Rootin' for the Villain

[Kieran]

Okay, let's have a little chat, before the real tennis starts again.

You ever cheer for the fella you usually cheer against?

Disclosure: I think I cheered for Roger against Phillippoussis in his first Wimbledon final, and I definitely cheered for him against Sod in Paris in 2009, difficult as that might be to believe. Why? Not because Sod beat Rafa, but because I always root for the guys like Roger against fellas like Sod: I'm not really a bloke who cheers the underdog in slam finals. Guys like Pete and Roger always earned it more, far as I'm concerned, and I would have felt it's an anomaly if Soderling stole in and nabbed the FO from Roger, who'd invested so much in it over the years.

There may have been other occasions I cheered on Roger, but I must admit they were few. Maybe the US Open semi in 2011. For obvious reasons.

So, if you have a player you detest, or they're a great rival to your favourite, has there been a match where you actually rooted for them?

 

[DarthFed]

^ No. Can't say I've ever rooted for Nadal and most definitely never will. Can't wait till he is gone from the game.

Going to other sports I will begrudgingly root for a hated football team (American) if it will help Green Bay with playoff positioning. That's the only circumstance I'd root for a player/team I hate.

 

[nehmeth]

Many's the time I've cheered on Ralf even though he's Novak's biggest rival. Overall, I like Ralf so he's only a "villain" where he's stopped Novak.

I've cheered for Murray a few times. That's mostly because I'm a fan of Iona.

Roger? He's always my 2nd favorite, to whichever player happens to be on the other side of the net.

Raonic? Never.

 

[Moose]

Rooted for Murray over Roger at Wimbledon '12, think it might have been the first time I ever rooted for Andy. Of course, he lost, and I got reverse-cursed when Murray beat Nole (my fave) at Wimbledon in '13.

 

[Riotbeard]

I have rooted for roger against rafa, but it's really a lesser of two evils situation, although not because I didn't want Novak to face rafa. I just dislike rafa more than roger.

 

[GameSetAndMath]

Many's the time I've cheered on Ralf even though he's Novak's biggest rival. Overall, I like Ralf so he's only a "villain" where he's stopped Novak.

I've cheered for Murray a few times. That's mostly because I'm a fan of Iona.

Roger? He's always my 2nd favorite, to whichever player happens to be on the other side of the net.

Raonic? Never.

Who do you cheer for when Roger plays against Raonic (like it happened in WImby SF)?

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

I am more like "may the better player win" if Roger is not involved. But sometimes during a match, a player does something that I despise and I start rooting for the other guy.

Roger is the only constant, the rest is negotiable.

 

[Murat Baslamisli]

Many's the time I've cheered on Ralf even though he's Novak's biggest rival. Overall, I like Ralf so he's only a "villain" where he's stopped Novak.

I've cheered for Murray a few times. That's mostly because I'm a fan of Iona.

Roger? He's always my 2nd favorite, to whichever player happens to be on the other side of the net.

Raonic? Never.

Who do you cheer for when Roger plays against Raonic (like it happened in WImby SF)?

That's when Nehmeth's circuits get confused and you have to do a factory reset...

 

[shawnbm]

I used to begrudgingly pull for Borg over McEnroe--this was big since I was a Connors fan and after early 1979, the Angelic Assassin beat Jimbo something like 10 consecutive times to pull ahead in their long rivalry going back to 1976. I pulled for Borg over McEnroe because I could not stand the New Yorker--he irked me. Even so, he was the most mesmerizing player I had seen. It was a hate-love thing. It was easier to pull for the damned Swede than root against him in that circumstance. Later, I learnt I was too hard on Borg (and myself)--I missed him and his unique greatness when he was gone. This is what I think of when either side vilifies Roger or Rafa--we are reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy going to miss them when they are gone.

 

[El Dude]

There are no players I "detest" or actively root against. If one of my favorites isn't playing--namely Federer or Dimitrov--I tend to root for the underdog, or whomever I feel like cheering on that moment. It might even be the player who happens to be losing at the moment and then I'll switch allegiances as the tide shifts.

Seeing as I usually root for the underdog means that I almost always root against Novak or Rafa, simply because they're never the underdog - or least not for years. But I don't have a beef against either of them and don't really care to see either lose (although Novak is one of the most gracious losers in the sport, and one of the most annoying winners...although he's toned down a bit - I loved his vibe at Wimbledon).

Where it gets tricky is when Novak and Rafa play against each other. I've rooted for either one in different tournaments. Mainly I just want a good match - although I tend to root for Novak on clay, especially Roland Garros.

I'm starting to find Andy Murray annoying and kind of want to see him lose in any given match.

 

[nehmeth]

Roger? He's always my 2nd favorite, to whichever player happens to be on the other side of the net.
Raonic? Never.

Who do you cheer for when Roger plays against Raonic (like it happened in WImby SF)?

That's when Nehmeth's circuits get confused and you have to do a factory reset...

You guys! Well done, both of you. :snigger

After returning from the factory reset.. if the match was still in progress, I'd be 110% for Roger.

 

[Kieran]

I have rooted for roger against rafa, but it's really a lesser of two evils situation, although not because I didn't want Novak to face rafa. I just dislike rafa more than roger.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!! :cry







Really? :lolz:

 

[Kieran]

This is what I think of when either side vilifies Roger or Rafa--we are reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy going to miss them when they are gone.

Yeah, I'm beginning to feel that way, Shawn, about Wodger. I've ceased burning effigies and sticking pins in his Barbie doll...

 

[Riotbeard]

This is what I think of when either side vilifies Roger or Rafa--we are reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy going to miss them when they are gone.

Yeah, I'm beginning to feel that way, Shawn, about Wodger. I've ceased burning effigies and sticking pins in his Barbie doll...

Kieran,

I will say, for me it will be two sad day when both those guys retire. Tennis will be less entertaining. I find the innocent warrior rafa a bit annoying compared to snoody rog. Both annoying, I just think roger wears his flaws a bit more in public. I also enjoy rogers game more, although I think Rafa often brings out the best in novak.

I also won't currently root for Milos, but who knows, maybe in the future I will dislike him less. Between Rafa and Milos, split decision, but for the sake of quality tennis viewing in the following match, I might root for rafa.

 

[Kieran]

Kieran,

I will say, for me it will be two sad day when both those guys retire. Tennis will be less entertaining.

Well, that's true, and it'll take a long time before we fans recover and choose replacements for them. Theirs is a rivalry which kind of looked like it would supply a constant stream of classics, about 5 years ago, but they've only met 3 times at majors since then. But even still, it'll be a hard one to ever forget. It stands easily among the pantheon of great tennis rivalries, and contrasts in style of play and demeanor on court...

 

[DarthFed]

This is what I think of when either side vilifies Roger or Rafa--we are reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy going to miss them when they are gone.

Yeah, I'm beginning to feel that way, Shawn, about Wodger. I've ceased burning effigies and sticking pins in his Barbie doll...

Well in your case it has to do with Roger not being relevant. Poor results from the hated players will soften some people's dispositions towards them. That's human nature. You'd be singing a much different tune if he didn't just go down in yet another Wimbledon final.

Could happen with me too when Wafa turns weak (hopefully happening anytime now). But I wouldn't count on me getting a soft side for him either.

 

[Kieran]

This is what I think of when either side vilifies Roger or Rafa--we are reeeeeaaaaalllllyyyyy going to miss them when they are gone.

Yeah, I'm beginning to feel that way, Shawn, about Wodger. I've ceased burning effigies and sticking pins in his Barbie doll...

Well in your case it has to do with Roger not being relevant. Poor results from the hated players will soften some people's dispositions towards them. That's human nature. You'd be singing a much different tune if he didn't just go down in yet another Wimbledon final.

Could happen with me too when Wafa turns weak (hopefully happening anytime now). But I wouldn't count on me getting a soft side for him either.

So you have never once watched Rafa battle his heart out, and in a weak moment got caught up in the drama and thought to yourself, that dogged cussed bass turd, go on, you fricking fool, beat him!!

 

[DarthFed]

^ No

 

[britbox]

I don't recall ever rooting for Nadal in a match.

 

[Moxie]

Speaking of needing a factory reset, I was so confused trying to remember to root for Novak in this year's Wimbledon final. :snigger

I never liked Roger, and was as much rooting against him in the 2005 RG SF as I was rooting for Nadal. It was just a happy coincidence for me that I had a Spaniard who's game I was taking to on the other side of the court. I have gone a bit softer on ol' Wodge in the last 2-3 years, but not entirely. I'll hold my nose and cheer on Gulbis and Berdych when they play Nole. And I don't remember actively rooting for Soderling, because he's such a scratchy character and a head-case, but I was at least gratified to see him make the most of his (in)famous defeat of Rafa at RG, and was genuinely sorry to see him felled by illness.