Roger Federer beats Rafael Nadal in historic "Match in Africa" charity exhibition

Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal clashed in a historic exhibition match in Cape Town, South Africa, with the Swiss player winning in three sets.

51,954 people watched Federer and Nadal take the court on Friday, in an event that also saw comedian Trevor Noah and Microsoft founder Bill Gates wield the racquet.

This was the 10th charity match played between the two legends, and by far the biggest. It broke the record for the highest single-day attendance ever recorded at a tennis event.

The Match in Africa: Roger Federer v Rafael Nadal

The previous record was also held by Federer, who drew 42,517 people in Mexico City a few months ago when he faced Alexander Zverev in a charity match there.

The final score of the light-hearted clash read 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 in Federer's favor, much to the delight of the spectators.

Victory for @rogerfederer in Cape Town! 🇿🇦He defeats Nadal 6-4 3-6 6-3 to win the #MatchInAfrica pic.twitter.com/DOJdttv1wv

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 7, 2020

Being a charity match, it did not have the same intensity that we usually find in "Fedal" matches. Nevertheless, Federer and Nadal put on a great show as they produced some great point exchanges, which managed to draw raucous applause from the South African crowd.

How does he do it?! 😯Superb skill from @RafaelNadal! 👌#MatchInAfrica pic.twitter.com/zT4DXqYQvU

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 7, 2020

The great news came after the match was over: the event managed to raise more than US$3 million for Federer's charity foundation. The money is going to be used for the education of children in six different African countries.

In the doubles match, Federer and Gates defeated Nadal and Noah as the two non-tennis celebrities gave a good account of themselves. The pairs played only one set, which was won by Federer and Gates by the score of 6-3.

Trevor Noah channeling his partner by running around a backhand to hit a forehand winner.@Eurosport_UK pic.twitter.com/6SpMndEmDt

— Matthew Willis (@MattRacquet) February 7, 2020

Federer is not scheduled to return to official competition until the Dubai Championship, which starts on the 24th of February. Nadal is expected to return in the same week, at the Mexico Open in Acapulco.