Watching Your Favourite Players

[Puppet Master]

There might have been a thread like this in the past, but I really couldn't bother to check, and maybe someone has some new stories anyway.
The question is simple:
Have you watched your favourite player live, and if so, share your story with us.

I have watched Fed live, but I haven't had the chance to watch Nadal. Perhaps I will try to go to one of the European clay tourneys next year.
Anyways:

Switzerland was playing a Davis cup tie vs a Djokovic-less Serbia in my hometown (Novi Sad) and I freaked out when I heard Roger would be playing. Wawrinka played as well.
Unsurprisingly, the stadium was packed. There was a number of Swiss fans that came to support their guys, but obviously they were far outnumbered. As Fed's match against Bozoljac went on, the crowd blatantly started to root for Roger LOL. It was so awkward, imagine how Bozoljac must have felt. Some dude sitting next to me was hysterically cheering him on, and kept yelling maestro every few points. It was a magical experience. I wish Roger would visit more often.

 

[Front242]

Bozoljac was class against Federer at Wimbledon 2010. Shame he's been on the challenger circuit pretty much since then. Clearly a talented guy who isn't making the most of his career. Btw, that Davis Cup match was great too. Shame the guy never made more of himself. Clips here for those who missed them or even just to watch again.

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9627_5AYaUg[/video]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF_fOUssDYQ[/video]

 

[Puppet Master]

Bozoljac was class against Federer at Wimbledon 2010. Shame he's been on the challenger circuit pretty much since then. Clearly a talented guy who isn't making the most of his career. Btw, that Davis Cup match was great too. Shame the guy never made more of himself. Clips here for those who missed them or even just to watch again.

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9627_5AYaUg[/video]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF_fOUssDYQ[/video]

I hate his game to be honest. The guy has two double handed backhands. Disgusting. One I can live with, but two hahahaha. No way. He is a very strong dude though, huge power in his strokes. He also is very high up there with serve speeds. I'll give him that.
And your story? I assume you haven't watched Roger then?

 

[mightyjeditribble]

I've seen Fed live a good few times, though not recently - first time I saw him live was in Tokyo 2006 beating Ben Becker in the SF.

Often it was in the early rounds e.g. of the US Open, so not necessarily the most eventful of matches. Most exciting match involving him was probably the WTF semifinals against Wawrinka, 2014.

I've seen quite a few other players I like live, including all of the big 4. But perhaps my favourite match was on an outside court in Miami 2008, Youzny v Almagro. I think we only saw the fifth set, but boy was it something in terms of drama.

(If you don't know what I'm talking about, look for the Youtube clip.)

 

[Carol]

I've watched live Nadal, Muzz, Delpo, Dolgopolov, Tsonga, Monfils and others in Miami, very good experience and definitely very diferent and much better to see their game from the Stadium than through the TV. Also I was a couple of times in the USO before the "roof"

 

[shawnbm]

I've seen a lot of the great ones in Miami over the years! I did not know Carol goes there. Perhaps I'll see you there this spring, Carol!

 

[Carol]

I've seen a lot of the great ones in Miami over the years! I did not know Carol goes there. Perhaps I'll see you there this spring, Carol!

I'm from Spain but I'm living in Miami for several years, I'll see you around

 

[Front242]

Bozoljac was class against Federer at Wimbledon 2010. Shame he's been on the challenger circuit pretty much since then. Clearly a talented guy who isn't making the most of his career. Btw, that Davis Cup match was great too. Shame the guy never made more of himself. Clips here for those who missed them or even just to watch again.

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9627_5AYaUg[/video]

[video=youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF_fOUssDYQ[/video]

I hate his game to be honest. The guy has two double handed backhands. Disgusting. One I can live with, but two hahahaha. No way. He is a very strong dude though, huge power in his strokes. He also is very high up there with serve speeds. I'll give him that.
And your story? I assume you haven't watched Roger then?

He has a 2 handed forehand as well lol! I've seen Federer v Tsonga live at the 2010 WTF and Nadal v Fish which was the better match of the 2. Shame how Mardy's career ended. He had some forehand. The doubles matches were great too. Got to see Nestor and Zimonjić. The seats we had at the WTF were excellent too. Only about 40 feet or so from all matches.

 

[Kieran]

My main claim to fame in this regard is that I was at the great Pistol Pete's final match, the 2002 US Open final. Row X, or some place like it, but the view was perfect. I also saw Pete dispatch Roddick in the quarters that year, but his match against Agassi was one that had everything, including tennis from Pete in the first two sets that destroyed Agassi, then a third set clawback by Dre, which turned into a rope-a-dope session in the 4th, where Pete looked typically dead on his feet, relying on serve to get to 4-4, then pouncing like a cat to snag the break and drill 4 serves to take the title.

I didn't know he'd retire after that match, I felt he had much more in him, but high achievers take a lot of hits, a lot of pressure and they rack up a huge amount of miles on the clock, so it was natural that he was feeling his age and wanted out...

 

[Puppet Master]

My main claim to fame in this regard is that I was at the great Pistol Pete's final match, the 2002 US Open final. Row X, or some place like it, but the view was perfect. I also saw Pete dispatch Roddick in the quarters that year, but his match against Agassi was one that had everything, including tennis from Pete in the first two sets that destroyed Agassi, then a third set clawback by Dre, which turned into a rope-a-dope session in the 4th, where Pete looked typically dead on his feet, relying on serve to get to 4-4, then pouncing like a cat to snag the break and drill 4 serves to take the title.

I didn't know he'd retire after that match, I felt he had much more in him, but high achievers take a lot of hits, a lot of pressure and they rack up a huge amount of miles on the clock, so it was natural that he was feeling his age and wanted out...

Lol at you not even mentioning Rafa. :laydownlaughing
Nice story. I was a kid at the time and couldn't really appreciate Pete's tennis, but even from old footage, he doesn't do it for me. He just wasn't a very complete player, or should I say, not complete enough. I respect him though, and his realistic placing is #3 or #4 in the GOAT debate.
Not too shabby, Pistol Pete. If it means anything, my father was a huge Sampras fan. He was so pi$$ed when Roger eclipsed him in the slam count hahaha. Some years passed and he went to Novak, but has acknowledged both Fed and Rafa as superiror players. I heard him say stuff like:
"Damn overly talented piece of $hit" for Roger, or "Stupid Spanish animal" for Rafa when the frustration hits him.

 

[Kieran]

^ I haven't seen rafa play, unfortunately...

 

[Carol]

^ I haven't seen rafa play, unfortunately...

Come on! the world is very small and life is short, take a good vacations, take an airplane and come to Miami or go to Paris, London or NY, VAMOS!!!!!

 

[Kieran]

^ I haven't seen rafa play, unfortunately...

Come on! the world is very small and life is short, take a good vacations, take an airplane and come to Miami or go to Paris, London or NY, VAMOS!!!!!

:lolz:

Blame the missus. I told her in 2010 that rafa would win the USO, and she preferred to go to Sicily... :cover

 

[Carol]

^ I haven't seen rafa play, unfortunately...

Come on! the world is very small and life is short, take a good vacations, take an airplane and come to Miami or go to Paris, London or NY, VAMOS!!!!!

:lolz:

Blame the missus. I told her in 2010 that rafa would win the USO, and she preferred to go to Sicily... :cover

Well. it means that now she should go wherever you want to go

 

[I.Haychew]

My favorites are/were Youzhny, Fognini, Soderling, K. Anderson, and Federer. I saw all of them live a few years ago in Cincinnati. The most memorable was Youzhny vs. Llodra on one of the side courts. I had a front row seat and was cheering hard for Youzhny. Llodra looked directly at me and called me a mother fu*#er. Unfortunately, Llodra won.

 

[Kieran]

My favorites are/were Youzhny, Fognini, Soderling, K. Anderson, and Federer. I saw all of them live a few years ago in Cincinnati. The most memorable was Youzhny vs. Llodra on one of the side courts. I had a front row seat and was cheering hard for Youzhny. Llodra looked directly at me and called me a mother fu*#er. Unfortunately, Llodra won.

:laydownlaughing :lolz: :lolz:

 

[Front242]

^ I haven't seen rafa play, unfortunately...

Come watch him get chewed up and spat out by TMF at the WTF 2017 :snicker

 

[Puppet Master]

^ I haven't seen rafa play, unfortunately...

I am so sorry, I assumed if you watched Pete, you surely must have watched Rafa at some point, the dude has been around for a number of years now.
I hope to make a trip to one of the tournaments during the European clay season next year, and see him in full flight there.
I was supposed to go to an exursion in Rome, exactly at the time ATP Rome was being played in 2013. Missed a huge opportunity there. :dodgy:
Unfortunately, all students were allowed to vote and we ended up going to Greece...
I will be sure to warn you guys when I go to some tourney, we might even have a chance to meet face to face.
Front and Carol stay away from each other though. :snicker

 

[Front242]

Only found out from this thread that you were from Serbia, Puppet Master. Your home town looks like a lovely place.

 

[Puppet Master]

Only found out from this thread that you were from Serbia, Puppet Master. Your home town looks like a lovely place.

I have heard foreigners compare it to Prague and Vienna numerous times. But a kind of a lite version, if you will.
It isn't quite your typical European city, but it has some marvellous pieces of architecture.
It's a shame I can't go out and enjoy my hometown a bit more, college burns all of my spare time these days.