[Mateo Mathieu]

I was first time watch whole match was Jelena Dokic thrashed Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario at the Hopman Cup in 1999 but not hooked on Tennis, yet.

Later, I saw Jelena Dokic thrashed Martina Hingis at Wimbledon in 1999 and start hooked on Tennis! <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0"> I was mad at her against Anne Kremer at the same tournament where the match was Jelena won in third set with 8-6! LOL! <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

 

[Justin]

Match that got me hooked was Graf-Navratilova in Paris 1987. But, I loved it before that (but was unable to watch it cause I was too young and I got overruled on the TV by my bros and sisters <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> )

[ November 24, 2001: Message edited by: Justin ]</p>

 

[tenn_ace]

I sort of followed tennis before that, but got hooked after I watched Martian trashing Anna at Wimbledon Juniors (95???) I love both now.

 

[marshmellow]

Christmas 98

i saw a match between anna and venus. venus won so she went on to face steffi...but steffi had to pull out a couple of games into the finals. anna played venus again...so the crowd wasn't too disappointed.

anyone remember what tournament/exhibition this was? cos im not sure....

after that i watched jelena and mark team up and win the hopman cup for australia. and they played a real funny match against carlson and bjorkman...

since then i watched tennis more

<br />--------------------<br />Go Russians!!!

<br />Go Anna!!!

[ November 25, 2001: Message edited by: marshmellow ]</p>

 

[TheBoiledEgg]

for me it was long ago ..... Watching Wimbledon in 1980's but when Natasha Zvereva came along and won 4 junior slams and made RG final 88 that got me into it full-time.

 

[NejedlyKanepi]

one of kournikova's matches at wimbledon. cant quite remember which one it was....but here i am

 

[MaryLinda]

It was a 4 woman "special event" (back in the good old days when tennis was popular enough to produce a made for tv event) on ABC in 1975. I was 8 years old and me and my mother and sister watched Chris Evert beat Evonne Goolagong in 3 sets. Instinctively we all rooted for Evonne even though none of us knew the rules and we all felt Evonne should be winning since she took the first set...I mean 632 beats 466, right? Anyways after that afternoon watching ABC we all got hooked and followed all the virginia Slims events regularly after that.

 

[TS]

I got interested in tennis at a VERY young age. I think I was like 5 or 6 when I started liking the game...around 1983 or 1984. But I only knew like 3 players then...

I got *hooked* when I saw the final Aus Open being played at Kooyong in 1987. That was the year when I could really start to call myself a fan! The match I remember that year that sealed it 4 me, was French Open final....Steffi beat Martina N like 8-6 in the final!

 

[cynicole]

This doesn't have to be a women's match, does it?

I had watched a number of tennis matches before I was hooked. My dad liked to watch McEnroe. Connors in 1991 was fun. Early Seles, Edberg vs. Chang, the Agassi vs. Ivanisevic Wimbledon final, etc.

The one that did it for me was a men's match in the early rounds at the U.S. Open in 1993 or 1994: Stefan Edberg vs. Olivier Delaitre. They kept getting hit in the head with the ball. There was just something about it. Maybe it was because it was the first tennis match I watched by myself. I really can't explain it.

I was obsessed after that one. I began to watch non-Slams. Eventually I fell for the scrappy fight of ASV and Coetzer on the women's side.

 

[irma]

It was the wimbledon final 87 but it didn`t hook me right away, it took 3 years and then I was hooked for live <img src="biggrin.gif" border="0">

 

[Martian Stacey]

The match that got me hooked was Adidias International 2000, the first Martina match i eva saw. Since then i have been a total addict!

 

[Maajken]

Chase champs 99 Lindsay vs Martina

 

[Habsudovafan]

German Open Berlin final; Steffi Graf defeated Karina Habsudova in 3 tight sets. I was following tennis before but that match really made me hooked.

 

[wongqks]

marshmellow, that was in Hong Kong exhibition which I believe is in start of January 1999. I saw those match as well, and I remember Anna at that time has those 20 plus DF in a match quite funny to watch coz all other parts of her game is workign fine, but not her serve

 

[Pureracket]

Those two McEnroe/Borg matches at Wimbledon did it for me. I instantly turned itno a McEnroe fan.

My favorite uncle, who also introduced me to the wonderful voice of Barbara Streisand, disco music, and Broadway musicals, exposed me to Chris Evert when I was a child.

 

[Monica_Rules]

I've watched wimbeldon every yaer since i can remeber 1990 i think was the first I can remeber Seles,Graf winning,Navratilova retiering <img src="graemlins/sad.gif" border="0" alt="[Sad]" /> and so on then in 1999 i watched Graf-Hingis french and from then on i have follwed tennis more but in 2000 ausi open i really follwed everything!

 

[potty]

Well for me it was the Wimbledon final !994 when Conchi just produced those amazing backhand and forehand passing shots against Martina N to take the title, I have been a massiveConchi fan ever since and a big tennis one!

 

[Dawn Marie]

I watched some tennis here and there but the match that got me hooked was not long ago.

Seles whipped Hingis at RG <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> That same year her dad passed away and I remeber WANTING her to win so much. Then I really started watching Venus Williams and loved her personality and her DIVA like attitude. Just everything about her persona really got me into the game and to the tennis personalities. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

 

[~SunFlower~]

I am proud to be a devoted tennis fan for almost 12 years. <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> <img src="graemlins/kiss.gif" border="0" alt="[Kiss]" /> <img src="graemlins/bounce.gif" border="0" alt="[Bounce]" />

I joined my dad in the TV room when he once watched one of Evert-Navratilova matches in the 80's (can't remember which one). It was out of curiousity. I didn't understand the rules but these two amazing girls were killing each other at the net and winning point by point. My eyes then were glued to the TV screen until the match was over. I told him to promise me to let me know when they played again on TV. He never broke his promises. While I watched them several times until Stefan Edberg got my attention. Surely, he was very handsome and hot. I loved his personality and how he played wiht his game. I started watching him more during Grand Slams. Nope, I wasn't a devoted tennis fan yet. <img src="smile.gif" border="0">

While I watched Edberg's matches, Jennifer Capriati was in the news everywhere at age 13 and got my attention suddenly. At that time, there was no internet (sigh!), I made many efforts to follow and find out what she had been up to. I became a huge fan of her when she lost to Sabatini 6-4, 7-5 in the Boca Raton final of March 1990. Of course, I cried. <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> Finally, I watched her in her matches with great happiness in the French Open 1990 and cried when she lost to eventual champion Monica Seles. I was so mad and kept yelling at her Monica "I hate you!" <img src="smile.gif" border="0"> Strangely, I was so happy that Monica beat Graf in the final because I was so sick of Graf when she ruled and dominated in the WTA tennis. That was when it got me really hooked and become a devoted tennis fan ever since. I followed tennis daily and became more familiar with the players' names in the WTA Tour.

While I was a Capriati fan, I realized that Monica was dominating and beating everybody, I started to hate her so much, I must admit. I watched and cried like crazy when Capriati lost to her in that amazing US Open semifinal match. I amost wanted to kill Monica so badly. The most thrilling moment for me was when Capriati beat Graf and captured gold in the 1992 Olympics final. Then the year of 1993 hit me hard when I woke up and found the newspaper on my bed (my dad left it when I was sleeping) that Seles was stabbed in the front page and Capriati lost the US Open first round and left the WTA Tour. I was truly devastated. As a full-time tennis fan, I stopped following WTA tennis and was no longer a Capriati fan but checked out from time to time hoping that Capriati would come back sooner. When she came back, I thought my love for her came back but it didn't. It was not the same as before.

While I was away from WTA tennis, I kept reading Tennis magazine monthly. I suddenly spotted Anna Kournikova in a magazine at the very beginning of 1993 when she was 11 as Martina Hingis and her were in the juniors. I became a huge fan of her rignt away and followed her. I was wowed and thrilled when I first saw her on TV in Wimbledon 1994 when she was in the stands watching one of women's matches. Showing her on TV was very quick. She was rubbing her forehead and looked back in the audience as one person said that she was playing as a junior and future tennis star. The most memorable and thrilling moment was when Anna beat Paulus in the US OPEN fourth round in 1995 at age 15. I suddenly became no longer a Kournikova fan last February when she lost to Mauremso. I have no regrets of being a fan of her for 8 years. She was full of excitement and all to me but not anymore. Sad but true.

While I was a Kournkova fan, I spotted Maria Sharapova in the Sept 99 issue of Tennis magazine. I just fell in love with her and became a huge fan when the article said that her shark teeth collection to represent her mental toughness. It was truly unique to me. I kept reading over and over. I went home and surfed like crazy on the net to get more info about her! As today, I have only one favorite player that I am watching her every move until she retires. When she retires, I will retire as a tennis fan and move on with my life unless if my future daughter (if I have one!!) is interested in playing tennis or if I get a job in the Information Systems dept of WTA Tour. Anything is possible! <img src="wink.gif" border="0"> <img src="wink.gif" border="0">

Go MARIA! <img src="graemlins/kiss.gif" border="0" alt="[Kiss]" /> <img src="graemlins/bounce.gif" border="0" alt="[Bounce]" />

[ November 26, 2001: Message edited by: Sharky ]</p>

 

[evaz]

It was the Fed Cup final 1998. I saw all the singles matches between Martina Hingis, Patty Schnyder, Conchita Martinez and Arantxa Sanchez - Vicario. This was the first time I really watched a tennis match from the beginning. After this I have always been following tennis and especially these two Swiss players!