Artists appreciate artistry more than most tennis mortals.
That's one reason why Roger Federer, who has won the ATP's Stefan Edberg Sportsmanship an astounding 10 times, supports Marcelo Rios, widely regarded as one of the surliest top players of the Open Era, for induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
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Another reason: The brilliant but cranky Chilean was one of Federer's favorite players to watch.
Following his straight-sets thrashing of Steve Darcis, Federer told Tennis Now contributor Scoop Malinowski, who wrote the book on Rios, he would support the former world No. 1 for Hall of Fame induction.
"I don't know what it takes (to be voted into the Hall of Fame), to be quite honest," Federer said. "He was one of my favorite players to watch, so I would vote yes."
Rios, the 1998 Australian Open runner-up to Petr Korda, never won a Grand Slam title. The left-hander's tremendous touch and mesmerizing ball-control skills—combined with a cocky and combustible personality—have made him both revered and reviled.
Hall of Famer Ilie Nastase, once regarded as the undisputed world No. 1 of tennis bad boys, despised Rios. Nastase famously called Rios "the worst pr--k I ever met" in an interview with Malinowski published in Tennis Week Magazine that became the genesis for his book Marcelo Rios: The Man We Barely Knew.
Growing up as a ball boy in Basel, Federer appreciated champions with style.
The 17-time Grand Slam champion remembers watching two of his favorites, Boris Becker and Edberg, square off in Wimbledon finals and spent the early years of his career playing with the Wilson Pro Staff frame used by another one of his heroes, Pete Sampras.
Federer has long cited Rios as an influential player in his formative years.
"I think idols for me were the ones sort of reaching for the stars I thought were untouchable, such as Boris Becker, Stefan Edberg, Pete Sampras," Federer has said. "You know that. I liked also Marcelo Rios' game as well when I was coming along. I was lucky enough to play him a few times as well."
Federer is six years younger than the Chilean former World No. 1 and won both of their career meetings contested in 2002.
Rios, Federer and Juan Carlos Ferrero came together in the photo above at the ATP Heritage Celebration staged at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City in September, 2013.
Photo credit: ATP/Zimbio