TBT: The first time I saw Federer play

In 2017, Roger Federer continues to impress, just like he did on a Friday afternoon at the US Open 17 years ago. That was when I had the fortune of watching him play for the first time—in person, no less.

In 1998, one year after moving to New York from Mobile, Ala., I made my first foray out to Flushing Meadows. I had nosebleed seats inside Arthur Ashe Stadium, where I saw Lindsay Davenport and Patrick Rafter advance to the semifinalss. The action around the grounds left me star-struck as well, as I was able to catch Martina Hingis and Jana Novotna play doubles, and see an 18-year-old Serena Williams march toward the mixed doubles title with Max Mirnyi.

In 2000, taking into account my first-job salary and the opportunity to get more bang for my (little) buck, I bought a grounds pass and patrolled the outer courts. However, I didn’t expect Mother Nature to make her presence felt with such intensity.

Close to throwing in the towel—actually, my $3 umbrella—and calling it a day, I decided to give it one more shot after the rain and sauntered over to Louis Armstrong Stadium for the Juan Carlos Ferrero match.

The No. 12 seed was playing an unseeded Federer. All I knew of Federer at that time was that he was from Switzerland, had made a final at the beginning of the year and was ranked in the Top 40—not bad for a 19-year-old.

Still, Ferrero was a heavy favorite. A year older than his opponent, Ferrero reached his first Grand Slam semifinal at the French Open that year. By the time I made my way to the court, Ferrero was already up a set. While the Spaniard’s consistency from the back of the court and speed was impressive, I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing from his opponent.

Federer—with his long hair pulled under his Nike baseball cap like Agassi in his prime—was constantly in attack mode. Coming in behind first and second deliveries, he could crunch sitters or angle off shoestring volleys with ease.

The two were going toe-to-toe, and it looked like Federer’s versatility would turn things in his favor. But, he dropped the second set in a tiebreak, putting him in a 2-0 hole.

Was it youth, figuring he might as well go for it since he was on the ropes, or sheer talent that was on display in the third set from Federer? I’m not sure. All I know is that the Swiss teen turned it up a few levels. There were winners on the run, aces in bunches, crisp volleys and pillow-soft droppers—all which helped him take the third set 6-1.

At this point, I didn’t even mind any more of the rain delays. The two best players of my time had been Ivan Lendl and Pete Sampras, and Federer looked like a combination of them—with Stefan Edberg’s volleys.

It was onto the fourth, and Federer was still on a roll. Ferrero had already shown that he was a tenacious opponent and lifted his own game. The set went to a tiebreak: Federer looking for a fifth set, Ferrero trying to put his foe away. They managed to get a few points out of the way until the rain returned once again.

After the delay—which I waited out in my seat as there was no way I was leaving—Federer earned a set point. Ferrero saved it and eventually found himself at match point, clinching it with a huge forehand to advance to the fourth round.

Even though it was close to midnight when I got home I had to call one of my best friends back in Alabama. I told him how I caught this Federer kid who was the best player I’d ever seen in person, on TV, in a magazine, anywhere. Granted, he did lose the match, but he’s definitely a contender to win a few Slams in the future, I said.

Of course, we all know how that early prognostication turned out. I knew he was destined for greatness, but rewriting record books?

Nearly a year later, Federer would do what would once seem unthinkable: He ended the reign of Sampras in the fourth round of Wimbledon in a five-set classic widely thought of as a changing of the guard.

As I watched on TV, I thought back to the match I caught in person on Louis Armstrong Stadium and I wasn’t surprised by the end result. In fact, it only affirmed what I learned earlier: This kid was going places.

Follow Van on Twitter: @Van_Sias