Frances Tiafoe: Oh My God I’m Going To Play Federer!

by Tom Gainey | March 25th, 2017, 1:17 pm
  • 22 Comments

America has a good crop of youngsters coming up through the ranks, and today one of the gets center stage as 19-year-old Frances Tiafoe takes on Roger Federer in the second round at Miami.

Tiafoe had to qualify just to get into the event, and he made the most of it collecting his second career Masters match win beating another qualifier, Konstantin Kravchuk, in the first round. But now the Maryland native tries to win his first contest against a Top 60 player and beat one of his favorite players in Federer.

“This guy has about a million Grand Slams and done everything,” Tiafoe said Thursday. “I can’t tell you how excited I am to play. Seeing the draw was partly probably why being up a set and 4-1 I started rushing and thinking, Oh, my God, I’m going to play Roger, I’m going to play Roger.


“He’s my idol, everyone’s idol. People still on tour in the locker room stare at him. He’s an absolute legend.

And his high praise of the Swiss didn’t stop there.

“He’s too smooth to emulate,” Tiafoe said of Federer. “You can’t emulate a guy like him. He makes it look way too easy.”

Before it looks like an easy day for Federer, Tiafoe gave another one of his idols, Juan Martin del Potro, a real test a few weeks ago in Acapulco.

“My actual biggest idol was De Potro, so playing him in Acapulco was amazing for me. Partly I liked him because he beat Federer at the US Open final. You know, just someone different.

“So easy to like him and Rafa and all those top guys. Yeah, I mean, Roger, he’s everyone’s idol, and I really can’t wait to play him.”

Tiafoe will finally face Federer later this afternoon.

“It’s going to be exciting,” he added. “I’m going to leave it all out there. Obviously once you get into the match it’s just another match. Even though you’re playing a great, after the fact you’ll be, Oh, that was crazy playing him. Once you get on the court doesn’t matter. Just kind of beat whoever is in front of you.

“It’s going to be an honor, but, again, I am definitely going to go after him and give it all I got.”

Tiafoe, who ranks No. 101, says he hopes to crack the Top 50 this year. A win today would go a long way.


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22 Comments for Frances Tiafoe: Oh My God I’m Going To Play Federer!

Wog Boy Says:

What a shitty attitude to have.


Giles Says:

Come on Toffee! Lol


steve-o Says:

What’s your problem, Wog Boy?


Wog Boy Says:

What’s your problem steve-o?


skeezer Says:

Apparently some here have even a sh!ttier attitude when their fav is not playing.
For you WB, “Yeah, I mean, Roger, he’s everyone’s idol….”, lol.
—-
I liked watching this kid Tiafoe, only 19 and blasting winners against the GOAT. Gave him a run in the first but Fed showed him “who’s your daddy” in the second.
Onward Fed!


Wog Boy Says:

Apparently lunatic fedfanatics can’t live without Nole even when he is not playing, they’re so much butthurt that they are bashing up cardboard, check the other thread and give them some of your vaseline, you have plenty in stock.


steve-o Says:

Rudeness and obnoxiousness, Wog Boy, that’s my problem.

What’s wrong with admiring Federer? Does it hurt you so much that you have to make such a comment?


skeezer Says:

Someone needs to “check in”.
WB,
I don’t need or have to check “other threads”. I am here talkin Miami tennis and the players in it.

Don’t want to talk about fans at matches. Why? Whats the point? Novak fans here are way more crude than that. That needs no debate.
Want to talk about the players who are in the tournament? Let’s do it! Yeah baby….Talk on.


Wog Boy Says:

“Rudeness and obnoxiousness, Wog Boy, that’s my problem.”

I noticed that, but I can’t help you, you have to work on yourself and try to get rid of it, it’s a long process, but you can do it.

As for “admiring Federer”, you are rught, Tofu is admiring him so much that I couldn’t help, while reading it, but to notice that it looked like Tofu had full on sexual experience while talking about his idol, that is beyond admiring that is something else, but we won’t go there, it is X-rated.


Wog Boy Says:

Rub it in Slimy, rub it in, I know it hurts, the pain will ease…eventually.


skeezer Says:

You seem to know alot about vaseline, butts and rubbing it in. Hows that?
Too bad you don’t know jack about tennis.


Berghain Says:

lol WG I just got home from an Irish Pub – was great but damn those ppl are loud. They serve burgers and all sorts of stuff but no coffee? wtf. I see you are on fire tonight, man Im happy I dont receive such treatment :) hihi. Good Night.

—–

Tiafoe has a good down-the-line backhand. Seems like a timid person. Those courts do seem super slow, wonder what the court pace rating is. AO was 45 which is Fast – anything below is medium – slow. I know IW was 26 or so.


Berghain Says:

WB I mean. WG means wohngesellschaft – sorry.


Wog Boy Says:

Berghain,

Sleep tight and don’t worry,
you are my mate.

You see, it’s rimes:)
As for Irish pubs, I love them, but to experience real Irish pub you have to go to Ireland, and to drink real Guinness you too have to drink it in Ireland, Guinniess doesn’t travel, unfortunately for us Guinness lovers living somewhere else.


Wog Boy Says:

Berghain,

If you come back on this thread, since you are very lively person, you remind me on myself when I was your age, this is a must for you if you ever get to Dublin. It is the highest Irish pub (the pub claims it) in Wicklow mountains, just outside Dublin, you haven’t been in Dublin unless you visited “Johnnie Fox’s Pub”, best seafood (bit expensive though), entertainment and atmosphere next to none, but don’t you dare to drive back to Dublin if you were drinking, I found video of some Brasilian mob (nice, nice ladies;) in Johnnie Fox’s pub, you can search for more on You Tube:

https://youtu.be/ww9FlxiHSJo


Wog Boy Says:

And this one is for Slimy, but Berghain, you can recognize German touch in this cooking, somehow I mised this one before, and Riesling white wine comes handy after the meal, enjoy it, one and only AlmazanKitchen:

https://youtu.be/wvE9FnQTJ4I


Wog Boy Says:

And this is to all my friends, particularly Irish ones who used to celebrate with me all Nole’s victories through Viber sitting somewhere in the Dublin pub, sorry mates, Nole is in another world now, but enjoy the music and thanks for never letting me and Nole down, friends for ever, to the end:

https://youtu.be/tDTQQWSmo8s

PS:
I’ll be back 😎


Aced out Says:

Roger is indeed the man and the most talented tennis player ever … this comparison of the big three is quite interesting … http://www.138mph.com/decoding-the-big-three-murray/


madmax Says:

This made me laugh:

“He’s my idol, everyone’s idol. People still on tour in the locker room stare at him. PEOPLE IN THE LOCKER ROOM STARE AT HIM!

He’s an absolute legend.

I can imagine if Travis Bickle walked into the locker room. They would all stare at Travis, but for all the wrong reasons!


HJF Says:

Each to their own, but ive always found the term idol to be a bit sad, when it comes to sports personalities ….


madmax Says:

HKF,

Give the guy a break. :-)

He is 18 years old. Oh to be 18 years old again. Fed was/is his hero, a superstar to him, to many. Let him enjoy it. Not many people can say they played The Fed. Now he has that on his resume. :-)


HJF Says:

Each to their own ….

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