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Swiss Indoors Basel: King Roger seeks the heir to the throne

10/09/2018 written by Ticketcorner
The best over-thirty (Roger Federer) and the best tennis teenager (Denis Shapovalov) compete at the Swiss Indoors Basel. In the newly renovated St. Jakobshalle, it's a clash of the generations.

Exactly 20 years ago, the draw for the Swiss Indoors made headlines. Roger Federer, then 17-year-old Swiss tennis' greatest hope and reigning Wimbledon junior champion, was drawn to play Andre Agassi of all people.
"At the time, I didn't think he had much chance of reaching the top."

Andre Agassi

On that day in October, it was the tennis of tomorrow (Federer) against the tennis of today (Agassi). The US-American clearly won 6:3 and 6:2. In the book "Facing Federer" by Scoop Malinowski, Agassi recalls: "It looked like he was imitating Pete Sampras." And therefore: "I didn't believe at the time that he had much chance of getting to the top."

The rest is history. This year, Roger Federer is celebrating his 20th anniversary on the main court in Basel. He will try to reach the final of the Swiss Indoors for the 14th time and win it for the ninth time. Of course, only those final appearances that Roger experienced as a player are counted. The fact that he was a 12-year-old ball boy in the 1993 final between Michael Stich and Stefan Edberg? No problem. Last year, Tennis TV showed Federer the pictures of the award ceremony from back then. The maestro was touched when he saw Stich give him a commemorative medal again. "I'm still a ball boy at heart," Federer says in the video.

But he is also the reigning Australian Open champion and the oldest player in the top 100. To still be the best in the world at the age of 37 was considered impossible in tennis before Federer. Even in 2018, he still embodies the tennis of today. Because the succession to the throne is still a long time coming.

The youngsters are the main characters in ATP advertising campaigns and occasionally draw attention to themselves. But the "tennis of tomorrow" has still not made the big breakthrough. This "tennis of tomorrow" is particularly well represented by a man who the Swiss Indoors was able to secure as one of the first participants: the 19-year-old Canadian Denis Shapovalov.

Shapovalov, the future rock star of tennis

19-year-old contender for the tennis throne: Denis Shapovalov
He is regarded as a future rock star of tennis. Especially because of his looks. His long hair is reminiscent of the young Agassi or Björn Borg. At Wimbledon, he even admitted it in an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper: "A lot of people wear short hair these days, I have more of an 80s or 90s look."

When he once signed up for the air force cadets, his hair was cut short. However, Shapovalov decided in favor of tennis and a mane, but against the military. Tennis nostalgics like the left-hander not only because of his retro hairstyle, but also because of his elegant playing style, especially his one-handed backhand.
Shapovalov in the Daily Mail: "On my bedroom wall I had a picture of Roger lunging for a backhand. I woke up and saw the picture." He modeled the shot after Federer.

Will the "tennis of today" meet the "tennis of tomorrow" again in Basel, as it did 20 years ago? Shapovalov and Federer have never played against each other. How about a joint appearance in the beautifully renovated St. Jakobshalle, which is being inaugurated with the Swiss Indoors Basel?

SWISS INDOORS
22.10. - 28.10.2018, St. Jakobshalle Basel
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Translated with DeepL