As a kid, Andy was a star. He was stronger and taller than his peers. When playing tennis, he always seemed to have that extra second more to intercept a passing shot, or return a smash. When playing soccer, his great anticipation made him a wall of a defender, and his strength and skills made him a power forward. He breezed through high school, and went to college on a nice scholarship that would cover his living expenses and tuition.
Once in college, Andy decided to turn professional. He would take up tennis and become a star. After all Andy was extremely good at Tennis. So Andy turned professional. He started playing the ATP tournaments and won most of them without hiccups. There was an odd defeat here and there, but they were more aberrations than serious issues. Thus Andy continued his professional journey, winning tournaments, creating new fans everywhere he went, growing in reputation as a world class tennis player.
In a couple of years, Andy had become a seriously good player. Sports analysts itched to compare him against the best ever that there has been. He was a star in the making, someone to carry American Tennis to the next generation. In the eighties, McEnroe and Connors had successfully established America at the forefront of world tennis. In the nineties, Sampras and Agassi took America’s reputation a notch further. But in the 21st century, things had changed a bit. Tennis was getting popular all over the world, especially among the eastern European countries. Players were emerging from everywhere: Serbia, Russia, France, Switzerland, Spain, and even smaller nations like Chile and Cypress. However, American Tennis had ebbed away since the retirement of Sampras and Agassi. There were players of promise that were seen every now and then, but nobody made a lasting impression. The media contributed to the loss in interest as well. Tennis was no longer covered in prime time. It was hardly ever telecast on TV. Sports news was limited to American Football, Baseball, and Basketball in that order. In these days of gloom for American Tennis, Andy was a ray of hope. If he ruled world tennis for the next five to six years, tennis in America would undergo a sea change. It would spur other youngsters to take up tennis seriously.
Andy had accumulated enough points to make him eligible to compete in Wimbledon. He entered Wimbledon as America’s lone hope. In the initial four rounds, he brushed his opponents aside, losing only five games in four rounds. Come Quarterfinal, the competition was getting tougher. Andy’s booming serves were being returned more often than he would have liked. He had to stay in the point longer than he was willing. There was always that one extra rally that he had to endure. Still, Andy won. He was stretched, but he won. Now, it was time for the semi-final. Andy was slated to meet Rafael, a clay court specialist with a reputation for immense stamina. First set: Andy served, and served well. But Rafael returned and returned better. Andy had never seen such power and angles in the returns. And he was not used to running around the court to chase down the ball. Hey, he was Andy, the guy with the biggest serve in the game. But this was the first time he faced someone who brought an entirely new set of skills to the table. Rafael did not boast of a huge serve, but could find impossible angles on the court. He could hit drop shots, perfect lobs, down the line, cross court, you name it. Rafael had perfected all other aspects of his game, as he knew he could never be a great server. On the other hand, Andy never thought he needed to work hard on aspects other than his serve. His serve always made him a very difficult opponent. Alas, Andy did not realize that his serve only made him a difficult opponent. It did not make him the best there is. Andy fought hard, but eventually lost.
By now Andy was a full blown professional. He was playing tennis tournaments all year long. He was winning most of them as long as he did not have to play Rafael or Roger, two blokes who were far more skilled than Andy. However, this meant that Andy could not pocket any of the slam tournaments: Australian, French, Wimbledon or US open. In each of the four, he would run into Rafael or Roger at some stage, and lose. Andy was getting increasingly frustrated at the ease with which Rafael and Roger were beating him. Andy’s game was falling apart. His sole purpose in life was to beat Roger and Rafael. Victories against other opponents did not give him any joy. He would take those games easy, and started losing to other opponents as well. If only Andy could wind the clock back a few years. He would go back to his coaching clinic and iron out his flaws. He would no longer rely on his serve. But clock was ticking one way, and Andy was getting older.
Six years had passed. Andy’s game had gone from bad to worse. He was struggling to find a place in Wimbledon, his favorite tournament. But Andy was a good kid. He was always willing to try. He would practice with doubles players to improve his skills at the net. He hired a coach to help him iron out the errors that had crept into his game. The coach put Andy on a training and diet program, and Andy followed it religiously. In six weeks, Andy was fifteen pounds lighter and visibly faster on the court. Within ten weeks, he had improved his net play considerably and could hit powerful strokes from the baseline. His serve improved as well. He was getting more than eighty percent of his first serves in, and winning more than ninety percent of the points on his serve. Andy could now take on the best. He was the lean mean machine ready for the battle.
Along came Wimbledon. Andy was ruthless. He was playing at a different level compared to his opponents. He reached the final without breaking a sweat. In the final, he would meet Roger, someone who had his number. Roger had not lost a set to Andy in eighteen matches. Roger was the overwhelming favorite. But this was a different Andy. Roger had not met this Andy before.
The final started on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
First set: Andy’s serve was booming. But more importantly his returns were strong as well. The set stayed on serve until five all, at which point, Andy broke Roger and pocketed the set.
Second set: Andy’s serve held him in good stead. The set went to tie-breaker. Andy was placed comfortably at 6-5 in the tie-breaker, with an advantage of a break. Andy served. It was a strong serve. Roger barely returned it. Andy had all the time in the world to put away the return. A sudden pang of nerves got to him. Andy panicked and hit the backhand long. Andy went on to lose the set. It was heartbreaking, both for Andy and his supporters. An ordinary guy would have given up and lost the match within the next hour. But Andy was a competitor. He had undergone hours of mental and physical conditioning with the sole aim of beating Roger and Rafael. He could not give all that up now.
Third set: Again, each player held his serve and the set went to a tie-breaker. But this time, Roger won the tie-breaker easily. It was 2-1 Roger. Andy saw the match slipping away. Roger does not usually give up a lead. He is known to pounce on the opponent at the slightest sign of weakness. But then, Andy was different. He would not give up. He could not give up.
Fourth set: Andy found enough physical and mental strength to break Roger and take the fourth set. Now, it was 2-2.
Fifth set: Neither player was prepared to give an inch. Neither player showed any sign of being tired. The match progressed to four hours. Both players held serve and searched for that opportunity to break the opponent once. Breaking once is all that one would need. But none was forthcoming. The fifth set went on for an hour and a half. The score was 15-14 Roger. Andy served the next game and it looked as if it we were moving toward 15-15. But in two minutes, Andy lost it. He hit three wild shots, maybe because he could not spot the ball due to the shadows. And Andy lost. Andy was devastated. This was supposed to be his moment. He deserved to win. If only he had not botched the backhand return in the second set. If only he had seized the two break points that came his way in the final set. There were so many ifs, but the truth was that the cup had slipped through his fingers. Andy hugged Roger and congratulated him.
Later, during the ceremony, Andy had trouble holding his tears back. But he let the winner enjoy the limelight, and smiled in the background. That evening, although Andy lost, he proved that he was a great player, and an even better human being.