Roger Federer returns to Basel this week, he will play Mannarino in his first match. Federer leads the series 3-0 with the French lefty.
Federer played Agassi in Basel in ’98 or ’99 when he was still a skinny teenager. Agassi told me last year about this match and that he was not all that impressed by Federer who he thought was trying to imitate Sampras but wasn’t sure to stay back at the baseline or come to the net. Agassi won the match I think the score was 2 and 3.
I saw a DVD of the match recently and Federer was super skinny, even a bit gangly, he wore all white Nike. His parents were sitting front row but behind Agassi’s changeover chair. Federer showed good poise and fight in the match, like he really expected to keep it close or even win. He just wasn’t physically strong enough to compete with Agassi though he did on a few baseline rallies get the best of the elder.
I noticed Federer utilized a Marcelo Rios quirk which he has since stopped doing. Remember how Rios would do a deep knee bend before serving or returning? Federer did a numnber of these during the match, just like Rios. Federer has said many times Rios was one of his favorite players.
So Federer is back in Basel, where he is in a heated race to qualify for the London World Tour Finals, with Gasquet hot on his heels for the final eighth spot. Del Potro is top seed. Also in the Basel draw are Berdych, Gasquet, Stan, Dimitrov, Dolgopolov, Kei and Bagdhatis.
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Andrew Miller · October 21, 2013 at 1:27 pm
Federer only believed he could beat Agassi when he tagged him in 3 in WTF Houston, 2003. And never lost to Agassi again – neither a few days later in the WTF final or anywhere else.
Jan Michael Gambill gave a nice indication of where he thought Federer would be when they played Davis Cup in 2001. You can tell Gambill didnt see options.
http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=35366
Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2013 at 2:06 pm
Nice find Andrew. Enjoyed reading Gambill’s views on young Roger. I spoke withy Gambill for my Facing Federer book in Miami this year and he actually did beat Roger a few times. You can tell he was very impressed by RF. Also interviewed Todd Martin who also played this tie and he still vividly remembers two amazing shots Federer hit in their match, RF hit a crazy forehand lob winner and also a crazy backhand lob winner, both in a tiebreaker.
Andrew Miller · October 21, 2013 at 6:13 pm
Scoop what’s interesting is that is was never inevitable that Federer would turn into, well, Federer! I think that’s why it’s impossible to rule out the possibility that he’ll get his 18th slam, maybe even a Davis Cup.
Scoop Malinowski · October 21, 2013 at 8:16 pm
Federer was having self doubts too, in 99 he was struggling mightily. He said in Miami after losing to Ken Carlsen that he didn’t know if he was even going to have a career. He also was very down in the summer of 99 and lost in the second round of US Open qualies. But he got it going. I think his first big win was against Moya indoors later that year. You’re right Andrew, Fed was never a lock, he definitely struggled through plenty of adversity and bad results.