Tennis Prose




Aug/11

25

The Federer-Fish Practice Session On Ashe

It’s about 1:30 and I’m supposed to meet my friend at 2 in front of Ashe so I enter the Stadium to see who’s using the court…and it’s Roger Federer and Mardy Fish. And there are only about ten scattered people watching. They must’ve just started because they’re hitting from the baseline and it’s laid back.

Roger is focused as always and doesn’t talk so much during the hitting but Fish is more vocal. He says, “Sorry Roj,” twice after misses. And “Nice shot Roj” after a sweet stroke.

It’s rather windy today. Fish comments to himself, I think, ” This wind is bad.”

They take breaks every ten minutes or so and sit down together on the chairs to the right of the umpire stand. Their coaches and entourage guys – Severin Luthi, Paul Annacone, David Nainkin, and a few others I don’t recognize, stand around them respectfully as they chat. All I can think of is, wow, these guys are just as in awe of Fish and Federer as us onlookers. To be among the top 10 players in the world at the sport of tennis…these guys are simply marvels sitting on their blue and white wooden canvas thrones.

It’s very windy today on the court and at one break time, Federer mentions a match where it was really windy and he tells a story about it but I can’t quite hear all the details. Then Fish shares a tennis/wind-related memory.

They change sides, Fish comments, “Now I’m on the good side.”

Annacone instructs what he wants to be done and the Fish team complies easily. They play a game to 15, where the returner of the feed has to hit an attack shot and go to the net. They alternate who feeds who first. Fish jumps out to a 5-2 lead but Fed soon levels it at 5. Roger hits a vintage forehand winner down the line and adds a “Come on!” for an explanation point. He doesn’t really smile when he says it, he’s serious. It’s as if the great one’s competitive juices flow, even in simple practice drills like this. It’s light-hearted but critical at the same time. Hitting shots like that are still thrilling, even for a champion like Federer.

Fish then connects on a forehand crosscourt winner passing shot by Roger with no more than two inches of net clearance. Roger smiles and says,” Whaaat??!”

Then Roger hits a perfect winning volley and states, “That’s a South African” but I’m not sure why. Fish clearly likes the brilliance of the shot and quickly adds, “Rafter.”

Fish is really enjoying this session of hitting with the Great Federer, the reverence and respect is so apparent to the eye and ear, and the tone of voice he speaks to Roger with. It’s almost like he’s hosting Roger at his home and he goes out of his way to entertain Mr. Federer.

Fish ends up winning the game to 15.

After the last shot before the next rest, Federer holds the ball and pretends to shoot it as a basketball as he tosses it to the net. Fish notices this and states simply, “Kobe.”

Then as they sit, Fish begins to discuss basketball. “Sharapova’s guy Sasha Vujucic, is a really nice guy,” says Fish, then launching into a story about some hooper from Stanford who played pro in Europe and Fed listens, quite himself enjoying the company of Fish. I can’t hear all of what Fish talks about. Then Fish changes the topic and begins to talk about K-Swiss, their offices in California – I believe he said Thousand Oaks. Fish explains to Roger how K-Swiss has “two players in the top ten now, me and Monfils.” But I can hear he pronounces Monfils as “Mon-fills.”

Fish seems very pleased with K-Swiss as he describes how open-minded the company is to suggestions and innovations. He says you can give K-Swiss any shorts you like and ask them to make them similar. You can also give them a material you like and they will use the same fabric. You tell them you play better in them and they listen. It was very interesting to hear Fish sing the praises of his attire company to Roger Federer who as we all know wears Nike.

The last conversation I heard was about some kind of feed ball tournaments they hold, I believe in California. Nainkin explained it but I couldn’t quite hear the details, from my seat by the right baseline side. Fish added, “Gavin (Rossdale) plays, Gavin plays.”

Nainkin adds with a smile, “Guys miss feeds sometimes.”

Fish adds again, “Spadea won it. Ten grand to win.”

Nainkin mentions Philip King.

But I look up at the clock in Ashe and it’s 1:59. I have to get up go and meet the friend-girl. It was an awesome, unforgettable experience to watch two great players and class champions like Mardy Fish and Roger Federer having fun during their practice session at the 2011 U.S. Open…

Scoop Malinowski’s book about “Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew” will be available at amazon.com in September.

12 comments

  • Andrew Miller · August 25, 2011 at 2:29 am

    Scoop – awesome. Fed asking Fish to practice, to me, means one thing. Did you get the sense he wants to figure out Fish if they clash this tournament? He did this with Roddick at the Aussie Open. Either that or he doesn’t feel threatened by Fish and doesnt care who he practices with.

  • Scoop Malinowski · August 25, 2011 at 2:37 am

    Andrew, thank you. Don’t know who asked who but it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Fed asked Fish as he knows he has the hot hand right now and we know everyone likes to hit with the hottest players (on any level) to get a feel for their games and to measure their own. Actually was thinking the same thing as you, if they do play late in the tournament I got the sense that Fish might possibly defer to Federer whether consciously or subconsciously – he seemed to respect him that much. Huge admiration for Roger. And deservedly so. Everyone who knows tennis respects Federer so very much. I mean, how can you not? Rafa, Laver, Sampras, Agassi, Borg, everyone from tennis history respects Roger to the max. Not sure, if Fish and Feddy do have to meet in two weeks, if Fish can summon the necessary killer instinct that it will surely take to eliminate Roger from this tournament. But we will see.

  • Dan Markowitz · August 25, 2011 at 3:08 am

    Good fly, Scoop. Beautiful pic of Fed’s extension on backhand. Spadea told me he lost in the semis of that 21 baseline game tournament played before the LA tournament. Bogdanovic apparently beat Russell who beat Vince.

  • TGIF · August 25, 2011 at 1:14 pm

    Federer also hit w/ Fish in Montreal a few weeks ago; I guess they get along.

    Fish has beaten Federer in the past and played him very, very close in their Cincy Final last year.

    Of course it’s tough to play against any great champion, whether Roger, Novak or Rafa, but I don’t think Fish would “defer” to Roger any more than the other two.

  • Scoop Malinowski · August 25, 2011 at 1:34 pm

    Thanks TGIF; Were you in Montreal? Yes they really do get along well, that was very clear yesterday. But then again every player except for a very small few (Djokovic?), seem to have very friendly relations with Federer. I did a feature a few years ago asking players who they would like to see win the US Open if they had to exit the tournament, and most all the players said Federer, even though he had already won so much and was one slam away from breaking Pete’s record.

  • TGIF · August 25, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    No, I wasn’t in Montreal; just a fan of Federer so I keep up with his doings through his website.

    I would love to attend a Masters tournament some day, I have only been to the US Open (and French Open quallies this year).

  • Scoop Malinowski · August 25, 2011 at 3:01 pm

    French Open qualies must be a lot of fun, were you able to see the top players like Federer and Nadal and Djokovic practice there like they do it at the US Open? This year they seemed to have changed it at the US Open as the TOP players only hit on Ashe now (not open to public), not grandstand and Armstrong (which are open to public). Last year Fed, Rafa and Djok were on grandstand/Armstrong but not this year.

  • @Tennis_Tipster · August 25, 2011 at 3:14 pm

    wow – great scoop, Scoop!

    Looking forward to the book too in September.

    Nice to see hear that that the fire still burns strong in Fed – I really hope he can put together a run this Open for old times.

  • TGIF · August 25, 2011 at 3:20 pm

    Believe it or not it’s even worse than the USO when it comes to watching practice; most courts where the players practice are in non-public access areas and the rest were mixed in with the match courts for the quallies. There were so many matches going on I could hardly find anyone practicing.

    I saw some fun matches though; one player whose name excapes me came back to win his first round quallies match after losing a tough first set in a TB; he then went all the way to the third round! Also saw Ryan Harrison is a comeback win after being down match points in the second set. Watched Marco Chiudenelli losing not far from Fed’s coach Severin Luthi so dared to ask him whether Roger had already practiced; unfortunately he had.

    It was a very lovely atmosphere overall, not too crowded in the restaurant, and ended up chatting with a longtime journalist. Good times 🙂

    Speaking of journalists, since you are one, I had a proposal for a question to be asked during the PC’s, might you want to drop me an email?

  • Scoop Malinowski · August 25, 2011 at 3:56 pm

    Thank you very much TT. Federer looked very good yesterday, I think he’s automatic to reach the SF at least. This is a pretty important slam for Roger to make a statement.

  • TGIF · August 25, 2011 at 6:10 pm

    Hmmm, looks like Fed and Fish in the same quarter (with Tsonga).

  • Gans · August 25, 2011 at 8:42 pm

    Totally enjoyed it, Scoop.

    Great coverage by both you and Dan. Keep it up!

    Only here in Tennis-Prose we get these nice interesting anectodes, rare interviews and insight beyond matches.

    Can I have a copy of your book signed by you? Hey we are special people, right? 🙂

    Is there going to be an e-version of your book because I download books into my e-book with a click of a button!

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