Roger Federer And Grigor Dimitrov To Play In An Exhibition Match At Madison Square Garden, Both Players Through To The Second Round Of Swiss Indoors

Roger Federer and Grigor Dimitrov reportedly will play in an exhibition match, which will be staged at the Madison Square Garden on March 10. It will be the eighth edition of the BNP Paribas Showdown.

"Seventime-time Grand Slam champion and arguably the greatest player of all time, Roger Federer, will take on future star Grigor Dimitrov in the BNP Paribas Showdown," said on a post on the venue's official website. Tennis greats from the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) tour will also take part in the event, but will be announced at a later time. The tickets for the BNP Baribas Showdown range from as low as $50 to as high as $5,000 and they will be available on sale on October 27.

Federer has played for the BNP Paribas Showdown twice in the past. Federer has met Pete Sampras and Andy Roddick in 2008 and 2012, respectively. Federer scored a victory in a three-set match against Sampras, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6), but lost to Roddick, 7-5, 7-6(7) in his second involvement. Dimitrov, on the other hand, will be playing for the first time in the one-night exhibition tennis event.

Both Federer and Dimitrov are participants in the ongoing Swiss Indoors Basel. Top- seeded Federer is through to the second round after defeating Gilles Muller in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, in just 47 minutes. Federer scored 12 winners and five aces in the first set and continued to take control in the second to win the match. Federer has improved his head-to-head record against Muller to 5-0.

Speaking after the match, Federer said that he was happy with his first round victory. "I was really in control from the get-go," Federer said. "I hope I can keep this level up." Federer will face Daniel Istomin next.

Dimitrov also won in the first round after beating wild card Alexander Zverev in a three-set match, 2-6, 6-4, 6-2. He will face Canada's Vasek Pospisil in the second round. Dimitrov could only meet Federer if they both make it in the quarterfinals. The Bulgarian athlete has reached the quarterfinals of the tournament in his last two participations. In 2013, Dimitrov lost to Federer, 6-3, 7-6 (2), and in 2012, he lost to Paul-Henri Mathieu, 7-6 (2) 7-6 (4).