When Did You Start Following Tennis?

[Kirijax]

Back in June of 1979, I was 15 yrs old and had zero interest in any kind of professional sports. I had started playing tennis in high school but not really that aware of the professional tour and the players. But I remember it as clear as yesterday. One morning I got up and looked at the sports page of my dad's newspaper. The headlines said "Pecci Upsets Vilas in French Open Quarters". And there was a pic of Victor Pecci in his short-short Fila shorts and Michael Landon 70s hairstyle. The picture of Pecci and the exotic sounding names of Guillermo Vilas and Bjorn Borg got my interest and I started checking the news every day for more. I was hooked. This was something like the picture of Pecci I saw that day.

I quickly gobbled up everything I could about Borg, Connors, McEnroe, Evert, Navratilova and Austin (those were the big names that year) but once again my underdog-favoring gene kicked in and the first players I ever rooted for were (don't laugh) Roscoe Tanner and Dianne Fromholtz. Why I do not know. But I remember getting a tennis magazine and they had a full-page picture of Fromholtz in there. I cut it out and had it on my wall for a while.

The men's quarterfinals at the French Open take me back to those humble beginnings every year. How long has it been now? Thirty-six years... Holy Cabooses. I'm going to go lie down now. :speechless:

How did you guys start following tennis?

 

[tennisville]

I only started following tennis recently. My dad always used to follow wimbledon and I just gazed at the finals in 2004. I was amazed by the game and I became a Federer fan right there. I enjoyed how he played tennis

Somehow I used to think there were only 5 tennis tournaments and I tuned in to watch the later stages of the US Open and the year end finals both won by Roger. Then came Australia 2005, tha event had a ton of 5 setters and was really enjoyable to watch. The semifinal match between Federer and Safin really hooked me. I remember feeling dejected after the match when the commentator said that Roger would appear in a tournament in Rotterdam.

I then found out that a whole tour existed and after that started following weekly. I still dont think there has been a better slam in terms of quality of matches as that Australian open with tons of good matches

 

[Kieran]

1976, I was ten. Borg. My big sisters loved him in a screeching loud beatlemania way. Collected scrapbooks, they did. I wish I still had them, would love to read the articles. I start playing then, in the summer leagues. Modelled my backhand on Borg. Suffered and died with him when he lost. Then, Greta Garbo, I vonna be alone, he was gone...

 

[Kirijax]

1976, I was ten. Borg. My big sisters loved him in a screeching loud beatlemania way. Collected scrapbooks, they did. I wish I still had them, would love to read the articles. I start playing then, in the summer leagues. Modelled my backhand on Borg. Suffered and died with him when he lost. Then, Greta Garbo, I vonna be alone, he was gone...

Wow Keiran. You're two years older than me? I feel YOUNG!

 

[Kieran]

1976, I was ten. Borg. My big sisters loved him in a screeching loud beatlemania way. Collected scrapbooks, they did. I wish I still had them, would love to read the articles. I start playing then, in the summer leagues. Modelled my backhand on Borg. Suffered and died with him when he lost. Then, Greta Garbo, I vonna be alone, he was gone...

Wow Keiran. You're two years older than me? I feel YOUNG!

I'm two years younger! I was only 13 in 1979, you said you were fifteen then.

But it's good I made you feel younger. You are young!

 

[Kirijax]

1976, I was ten. Borg. My big sisters loved him in a screeching loud beatlemania way. Collected scrapbooks, they did. I wish I still had them, would love to read the articles. I start playing then, in the summer leagues. Modelled my backhand on Borg. Suffered and died with him when he lost. Then, Greta Garbo, I vonna be alone, he was gone...

Wow Keiran. You're two years older than me? I feel YOUNG!

I'm two years younger! I was only 13 in 1979, you said you were fifteen then.

But it's good I made you feel younger. You are young!

So we'l be joining us in the land of 50 next year. It's not a bad place to be really.

 

[Fiero425]

Wow Keiran. You're two years older than me? I feel YOUNG!

I'm two years younger! I was only 13 in 1979, you said you were fifteen then.

But it's good I made you feel younger. You are young!

So we'l be joining us in the land of 50 next year. It's not a bad place to be really.

Still young bloods; started playing at 14 in '71! Step-dad bought me a racket and I played everyday to get where I was; tourneys, teaching, a life! Didn't start watching on TV until '74 when tennis exploded due to winnings of Evert & Connors at Wimbledon! Borg was my fave and I still own one of those huge posters of the Swedish Thunder-Gawd! If someone wants it, let me know and I'll go track it down in storage! :nono :angel: Before Navratilova, Goolagong was the ballerina on court I enjoyed watching the most! :clap

 

[August]

I remember seeing Nieminen in the Stockholm final 2001. But I didn't really start following tennis then. In 2003, I was introduced to playing tennis on a holiday. That made me interested about the sport and since 2005 I've followed tennis more or less closely. The AO and FO used to be free-to-air in Finland, also Wimbledon sometimes. Since 2008, the amount of tennis on FTA channels reduced a lot but in late 2009 I became aware of the possibility of seeing matches in Internet. Then, when I finally became able to watch tennis when I want and not only when TV channels show it, I started to become more of a hardcore fan.

 

[shawnbm]

1974 as my fellow hometown gal, Chrissie Evert, was making a Wimbledon and the US Open since that was all you could get other than the Pepsi Grand Slam in Boca Raton that started in 1976. Connors and her were my first tennis hero and heroine. She was cute and went to a high school a mile from mine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida (well, what would be my high school). Tennis was exploding on the scene and then came the Angelic Assassin from Sweden and things really took off!

 

[nehmeth]

Began following tennis in 73 as a little fella. My mother had just passed and my father wanted to do whatever he could to help fill up the void. With tennis racquet in hand I was sent to one of the best teaching pros in our area.

Summer came and there was tennis camp at the club, playing on the Har-Tru courts in the mornings and late afternoon. Midday would be lunch, the pool, and films of Stan Smith, Rosewall, Rod Laver. During Wimbledon, we'd all be watching matches in the main room of the clubhouse - a converted barn.

As a kid, Guillermo Vilas was my favorite player. Evonne Goolagong was my female favorite; first crush too. I was a fan of the "Bagel Twins" Harold Solomon and Eddie Dibbs. I liked McEnroe because he could beat Borg, and Connors because he was a fighter. I really disliked Lendl, as I actually thought he was an automaton.

 

[Kirijax]

It looks like quite a few of us are right at or close to that half-century mark.

I shan't be naming any names.

 

[Fiero425]

Began following tennis in 73 as a little fella. My mother had just passed and my father wanted to do whatever he could to help fill up the void. With tennis racquet in hand I was sent to one of the best teaching pros in our area.

Summer came and there was tennis camp at the club, playing on the Har-Tru courts in the mornings and late afternoon. Midday would be lunch, the pool, and films of Stan Smith, Rosewall, Rod Laver. During Wimbledon, we'd all be watching matches in the main room of the clubhouse - a converted barn.

As a kid, Guillermo Vilas was my favorite player. Evonne Goolagong was my female favorite; first crush too. I was a fan of the "Bagel Twins" Harold Solomon and Eddie Dibbs. I liked McEnroe because he could beat Borg, and Connors because he was a fighter. I really disliked Lendl, as I actually thought he was an automaton.

Ahhh, the "Bagel Twins;" thought to deal with their heritage! I thought it was more how Borg beat them like drums, never losing to either along with Vitas who he OWNED! :angel: :dodgy: They were the equivalent of Ferrer, Almagro, Berdych, and a few other "human backboards!" Notice they never really won anything; barely making appearances in major semi's and finals if at all! The top echelon back then was nowhere near as invincible with obvious weaknesses that could be exploited! All that was needed was a more cerebral approach to the match and not play right into the strength of that top player! Like Nole when he started beating Nadal, he pounded his backhand corner relentlessly; esp. on approaches to the net! After a while Djokovic went after the strength, but that was when the BH broke down and confused Nadal with where the shot is going! Watching Berdych and the rest who are mindless ball bashers you see why they'll NEVER win ANYTHING of substance! BTW, I guess I was Lendl's only supporter because he was such an artisan and could challenge and beat McEnroe into submission! Those 8 straight USO finals, winning 3 will live on for generations IMO! :clap :angel: :exclamation:

 

[kro2488]

I only started about in 2006. Nadal quickly became my favorite player to watch because of his energy and never say die attitude. Eventually Federer became a favorite of mine as well, those two are still pretty much my favorites. I have a few others as well, Berdych, Smychek, Dimitrov etc, I like watching older videos of past great players too. I really LOVE the serve and volley play style. Just sucks alot of players are not comfortable with it as much now, why I absolutely love when Federer has success using the tactic, but it just depends on how he is serving and who he plays how well it works.

 

[ToffeeAlex]

Wimbledon 2010 was when I saw my first tennis match on TV (when I was 11) and I remember it involved Federer. I don't remember who he was playing, just that my parents said that he was one of the best players ever and that he was fantastic. I watched the rest of that match with them and rather enjoyed it.

I didn't watch any tennis after that really until Wimbledon the next year, when I decided I would try to watch some of it as it was the only televised tournament. So Wimbledon 2011 was when I started following Murray and watching matches, and since then I've loved the sport and developed a much greater knowledge of players and tournaments!

 

[jhar26]

In the mid-70's. I don't remember exactly, 1975/1976, something like that. At the time I was 14/15 years old and the only sport I was really interested in was boxing, although I must admit that I had a major crush on Nadia Comaneci and I idolised her. :heart: But aside from that Ali, Frazier, Foreman and Norton - that was sport to me and I didn't really care about anything else. But then I read an article in a newspaper about Jimmy Connors and his behaviour which was of course described as very rude. So I figured that I'd better check this guy out. So the next time he was on the telly I took a look, and he didn't disappoint. :devil I figured that tennis would be a cooler sport to follow than I had expected. :laydownlaughing And than I learned about Connors' ex-girlfriend Chrissie and she was a real cutie, and so she became my female fave. And the rest is history, so to speak.

 

[Fiero425]

In the mid-70's. I don't remember exactly, 1975/1976, something like that. At the time I was 14/15 years old and the only sport I was really interested in was boxing, although I must admit that I had a major crush on Nadia Comaneci and I idolised her. :heart: But aside from that Ali, Frazier, Foreman and Norton - that was sport to me and I didn't really care about anything else. But then I read an article in a newspaper about Jimmy Connors and his behavior which was of course described as very rude. So I figured that I'd better check this guy out. So the next time he was on the telly I took a look, and he didn't disappoint. :devil I figured that tennis would be a cooler sport to follow than I had expected. :laydownlaughing And than I learned about Connors' ex-girlfriend Chrissie and she was a real cutie, and so she became my female fave. And the rest is history, so to speak.

You're the first I've read that appears to have rarely if ever played! Am I right? Most people who watched back in the 70's played as well! :angel: :dodgy:

 

[jhar26]

In the mid-70's. I don't remember exactly, 1975/1976, something like that. At the time I was 14/15 years old and the only sport I was really interested in was boxing, although I must admit that I had a major crush on Nadia Comaneci and I idolised her. :heart: But aside from that Ali, Frazier, Foreman and Norton - that was sport to me and I didn't really care about anything else. But then I read an article in a newspaper about Jimmy Connors and his behavior which was of course described as very rude. So I figured that I'd better check this guy out. So the next time he was on the telly I took a look, and he didn't disappoint. :devil I figured that tennis would be a cooler sport to follow than I had expected. :laydownlaughing And than I learned about Connors' ex-girlfriend Chrissie and she was a real cutie, and so she became my female fave. And the rest is history, so to speak.

You're the first I've read that appears to have rarely if ever played! Am I right? Most people who watched back in the 70's played as well! :angel: :dodgy:

How's that? I suppose that means that my posts suck compared to everyone else's. :laydownlaughing Nah, I played a bit recreationally. But I was never any good. I must have hit more homeruns than Babe Ruth though.