Some gems from Fognini's new book

SinneGOAT

Hall of Fame
95d93551f84b88f4df30d3f26a973525
 

USO

Banned
French Open coaching

Toni: Hit a moonball to Federer’s backhand :unsure:
Rafa: ok (y)
Toni: Hit a moonball to Federer’s backhand :unsure:
Rafa: ok (y)
Toni: Hit a moonball to Federer’s backhand :unsure:
Rafa: ok (y)
Toni: Ehh let me see.. never mind, hit another moonball to Federer’s backhand 8-B
Rafa: ok (y)

Game set and match Rafa Nadal.
 
F

FRV3

Guest
The publishers won't publish unless there is something controversial in the book. Standard tactics.
Read between the lines and you can envision the true value of this book. We get a much deeper picture as to how these players are in real life. But only if you put in the effort to read between the lines.
 

King No1e

G.O.A.T.
Ah yes, the detailed on-court coaching
"Here's the plan Rafito. This is our secret Vamosalaplayan code. Look at me after every point and listen to what I say:
"Vamos bamos" = "hit the high topspin to the backhand"
"Bamos vamos" = "Slice serve wide to the ad court"
"Vamos bamos vamos" = "Stand behind the line judge so the server can't see you"
"Bamos vamos bamos" = "Keep the points short and attack the backhand corner"
"Vamos bamos bamos" = "Don't get up from the chair until you get a time violation"
"Bamos vamos vamos" = "Pull on your shorts to distract him"
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Read between the lines and you can envision the true value of this book. We get a much deeper picture as to how these players are in real life. But only if you put in the effort to read between the lines.

Books deliberately insert negative stuff about players that people care about in order to make money off their fame. The problem is that genuine writing becomes mixed up with the publisher's need to sell, so it becomes hard to separate the two.
 
F

FRV3

Guest
Books deliberately insert negative stuff about players that people care about in order to make money off their fame. The problem is that genuine writing becomes mixed up with the publisher's need to sell, so it becomes hard to separate the two.
I think in tennis it would be easier to just say the truth though. Plenty of drama in tennis that the public would be curious to know about.
 

MeatTornado

Talk Tennis Guru
Ah yes, the detailed on-court coaching
"Here's the plan Rafito. This is our secret Vamosalaplayan code. Look at me after every point and listen to what I say:
"Vamos bamos" = "hit the high topspin to the backhand"
"Bamos vamos" = "Slice serve wide to the ad court"
"Vamos bamos vamos" = "Stand behind the line judge so the server can't see you"
"Bamos vamos bamos" = "Keep the points short and attack the backhand corner"
"Vamos bamos bamos" = "Don't get up from the chair until you get a time violation"
"Bamos vamos vamos" = "Pull on your shorts to distract him"
Not even the Astros could decode those complex signals
HJ5YRFPTNVEO5DRYRIOXNSD5ZA.jpg
 

bjsnider

Hall of Fame
Just wanted to point one thing out about these kinds of books. You can't release an autobio where you say good things about everybody. The publisher won't release it. There has to be drama and controversy. Here's a funny example:

When Klaus Kinski was writing his book, his frequent collaborator Werner Herzog (who some may remember as the antagonist with the chewed off fingers in the first Jack Reacher flick) showed up one day and the two of them used a thesaurus to come up with a litany of rotten things to say about Herzog, because that's what the readers expected. It was all phoney. For more info, see Herzog's documentary "My Best Fiend", and one bogus section of the book, which unloads a bunch of "venomous" nonsense about Herzog reprinted in Roger Ebert's Book of Film (page 187).

I wouldn't believe anything I read in one of those sorts of books. Not even Agassi's book. I don't buy his mudslinging at Sampras, because it was so obligatory it lacked authenticity.
 

DSH

Talk Tennis Guru
"I will always be amazed at the huge difference between the most personal Federer and the Federer we see on the court. When he is not concentrating on tennis, he is a kind, funny man who plays a lot of jokes on you. I have many anecdotes about him. Like when he saw me once and said, why are you so handsome, Fabio? I wish I was just as handsome as you (laughs). Of all my defeats, Roger's are the ones I least regret. I know I gave my all in every one of those games, and yet I still lost them all".
:giggle::laughing:
 

sureshs

Bionic Poster
Just wanted to point one thing out about these kinds of books. You can't release an autobio where you say good things about everybody. The publisher won't release it. There has to be drama and controversy. Here's a funny example:

When Klaus Kinski was writing his book, his frequent collaborator Werner Herzog (who some may remember as the antagonist with the chewed off fingers in the first Jack Reacher flick) showed up one day and the two of them used a thesaurus to come up with a litany of rotten things to say about Herzog, because that's what the readers expected. It was all phoney. For more info, see Herzog's documentary "My Best Fiend", and one bogus section of the book, which unloads a bunch of "venomous" nonsense about Herzog reprinted in Roger Ebert's Book of Film (page 187).

I wouldn't believe anything I read in one of those sorts of books. Not even Agassi's book. I don't buy his mudslinging at Sampras, because it was so obligatory it lacked authenticity.

You are a wise man
 
I'm reading the book and I thought this was the most interesting part so far.

"I will always be amazed at the huge difference between the most personal Federer and the Federer we see on the court. When he is not concentrating on tennis, he is a kind, funny man who plays a lot of jokes on you. I have many anecdotes about him. Like when he saw me once and said, why are you so handsome, Fabio? I wish I was just as handsome as you.

That's when I turned to him and said "Oh but you are as handsome as me Roger...you are! Our eyes met, I moved my lips to his and he moved away briefly and said "No! I can't do this to Mirka!" I said "Roger, you can't deny there's always been a chemistry between us, you can't deny our feelings for each other!" He turned back to me and took me up in his strong, bear arms and said "But Flavia...?" I said "Forget her, she's history! Kiss me Roger, for the love of God, kiss me!" I hope he doesn't mind me revealing our sex-fuelled ten year affair in this book. Turn to the next chapter for the full story, and also the anecdote about when I urinated in Murray's vegetable soup and swapped his bread for urinal cakes.
 

bluetrain4

G.O.A.T.
A little something for everyone, check the whole Twitter thread.

I liked this one:


If tennis were at all serious about coaching, they'd simply move the player's box up significantly. Of course there's would still be ways to coach - signals or even cell phones? I saw someone at the USO look at their cell phone during a changeover and I wondered if they were being coached.
 

Meles Fan.

Professional
I'm reading the book and I thought this was the most interesting part so far.

"I will always be amazed at the huge difference between the most personal Federer and the Federer we see on the court. When he is not concentrating on tennis, he is a kind, funny man who plays a lot of jokes on you. I have many anecdotes about him. Like when he saw me once and said, why are you so handsome, Fabio? I wish I was just as handsome as you.

That's when I turned to him and said "Oh but you are as handsome as me Roger...you are! Our eyes met, I moved my lips to his and he moved away briefly and said "No! I can't do this to Mirka!" I said "Roger, you can't deny there's always been a chemistry between us, you can't deny our feelings for each other!" He turned back to me and took me up in his strong, bear arms and said "But Flavia...?" I said "Forget her, she's history! Kiss me Roger, for the love of God, kiss me!" I hope he doesn't mind me revealing our sex-fuelled ten year affair in this book. Turn to the next chapter for the full story, and also the anecdote about when I urinated in Murray's vegetable soup and swapped his bread for urinal cakes.
Time to hit https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Fanfiction/works to continue this story.
tenor.gif
 

Silverbullet96

Hall of Fame
Ah yes, the detailed on-court coaching
"Here's the plan Rafito. This is our secret Vamosalaplayan code. Look at me after every point and listen to what I say:
"Vamos bamos" = "hit the high topspin to the backhand"
"Bamos vamos" = "Slice serve wide to the ad court"
"Vamos bamos vamos" = "Stand behind the line judge so the server can't see you"
"Bamos vamos bamos" = "Keep the points short and attack the backhand corner"
"Vamos bamos bamos" = "Don't get up from the chair until you get a time violation"
"Bamos vamos vamos" = "Pull on your shorts to distract him"

:-D :-D
 
D

Deleted member 770948

Guest
"From his box he constantly talked to Rafa, gave him tips, supported him."
Supported him?
 

King No1e

G.O.A.T.
Much less so. Fabster's appeal is because he's mercurial and a headcase. I'd actually have little interest in him if he was wildly successful. Strange but true.
"He's drop-dead gorgeous, mercurial, a headcase on the court, with a cute smile. I didn't say a name, but his face came to mind, didn't it?"

12b61c2d3cd78321b584d3cc28606bca.jpg
 
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