Teams from Europe and the Rest of the World will compete annually for the Laver Cup, named after 77-year-old Australian tennis legend Rod Laver.
Surrounding the inner sanctuary, the Court of Priests contained the sacrificial altar and a copper laver for priestly ablutions.
Federer had met Laver for the first time earlier in the week and was clearly affected by his presence in the arena named after the player who was arguably the greatest of them all.
Stores selling tableware and kitchen gadgets, knives, tea and nori (sheets of laver), kombu and katsuo-bushi (kelp and fish flakes, respectively, for making stocks and broths), fish sausages, fresh and pickled vegetables, and a host of specialty fruits and herbs make Tsukiji a colorful, though cluttered place.
He described the match as "an opportunity for him" to match Laver's record (and that of Don Budge), as it was for himself in pursuit of leaving Borg in his wake.
Made a Member of the British Empire in 1970 – a year after he won all four grand slam tournaments in the same calendar year for the second time – Laver, 77, was one of just 10 recipients of the top honour, recognised for his "eminent service to tennis as a player, representative and mentor, at the national and international level, and as a role model for young sportsmen and women".
Like the Ryder Cup, which dates to 1927 and now pits Europe against the United States, the Laver Cup has captains: Bjorn Borg for Team Europe and John McEnroe for Team World.
The dried seaweed most often used by cooks -- nori, also called laver -- is better for rolling around sushi and crumbling on salads than it is for eating straight.
Novak Djokovic called him Mr. Laver after meeting him for the first time and then apologized because nobody serves and volleys anymore.
