Chapter 25

Dan’s eagerness to be done with the practice match simply intensified as he got back to the court with Peter. Mainly because word, apparently, had gotten around that Peter was going to play a practice match against Dan. And while everyone there knew how good Peter was, and had stopped challenging him to matches…they were all intrigued to see how Dan was doing. Dan, from the whispering he could hear, also knew they were all more so curious about who Dan was, and why Peter was training him.

“Just ignore them buddy.” Peter said as he casually walked onto the court. On either side of the court, next to the posts that held the net up, stood two of the individuals Peter had ordered to clean the court. Speaking of, the court had indeed been swept, the clay now nice and even and untouched, while the white lines that marked the boundaries for the court were so clean you could practically eat off them. A third individual was waiting next to the gate, and he handed two unopened cans of tennis balls to Peter.

“That’s…easier said than done.” Dan replied, very aware of the look the guy gave him as he passed him. Definitely some level of jealousy there. All around, dozens of individuals turned their focus to the court, their intermittent chattering coming to a halt as they watched Peter and Dan..

“All you’ve got to focus on, is remember what I taught you, and doing your best. Watch me, watch how I play, and do the best you can. I want you to work on the techniques I’ve shown you, and remember one extremely important rule in tennis.” Peter set the first container of balls down along the fence, as he worked to open the other container.

“And what’s that?” Dan could feel his palms sweating, and this time it wasn’t from exertion. Nor was it from grease from his pizza…though maybe a little of it was? Most of it though, was from his nerves. He’d never felt like this in a soccer match. Then again, very rarely was the focus solely on him in a soccer game. There were 22 players on the field at any given time. Meaning he was just 1 of 22, not 1 of 2.

“Just get the ball over the net, back into my court.”

“Is that all?” Peter said it like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Honestly,” The Senior scanned around the crowd that had formed for a moment, before he looked back into Dan, starring into his eyes. Dan could tell they were filled with kindness, compassion. Peter was being sincere. “Even at the professional level, points are gained in large part by errors, not winners. The biggest trick in tennis, is being consistent. The more consistent and precise, the less unforced errors you execute, and the more you can put your opponent off balance. Sure, hitting a powerful, impressive shot is awesome, and it feels great. But more often than not, the trick is to get your opponent off their groove, and make them mess up.”

Dan thought back to how he’d seen Peter serve, and also how Peter had played against Sophia and Ashley. Sure, it was one thing for Peter to say all that mattered was getting it back over…but every shot he’d seen Peter execute had been filled with power, precision, spin…just, every shot the Senior did was a winner. There was no way the key to being a good tennis player was just getting the ball over the net.

“Trust me buddy.” Peter had finished opening the balls, and held them out towards Dan with his racquet, the three balls rolling about on the strings. Dan could see the strings were brand-new and pristine. Peter had apparently just strung the racquet he was using. “Power and spin, you get used to those. When you’re facing someone at your level, that’s not what’s going to win it for you. Consistency is.”

“And when I’m playing against someone way above my skill level?” Dan grabbed the three balls, putting two of them into the pockets of his shorts, holding the one in his hand. Just as Peter had mentioned, the first time the Senior had opened a fresh can of balls, there was indeed a distinct smell and feel about the new balls. Compared to the practice balls they’d been using, these brand-new balls were firmer, sleeker. Dan couldn’t help but feel excited about getting to use them.

“Same thing. The more you return their shots back to them, the more surprised they’ll become. Tennis is as much a physical sport as it is a mental one. If you can get in your opponent’s head, you can pull out a win even if you’re behind. Plus,” Peter chuckled. “You’d be surprised how often good players get thrown off by bad ones. It’s another reason why I want you to practice against all sorts of players in the future. Because if you just play against one type of player, or say the ball machine, you’ll be at a disadvantage when playing against someone who hits different, or who isn’t consistent.”

“If you say so.” There was so much that went into it, Dan knew he was going to learn a lot more from experiencing it, than just talking about it. For now, he also knew he was partially stalling. Because he really was nervous about starting this practice match against Peter. On the way back to the court, Peter had told him for their practice match, it was going to consist of a single Set, first to 6 games. Of course, Peter had also promptly informed him that meant they were going to play just 6 games…because neither he nor Dan was disillusioned enough to expect Dan to actually win a Game. Still, as Peter had said, this wasn’t about winning or losing, it was about experience.

“I do.” Peter started walking towards one of the sides of the court, “and obviously, I know best. Now stop stalling, and let’s play. I’ve been itching to hit some all day.”

Dan took a deep breath to calm himself, and started walking to the other side of the court. Peter had already told him he was going to let Dan serve first, and had gone over the basic rules of the sport with him again. This way, Dan could focus more on his techniques during the match, rather than the rules.

Of course, as Dan found the little hash mark that split the court in two, and took up his service position just behind the baseline, to the right of that hash mark, his mind raced. Sure, he knew what he was supposed to get out of this match. But with all the people watching, with all the eyes on him, he found his nerves were getting the best of him. His hand was literally shaking as he tried to calm his heart rate, preparing himself to play against Peter.

The Senior, standing back by the baseline on his side of the court, diagonal to Dan, waved at him and smiled. Peter was holding his racquet in his right hand. Was that his dominant hand? Or his weak hand? Dan still wasn’t sure which hand Peter actually preferred.

“Ready when you are buddy.” Peter said calmly. His smile was genuine. Peter was enjoying this. Whatever this was. And that, those simple words, that simple smile, helped Dan calm down.

He took a deep breath and looked towards Peter, as a new feeling rushed through him. His focus narrowed on just Peter, as he blocked out everyone around them. His nerves calmed, but something else replaced that feeling. Excitement rushed through him, as well as something else. An emotion accompanied the excitement of playing against Peter. He realized, he wanted to make Peter proud. This was a moment for him to show Peter how far he’d come so far. This was a chance for him to show Peter that the senior wasn’t wasting his time. That the Senior was making an impact, that Dan was learning.

At the same time, Dan couldn’t help but grin as one last thought crossed his mind. He took a deep breath, calmed the blood rushing through him, urged his heart to quiet itself for a moment, as he cleared his mind, and focused on the task at hand. Above all, he didn’t just want to make Peter proud…he wanted to surprise and impress the Senior. And there was one thing he knew that might be able to help him do just that. Just before he tossed the ball up in the air, he activated his trump card.

Minor Skill Assist Activated