Roger Federer had a high-profile spectator on his guest box on Tuesday, and the second-seeded tennis star rolled on to the second round of the 2014 US Open on Tuesday night in New York.
Federer cruised to a 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (4) win against Marinko Matosevic of Australia in front of basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who watched the game from the Swiss tennis star's guest box.
With the win, Federer arranged a second-round showdown against Sam Groth of Australia, who scored a straight-set win against Albert Ramos-Vinolas in their first-round match.
Federer, who is a self-confessed fan of the former Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards superstar, said that Jordan's presence gave him a big morale booster.
"It's just amazing having Michael here," Federer said via ESPN. "Growing up he was my big sporting idol. Having him here is unbelievably special."
Jordan was present to watch Federer play in his new shoes. The two sports superstars collaborated to create Federer's latest Nike shoe, which was reportedly inspired by an Air Jordan shoe that was released in 1988.
"About a year ago, I heard that Roger wanted to design and wear a Jordan shoe on the court," Jordan said via Style.com. "I have followed Roger's career and have been a big fan for some time now. I definitely thought this could be a really unique and special collaboration, and when I heard that Roger wanted the shoe to be modeled after the Air Jordan 3, I was in."
But while the shoe was based from an Air Jordan shoe, Jordan clarified that Federer personally gave his inputs on what he wants from his playing sneaker.
"I don't want you to play in a shoe that doesn't feel well," said Jordan, who expressed confidence that new shoes will help Federer perform well before ending his career.
Federer, who is coming off a triumphant stint in the Masters 1000 event in Cincinnati, is looking to win his 18th Grand Slam title. The former world No. 1 is also trying to secure his sixth US Open title.
The highlights of Federer's win against Matosevic along with the match videos are available through this link.
