Tennis Prose




Feb/13

13

Roger Federer’s High Praise For Marcelo Rios


Roger Federer: “I was a big admirer of Marcelo. I thought he was one of the best players with the best talent around. He was one of my favorite players at that time, being around 1998. Him and Pete Sampras back then were my favorite players. Happy for him that he got to be #1 in the world. Not happy that he never won a Grand Slam. But I was fortunate to play him a few times and practice with him a few times. I have good memories of Marcelo.”
(Book excerpt)

Interesting that Federer selected Marcelo Rios as one of his co-favorite players back in the late 1990’s, and interestingly omitting that fella named Andre Agassi.

To lump in Rios in the same company with one Pete Sampras, is about as high a compliment that a tennis player could ever get, especially coming from the likes of Mr. Roger Federer.

Okay, so why are you not rushing over to amazon to place an order for “Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew” for only #12.00?

Hahah,

14 comments

  • Dan Markowitz · February 13, 2013 at 12:29 pm

    Ok already, Scoop. I know you’ve got a book to sell, but no more about Rios unless you get a one on one interview with him or expose that he is the love child of Ilie Nastase and Evonne Goolagong.

    Rios retired around ten years ago, besides your book, why are we still talking about Rios? Spadea only retired 4 or 5 years ago (or maybe he never retired, but just faded out–which brings me to one of my favorite sports quotes by one, Jeff Salzenstein, “Boris Becker retires. I just fade out.”) and you don’t see me shilling my book all over the place to try to get people to buy it.

    (Well, actually, I don’t do that because our publisher went out of business owing the Spades and I thousands of dollars, or at least hundreds, and it doesn’t matter if someone buys the book to me, I don’t get a dime from it.) But I’ll make you a deal–let’s see who can go longer, you not mentioning Rios or me not mentioning Spadea!

    The loser has to go up to Federer in Miami and has to ask him a press conference why he keeps playing if he has no shot of winning any more slams.

    Deal?

  • Mitch · February 13, 2013 at 3:46 pm

    Too bad Fed isn’t playing Miami this year.

  • Andrew Miller · February 13, 2013 at 6:57 pm

    Federer is one of the few players to continually add to his repertoire. I wouldn’t be surprised if he could hit a clean two-handed Rios style. Or even Spadea style.

  • Steve · February 13, 2013 at 7:06 pm

    Andrew check this out:
    http://youtu.be/QIOUrckK4pE

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 13, 2013 at 9:04 pm

    Rios was a great player and should not be forgotten. he was the best in the world, better even than prime Agassi and Sampras for a short stint. Played some of the best tennis we ever saw. Rios still has a cult of fans out there who still remember and appreciate his greatness, Dolgopolov and Federer and Bollettieri to name a few. Spadea is also an important figure in his own way, overcoming the worst slump ever. Spadea should not be forgotten, I wish he would play the Delray seniors as a WC.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 13, 2013 at 9:06 pm

    A double handed player warmed Fed up at the Shanghai Masters and he told me Fed hit double handed the first few balls to imitate him. This anedcote is going in my Fed book.

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 13, 2013 at 9:07 pm

    That was a nice two hander by Fed Steve, nice find.

  • Steve · February 14, 2013 at 9:20 pm

    Wondering if an eBook version is available…

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 14, 2013 at 10:40 pm

    Not yet Steve, it’s a tricky process to work out, for me at least, in a month or so it will be ready for Kindle.

  • Bobby F. · February 15, 2013 at 6:46 pm

    Just bought the book because Dan’s acting like a titty baby. You’ll get no whining from me, Scoop, for producing a book and trying to sell it. I could only hope to do something like that. Can’t wait to read the book.

  • Dan Markowitz · February 16, 2013 at 6:56 am

    A titty baby, well, I’ll have you know that’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever called me. Thank you, Bobby F. Are you related to the Kennedy’s?

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 16, 2013 at 7:27 am

    Bobby F. Thanks very much my friend. Hope you enjoy the read and please come back to share any comments or critiques. Some people like Bollettieri and Hugo Armando loved it, some American tennis writers didn’t but I had a major blast working on it and collecting all the information and anecdotes about the one and only Marcelo Rios.

  • Steve · February 22, 2013 at 8:57 am

    Ordered!

  • Scoop Malinowski · February 22, 2013 at 10:10 am

    Thanks very much Steve, hope you enjoy the adventure )

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