Zverev in China to wrap up exhibition tour

Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev wrapped up their off-season exhibition tour over the weekend in Hangzhou, China, not just playing each other in singles - with Federer winning in three sets - but also teaming up with each other in doubles against the Bryan Brothers.

The doubles match took place on Saturday, with Federer and Zverev falling to the Bryans, 7-6, 7-6, and the two singles stars played each other on Sunday, with Federer prevailing, 6-1, 6-7, 6-2.

“Thank you for coming out to this very special weekend for all the players,” Federer told the crowd. “I’ve had a chance to see the city and meet people along the way and it was an absolute pleasure playing here tonight again after the doubles yesterday. It’s been a lot of fun so thank you very much.

“I really enjoyed my time here in Hangzhou. I’ll be coming back for many more years to come.”

The Swiss has reportedly signed on to play in Hangzhou for the next four years.

Federer and Zverev did much more than just the two exhibition matches at the “Little Lotus Flower” stadium this weekend, too - they also took part in a kids’ clinic, a charity auction and photo ops.

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There was also a pre-exhibition press conference on Saturday. Among the topics the two were asked about was Federer being recently named GQ Magazine’s Most Stylish Man of the Decade.

“By the way I voted every single day, just so you know,” Zverev joked.

“Maybe one day Sascha will become GQ Man of the Year!” Federer replied. “But I think it’s important to dress for the occasion, and I think tennis has a strong heritage when it comes to style and fashion, and we can mix that with street and on-court stuff. I try to have my own style, I guess, I try to stay very classic, but I also get modern. At the end of the day, it’s online voting and anything can happen.

“I can thank my fans - including Sascha - for voting for me every single day. It was more funny than anything else. People are making fun of me now, and there’s more pressure for what I wear!”

Federer and Zverev’s encounter at the Hangzhou Tmall Cup International Tennis Invitational Tennis Tournament was their fifth and final exhibition match against each other this off-season. They had played four exhibitions halfway across the world in Santiago, Mexico City, Quito and Buenos Aires.

Federer now heads back to Switzerland for New Year’s and will kick off his 2020 season at the Australian Open, where he’s a six-time champion in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017 and 2018. Zverev will begin his 2020 season playing for Germany at the inaugural ATP Cup, which starts this Friday.