07/31/2020 - 15:49
- Clarín.com
- sports
A few months ago, Italy was the country most affected by the pandemic of the new coronavirus and, therefore, the confinement did not avoid even the towns, such as Finale Ligure, in the province of Savona and on the shores of the Ligurian Sea. Carola Pessina, 11, and Vittoria Oliveri, 13, had to find a way to continue playing tennis and, as neighbors, they decided to do it from terrace to terrace. Vittoria's father tied a rope from the rails and, while each family ate on the terrace, the girls rambled. One day they were recorded and the video went viral. Three months after that April 18, Roger Federer went there to surprise them.
The meeting happened on July 10 and took place thanks to Barilla, the Italian pasta brand that is one of Federer's sponsors. As the girls recorded an apparent interview about how the idea of playing from one deck to the other had arisen during mandatory isolation, Federer appeared on the scene. "Hi Carola, hi Vittoria, how are you?" He said, with a soft and somewhat shy tone after hearing the praise of the Italian junior players towards him.
It was then that he proposed to stay on the terrace while they went to the other building and prepared to rally with him. "We can't believe it! Federer is on our terrace and he's going to play with us! I'm going to pass out. I promise it's him, he's real, he's not a dummy. This is Federer's racket and this is Federer" , said Vittoria, the more outgoing of the two, in a video recorded with her cell phone as they ran from one house to the other.
From a rooftop match that went viral to meeting @rogerfederer.
Just incredible to see 💖pic.twitter.com / LuozuHYJiT
"Today was my first game after a long long time. That's why I lost several balls, which fell down, on top of the trucks, and with Carola and Vittoria we laughed a lot. They couldn't believe that I made so many mistakes. But I think that's the nice thing: I really was not better than them and they were better than me sometimes. They had the advantage of the locality, "joked the former world number 1.
"Personally for me, it is a very special moment in my tennis career to be able to surprise a fan of a child, as I was able to do with Carola and Vittoria. It was great. I knew many places around the world, but this is definitely up for me, as a special experience. We showed that we can play anywhere and have fun. I had a great time, "added the Swiss, who after playing with the girls invited them to lunch.
As Julián Weich did in his Surprise and Media program from the 90s, Federer surprised them again. At the end of the video, he appeared to announce that they will be awarded scholarships at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca. "Hello, Carola and Vittoria. Here Roger. The surprises are not over yet. I found out about a great summer camp and it will be a perfect place for you girls. I spoke with the Academy of Rafa and Barilla and I would like to send them there. So why don't you start packing? Enjoy it! "he wished them.
