Federer To Play Tsonga In Pre-Australian Open Exhibition

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 25th November 2013

Federer To Play Tsonga In Pre-Australian Open Exhibition

epa03942813 Roger Federer from Switzerland returns the ball to Juan Martin del Potro from Argentina during their group B singles match in the round robin stage at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in the O2 Arena in London, Britain, 09 November 2013. EPA/FACUNDO ARRIZABALAGA |

The Roger Federer Foundation will mark the start of its second decade of service as its sixth-ranked patron plays Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in an exhibition at the Rod Laver arena a week before the start of the Australian Open. The charity effort is one of several which have been staged at the venue during run-ups to the first grand slam of the season.

Other efforts have benefitted victims of Australian bush fires and flood victims in the state of Queensland. The charity event will be staged following Federer’s career debut at the Brisbane ATP event beginning in late December, where the 17-time grand slam winner will try to lift his form after a poor showing by his lofty standards during 2013.

The exhibition hit-out will also make it a decade since Federer, 32, won the Australian Open for the first time, beating Marat Safin in the final. The Federer foundation concentrates its efforts on helping schoolchildren in his mother’s native South Africa. It has so far helped more than 50,000 children and hopes to double that number by 2018.

Topics: 10sballs, Atp, Australian Open, Jo Wilfried Tsonga, Rod Laver, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News