Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Highlights: Federer–Agassi–Barty win three-set thriller

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Federer pushes for the deciding points with another of his serve magic and then wraps up the match with an overhead smash volley.

Hewitt/Rafter 4-2, 2-4, 2-4 *Federer/Agassi (Barty)

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Federer takes a leaf out of Hewitt’s volley magic to produce one of his own. The Swiss then went up against Rafter and Hewitt single-handedly. Barty simply left the court to join Agassi on the bench. The Aussies keep themselves alive in the match.

Hewitt/Rafter* 4-2, 2-4, 2-3 Federer/Agassi (Barty)

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Federer realised it after the camera caught Djokovic’s reaction on Barty winning that point against Rafter.

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Agassi is not just watching from the bench; he is coaching his side, channelling his Laver Cup role. But the digs at Federer are still on. Meanwhile, Hewitt misses the smash to send Barty/Federer 40-15 up. Barty eventually wins the volley rally against Rafter.

Federer realises Djokovic is in the stands and he quickly walks up to him and hugs him. Just greatness recognising greatness!

Hewitt/Rafter* 4-2, 2-4 1-2 Federer/Agassi (Barty)

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Federer brings out the tweener, but Barty errs in getting the forehand drop volley from Rafter over the net. Federer keeps his team in the match with a wonderful serve.

Hewitt/Rafter 4-2, 2-4 1-1 *Federer/Agassi (Barty)

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Barty, also a former world No. 1, won three Grand Slam titles – 2019 French Open, 2021 Wimbledon, and 2022 Australian Open – on the WTA tour during her short career. She also won 12 doubles titles, including a major at the 2018 US Open with CoCo Vandeweghe. Barty retired in 2022, just two months after her Australian Open haul.

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: “Is there an Aussie Open winner here?” asks Agassi and in enters Ash Barty. The Aussie now teams up with Federer.

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Can Federer level the score? Yes he does, and in quick time. “That is so good,” exclaims Agassi. He is surely impressed.

Hewitt/Rafter 4-2, 2-4 *Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Federer steps up to get the first point. And how does he do that? Goes aggressive at the net with a superb smash volley. But Agassi can’t get the ball over the net it seems. And that is because he can’t stop laughing. He has surely been the entertainer with the constant commentary and cheeky digs at Federer. But with a bit of help at the net, Agassi secures the break again.

Hewitt/Rafter* 4-2, 2-3 Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: A double fault from Agassi and Rafter/Hewitt quickly surged ahead to get the break back.

Hewitt/Rafter* 4-2, 2-2 Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: With a bit of his backhand magic, Agassi gets the break for his team. They now lead the second set.

Hewitt/Rafter 4-2, 1-2 *Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: This should already go down as the point of the tournament, which has yet to official begin.

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Bit of Rafter vs Federer there, reviving their old rivalry, and it is the Aussie who emerged on top in the battle today.

Hewitt/Rafter 4-2, 1-0 *Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Federer serves. Hewitt and Rafter quickly go 40-15 up before the Swiss brings out an ace to pull one back. Agassi then errs at the net with his volley as the Aussie pair gets the first break.

Hewitt/Rafter 4-2 *Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Ohh my goodness…what a volley at the net from Hewitt. He would have taken that in his heyday. Hewitt comes up with another volley to keep his team in the lead.

Hewitt/Rafter* 3-2 Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Time for Agassi to serve. A 165 kmph ace and he gets his team to 30-all, and then with a trick play, he evades Rafter’s forehand that went over the baseline. “Keep it simple, Roger,” he says. He then teases Rafter, saying that he will serve really slow and the later could not return a 109 kmph serve.

Hewitt/Rafter 2-2 *Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: By the way, Novak Djokovic is in the stands as well

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Rafter serves it up beautifully to get his team 30-0 up, before erring at the net against a Federer forehand. The 44-year-old old then sends the next point over the line, before Rafter and co. maintains the lead on serve.

Hewitt/Rafter* 2-1 Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Ohhh…what a smash! Agassi still has the athleticism. Federer quickly makes it 30-0 after drawing a forehand error from Rafter. Agassi wins the final point with an unthinkable tweener. Hewitt is gob smacked.

Hewitt/Rafter 1-1 *Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Rafter shows he’s still got it as he wins a rally at the net against Federer, but the Swiss responds on the next points. Agassi errs on the game decider to hand Hewitt and Rafter a 1-0 lead.

Hewitt/Rafter* 1-0 Federer/Agassi

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Hewitt serves. The Aussie goes with a wild forehand against Federer, who casually lobs it over Rafter and Hewitt as the ball finds the baseline. What a point!

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: The legendary Rod Laver gets invited for the coin toss. Federer and Agassi win the toss and opt to receive.

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Six-time champion in Melbourne, Federer, is up next. And what a reception! He is back on the Rod Laver Arena for the first time in six years. “I’ve missed you too,” he tells the crowd. “It’s just where I left off.”

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: An eight-time Grand Slam winner, half of which were won in Australia, Andre Agassi, next makes his way out on the court. He will be teaming up with Federer today in the exhibition match. “It is so wonderful to be back in front of all of you,” he said. “And if I win tonight, it will be because of my partner.”

Roger Federer Exhibition Match Australian Open opening ceremony Live: Two-time US Open champion Pat Rafter is up next to make his way to the Rod Laver Arena. His best showing at the Australian Open came in 2001, when he reached the semis. “Today Hewitt is going to do all the running for me,” he said.