The three moments that show 44-year-old Roger Federer has still got it

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It was only a practice session, but boy, was it good.

It was as if no time had passed, as a 44-year-old Roger Federer stepped onto Rod Laver Arena for a hit with world No. 13 Casper Ruud on Friday.

Roger Federer walks onto Rod Laver Arena for a practice session with Casper Ruud.

Almost four years after he announced his retirement from tennis, and six since he’d last appeared at the Australian Open, the 20-time grand slam singles champion was back at Melbourne Park to dazzle the crowd once more.

But this time it’s a little different, with Federer invited by Tennis Australia to play an exhibition match on Saturday night as part of the slam’s opening ceremony, which will also feature Andre Agassi, Pat Rafter and Lleyton Hewitt.

The opening ceremony is a new addition that’s part of TA’s push to expand the event beyond its 15 days of tournament play, and the Swiss legend is the star attraction.

A day earlier, Federer conceded he was “nervous” and “excited”, but there was nothing to be nervous about, as he pulled shot after shot out of his back catalogue to remind fans why he will always be one of the greatest of all time.

Rod Laver Arena was packed for the hit between Federer and Ruud.

No umpires and no line calling – just an hour on the court where he had been crowned champion six times: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2017 and 2018.

For the most part, the pair were not pushing each other to their limits. There was laughing, talking, breaks and a lot of stop-start, which you’d expect when you’re blowing off the dust or, in Ruud’s case, warming up for a tournament.

But the tiebreak produced some spectacular tennis, and the fans were awestruck as they watched Federer glide around the court under the hot Melbourne sun.

After all this time, Federer has still got it. Here are some of the moments that prove it.

The insane angles

Federer is famous for his one-handed backhand.

The shot is a dying art, with Stefanos Tsitsipas, Stan Wawrinka and Girgor Dimitrov among the few who still use it.

Players shy away from it because it doesn’t generate as much power as your typical two-handed backhand, but one of the benefits of the shot is that it allows players to put incredible angles on the ball.

This one from Federer forces Rudd to rush to the net, before the champion takes his time to deploy a forehand winner.

Tiebreak ace

Federer was a precise player, and that was always evident in his serve.

He was known as being instinctive, and having an insanely high tennis IQ which allowed him to out-smart his opponents by placing the ball exactly where he wanted.

A typical Federer serve is out wide, but this shot straight down the line on Friday shows how still, he can get the ball past his opponent without them even getting their racquet to it.