When Roger Federer turned the match point into a 3: 6, 6: 3, 6: 2 victory against Alexander Zverev, Tina Turner's Simply the best sounded from the speakers in Plaza de Toros Mexico. In the largest bullfighting arena in the world in Mexico City, 42,517 spectators had attended the third of a total of four matches of the two counterparts in Central and South America.
This is a new world record in tennis. Previously, Kim Clijsters and Serena Williams (USA) held the record with a show match in front of 35,681 spectators in Clijster's Belgian home country. The largest pure tennis stadium is in New York. The Arthur Ashe Stadium hosts the annual US Open, where 22,547 spectators fit in. Federer had announced ahead of the game in Mexico to set a new record next February. Then he would like to compete in South Africa at Cape Town Stadium before 55,000 against Rafael Nadal.
I never want to forget this magical evening in Mexico City with @AlexZverev
42'517 people came,
We broke this record together!
Viva Mexico
Pic.twitter.com/z6GJ6Yfq7P
Originally five games between Federer and Zverev were planned, but the match in Colombia's Bogota had to be canceled due to political unrest. This Sunday, the duo decide their trip in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. The Swiss had won the first match in Santiago de Chile 6: 3, 4: 6, 6: 4. In the appearance in Buenos Aires Zverev won with a 7: 6, 7: 6.
REUTERS
The sombrero was not missing after the award ceremony in Mexico City
The 38-year-old Federer and the 22-year-old Zverev had announced early that they would not compete in the parallel Davis Cup. The tradition-steeped event is played since this season in a new mode completely at the end of the season. Zverev complained about the length of the tennis season - and chose five show matches against Federer. For that had to take the German criticism. After separating from his former manager Patricio Apey, Zverev announced last August that it would be marketed by Federer's Management Agency Team8.
Nadal leads Spain into the final
In the Davis Cup, hosts Spain are picking up Rafael Nadal for his sixth title. The team around the 19-time Grand Slam champion prevailed in the semi-final 2-1 against Great Britain, which had thrown in the quarter-final Germany from the tournament. In the final, the Spaniard meet final decider Canada, who had previously defeated Russia 2-1.
Feliciano Lopez was beaten by Kyle Edmund 3-6, 6-7 (3-7) and increased pressure on Nadal. But this delivered nervously from, the world number one first defeated Daniel Evans 6: 4, 6: 0. In the decisive doubles Nadal and Lopez won 7: 6 (7: 3), 7: 6 (10: 8) against Jamie Murray and Neal Skupski. The Spaniards in 2011 had brought the last Davis Cup victory so far.
Previously, Canada had celebrated its first final appearance at a Davis Cup. Vasek Pospisil and Denis Shapovalov secured the decisive point with a 6: 3, 3: 6, 7: 6 (7: 5) against Russian duo Andrej Rublew and Karen Khachanov.