Yes, I was a pistol Pete fan, but more because I couldn't stand Agassi. B-) I was a huge Stefan Edberg fan so it's funny one would think I would be a Federer fan based on style of play.
As far as tennis records, I'm pretty sanguine about them, I know they're meant to be broken. So I honestly don't get Sampras fans who became Nadal fans just to stop Fed's totals.
I dunno, Federer I liked OK before but never warmed up to him. He was the first "pretty" player who was competitive and won, so there was that. So many players with great shots simply didn't have the drive ( a whole list of them, talking to you Henri Leconte) and it's funny to remember now but that was the question mark about Fed back pre 2003.
It's weird, with Nadal I suppose it was more how he was fearless from the beginning. He beat Federer at Miami that one year (2004?) and then was proclaiming he wanted to win Wimbledon, a Spaniard with that goal?? When he beat Roger at Dubai that one year on fast HC I knew this was someone who was going to do it his way , so I guess that was what I really admired.
Totally understand why others don't like him, style of play, etc, but what encapsulated him to me is when he was so crestallen losing the 2nd Wimbledon final to Roger (2007) in five sets, he was crushed. He expected to win that match whereas most players those days oohed and ahhhed before Federer. That's when I knew the kid was going to win Wimbledon some day.
I like the Nole (the JOKER) for other reasons. Very, very strange ones both tennis and non tennis related.
