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Sam Querrey shares thoughts on Roger Federer’s form during Shanghai Masters exhibition
Photo by Mohamed Farag/Getty Images

While Valentin Vacherot’s Shanghai Masters win over Arthur Rinderknech naturally drew most of the attention, there was also a moment dedicated to Roger Federer.

Federer watched from the stands as Vacherot secured the title, but he had already been on court earlier in the week for an exhibition match.

The 42-year-old took to centre court alongside actor Donnie Yen. The pair faced off against actor Wu Lei and former WTA player Zheng Jie.

In a result that won’t shock anyone, Federer’s team came out on top with a 5-7, 10-8, 7-1 victory.

Sam Querrey gives his thoughts on Roger Federer’s performance at the Shanghai Masters exhibition

It may not have been a competitive match, but that didn’t stop former player Sam Querrey from weighing in on how Federer looked.

Speaking on Tennis Channel, Querrey was asked for his thoughts on Federer’s exhibition appearance and replied: “I like that he went out with the full bag of rackets, and the extra bag with the clothes for an exhibition, this is a real match!

“He’s messing around, right? He’s not playing with other professionals, but he still looked good. The strokes are there, the timing is there, and you can still tell he can do anything he wants.

“But anytime you get to watch Federer put a racket in his hand, it’s enjoyable. Doesn’t matter if he’s playing Rafael Nadal or he’s playing an exhibition like this in Shanghai.”

Sam Querrey shares what everyone thinks about possible Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal tour

Federer’s appearance at this year’s Shanghai Masters generated plenty of interest, continuing a pattern from similar outings in 2024 and 2023.

In 2023, he played alongside singer and actor Eason Chan against ATP player Zhang Zhizhen and table tennis champion Fan Zhendong.

But lately, much of the buzz has been around the idea of a potential Senior’s Tour featuring Federer and his longtime rival Rafael Nadal.

Querrey was recently asked about the possibility of a ‘Fedal’ tour and responded: “Am I in? Get me tickets to all of it! Who doesn’t want to watch that?”

When someone suggested he could join them on court, he quickly laughed it off: “I can’t, no, get me out of that. People don’t want to watch me. They want to watch Federer and Nadal.”

If the Fedal tour ever gets off the ground, it would be a massive draw for fans who still miss seeing both players compete regularly on the ATP circuit.

And given how sharp Federer looked in Shanghai — plus how recently Nadal stepped away from professional tennis — there’s good reason to think they’d still put on quite a show.

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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