Video: When Roger Federer lapped a ball straight into his racquet

Roger Federer acknowledges the crowd after winning on Tuesday

During the course of his 17-year career as a professional, Roger Federer has garnered fans from across the globe for his immaculate and graceful style of play. The smooth service, the gorgeous backhand return down the line are some of the features of the 34-year-old’s play that have mesmerised fans all over the world.

However, apart from the aforementioned features, there is also a cheeky side to the Swiss ace, which like his graceful side, is accepted and revered by everyone around the world. That side of him was once again on full display during the Basel Open on Tuesday, when in the second set of his opening-round match against Mikhail Kukushkin of Russia, he caught the ball straight into the strings of his racquet, like as if there was a magnet attached to it.

Federer won the match in convincing fashion 6-1 6-2 in just under an hour to move into the second round of the competition, where he will take on Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber. Last week, Federer also confirmed his participation in the second edition of the International Premier Tennis League(IPTL) and will play in three out of the four legs of the tournament.

“The atmosphere created by fans in these cities is both warm and electrifying, adding another level of motivation for me personally when I compete against the best in the world at these venues,” he said, as reported by The National.

“I am extremely pleased to be playing for the UAE Royals in Dubai, New Delhi and Singapore,” he added.

Here’s the video of that catch from the maestro:

And for my next trick... Nice effort, Roger Federer!Roger's Speedy Basel Opener: http://bit.ly/1XxdakMWatch Federer full match replay: http://bit.ly/1GGNnCm

Posted by ATP World Tour on Tuesday, October 27, 2015