Roger Federer issues ping pong challenge to Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson
ROGER FEDERER has issued a ping pong challenge to Golden State Warriors’ Klay Thompson after meeting the basketball star in China.
NBA Golden State Warriors meet and greet Roger Federer
Federer is currently in Shanghai for the ATP Masters series event and earlier today he reached the semi-finals of the competition with a 7-5 6-4 victory over Richard Gasquet.
But the 36-year-old arrived early in the Far East and last weekend he watched the Warriors, who are the current NBA champions, play in a pre-season match with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Federer was courtside as the likes of Thompson, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry got minutes in their legs.
The 19-time Grand Slam star was pictured meeting the Warriors players and having a chat with them.
Roger Federer is through to the semi-finals of the Shanghai Masters
Klay Thompson in action for the Golden State Warriors
Sounds like a challenge to me @KlayThompson
A video published by the NBA showed the group watching Federer’s memorable ‘tweener’ against Novak Djokovic at the 2009 US Open.
The Warriors have since returned to America and coach Steve Kerr revealed a conversion between Federer and Thompson.
Thompson is said to have asked Federer "How's your ping pong game?" and the tennis legend replied "Pretty nice".
Thompson then said: “Mine, too.”
Roger Federer with Golden State Warriors’ Kevin Durant
Sounds like a challenge to me @KlayThompson ������ https://t.co/5ZhDBe5JN1
— Roger Federer (@rogerfederer) October 13, 2017
And following his win over Gasquet, Federer took to Twitter to respond saying: “Sounds like a challenge to me @KlayThompson.”
Federer was a big basketball fan as a youngster and he was delighted to meet his fellow athletes.
“This is highly unusual for me to go into the locker room of another sport, really, especially before a game and this far away from the States, here in Shanghai,” Federer said.
“It's kind of cool. Everybody's laid back. I love meeting fellow athletes.”