It was 12 years ago on May 25, 1999 that Roger Federer made his Grand Slam debut. The man who would go on to win more major singles titles than any man in tennis history drew Patrick Rafter of Australia in the opening round of the 1999 French Open. Federer, who plays Maxime Teixeira of France in the French Open second round Wednesday, was defeated by Rafter, but played well enough to impress the reigning two-time US Open champion. The following is the excerpt from the book ON THIS DAY IN TENNIS HISTORY by Randy Walker ($19.95, New Chapter Press, www.TennisHistoryBook.com)
The following – Ranked No. 111 in the world, 17-year-old Roger Federer plays in his first main draw match at a major tournament at the French Open, losing to two-time reigning U.S. Open champion Patrick Rafter of Australia 5-7, 6-3, 6-0, 6-2. Writes Rene Stauffer in the book The Roger Federer Story, Quest for Perfection, “He (Roger) jumped out to win the first set against the world’s No. 3-ranked player who then was at the peak of his career. However, the sun came out and the conditions became warmer and faster. The clay courts dried out and balls moved much faster through the court. The Australian’s attacking serve-and-volley style seemed to run on automatic and he won in four sets. ‘The young man from Switzerland could be one of the people who will shape the next ten years,’ the French sports newspaper L’Equipe wrote during the tournament. Rafter shared the same opinion. “The boy impressed me very much,” he said. “If he works hard and has a good attitude, he could become an excellent player.’”