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‘I Have More Hair..’ – Roger Federer’s Fierce Russian Opponent Turned Frivolous Over Shanghai Masters’ Epic Tribute in a Rare Blast From the Past

Published 09/29/2023, 1:20 PM EDT

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Over the years, Roger Federer has had some fierce rivalries during his illustrious career. From Rafael Nadal to Andy Roddick, the Swiss Maestro has been involved in some of the greatest matches. Among them was the Russian tennis star, Nikolay Davydenko, who gave Federer a run for his money. Despite the scoreline not in his favor, the Russian star played some fearless tennis against him that was a treat for the tennis fans. Recently, an old video featuring the two resurfaced and went viral on social media.

With the Grand Slams done and dusted for this season, the focus heads to the Masters tournaments. The Shanghai Masters tournament is coming up next week where top tennis players will battle it out for glory. Federer and Davydenko’s viral video was from the same tournament a few years ago.

When Roger Federer and Nikolay Davydenko met their lookalikes

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Ahead of the Shanghai Masters, the tournament’s official Instagram handle shared a hilarious behind-the-scenes video where Federer and Davydenko were spotted having a laugh alongside American legend, Andy Roddick. As the three entered a room, they spotted some statues covered in a black cloth.

Subsequently, they went on to remove the black covering to see the statues, which were actually their lookalikes. Federer one was the first one to go and he was in awe of his statue. Reacting to it, he said, “Yeah, it’s nice. It’s different. Bigger and stronger.” Next, it was Davydenko’s turn to unwrap the statue. However, he was a bit surprised and had a wry smile seeing himself set in stone. The Russian star exclaimed, “I have more hair now!” This statement came as Davydenko’s lookalike was bald and had no hair.

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Despite a not-so-great record against Federer, Davydenko has huge respect for the Swiss Maestro and has maintained a healthy relationship with him. He once highlighted how Federer became a nightmare to play against.

Davydenko on his battles against Federer

During an interview once, the former World Number 3 talked about his encounters with the Swiss legend. Davydenko said, “If it weren’t for Federer, I might have had a better chance of reaching the final, ha-ha. He stopped me many times in the quarterfinals as well. However, I am proud of the fact that I beat every player in the top 10 – I did not end up like some players who lost every match against a certain rival.”

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While Davydenko has won two matches against Federer, he has had to taste defeat on 19 occasions. Have you seen the two take on against each other? Let us know your views in the comments below.

WATCH THIS STORY: Video: Pizza Lover Roger Federer Tries His Hand At Making The Legendary Italian Staple At New York

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Written by:

Vatsal Shah

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Vatsal Shah is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in engineering, he is a die hard fan of tennis and sports in general. He is an ardent follower of Rafael Nadal and is inspired by his never-say-die attitude.
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Edited by:

Mitali Dey