Chapter 74

The match between Maddie and Peter was like nothing Dan had ever seen before. At least, not in person. He’d been watching a lot of tennis matches online since he’d picked up the sports, and this, felt just like one of those. It was like he had his own, courtside seat, to a battle of the greats. That being said, Dan would say it was more a Roger Ferderer versus Serena Williams style of match, with one big difference. While, such a match had happened, that had been doubles. This was singles.

Physically, both were obviously in their prime. And Dan had seen Maddie’s crazy stats and knew her Stamina was probably higher than even Peter’s if he had to guess. Likewise, her other stats seemed as high as Peter’s. However, Peter was tall, muscled, and in his prime. Maddie, while still fit, wasn’t in her prime, and it was showing. The more they played out their match Dan was able to tell. When she was playing all in, not just picking on someone like Dan, it was much easier to tell. She’d had some sort of injury and favored her left leg.

As he watched, he could see the slightest scar line on her leg, and he guessed she’d had surgery at one point in time or another. And, that was definitely something that had slowed her down. Hell, it might have ended her career. If it didn’t put her back at full, such an injury, especially in a sport that was constantly seeing fresh new players rolling in, could have numbered her days.

That being said, tennis was a sport that seemed to weigh the balance of time. The younger the player, to a degree, the more athletic, meaning they can be faster, stronger, and more durable overall. Older players may not have the body that can handle the degree needed at the top anymore, but they make up for it with experience and skill. Muscle memory built from decades of playing a sport they loved. Hundreds of thousands of swings, of hits, hell, likely millions, would build up the type of instinct and reflexes that could make up for lacking the explosive physical power of the younger generation.

That was what was being showcased to Dan as he watched the two play. At first, Maddie seemed to have the advantage, as she worked Peter around the court. Her limbs had already warmed up, and Peter seemed to be taking a moment to warm himself up, using the back and forth points to essentially stretch himself out, and get the blood flowing so to speak.

It was, to be fair, completely different from how Dan had seen Peter play anyone else. It was a sign, he could tell, that Dan respected Maddie. Both as a person, and as a player. While he obviously viewed himself as the king of the court everywhere else, here, as he began playing with Maddie, he treated her as an equal. As they rallied back and forth, trading points, it was as if, unspoken, they were acknowledging each other’s skills, and passions. It was, breathtaking.

Dan watched the match, and though he’d gotten his short rest bonus, he couldn’t help but find it hard to breath. Every point was like an elegant dance. Or, perhaps, an old sword fight. It was like a duel from a long-lost time, where the two showcased their fighting styles, while wielding their weapon of choice, to try and score.

There were similarities, as they played too. Dan could tell almost immediately that either Maddie had been the one to teach Peter how to play, or Peter had learned from someone who had learned from Maddie. They used similar strokes, they paused in the same spots, their eyes shifted about, and they split step in almost the same ways.

However, there were also differences. As the pace picked up, Dan could tell Peter had adjusted his playing style, and made it his own. He used his longer arms to whip around the ball, impacting it with more force and spin, driving it in a powerful arc over the net. The shots impacted with heavy force, and would leap towards Maddie, threatening to overcome her with their intensity.

In return, she hit with less force, but the intensity and purpose was there. While she didn’t have the same amount of spin Peter could, her balls had deadly accuracy, and the flatter balls seemed to hang lower to the ground, forcing Peter to maneuver himself, so he could be in position to return with his own perfect swing.

Back and forth the balls flew, and the two of them moved about the court in an exhausting flurry. Yet, none of their motions were rushed. None of it was frantic. A fact that Dan couldn’t help but think on. Because of his Skill Assist, he could see where the ball was going to land. But it was only when the ball impacted his opponent’s racquet, meaning depending on the speed it was coming back towards him, he’d have to scramble.

These two, were fluid. They responded with no extra energy, no wasted effort. They danced across the court, and Dan tried his best to take it all in. What he was watching, was an artform. It superseded the sport and showcased just how deeply these two loved the sport. More than that, the smiles on their faces, the exhilaration they exhibited, showed just how deeply their bond was rooted.

And then, it ended. The final point, earned after a massive rally between Peter and Maddie, caused a moment of stillness that seemed to be echoed through the entire club. Dan hadn’t realized it, but almost all the members playing around them had stopped, to watch the Set play out between Peter and Maddie.

As the tennis ball rolled across the court, it was the only movement anyone could observe. Everyone was holding their breath, stillness, was a state of being. The world didn’t want to interrupt this moment. And then, all at once, as Maddie let out a heavy sigh, her eyes still blazing with passion, everyone breathed out. Clapping began, followed by cheering, as the world resumed once again.

Dan sat there, as everyone clapped and cheered, as Peter waved towards everyone with a smile, as he and Maddie met at the net and chatted about the game. He didn’t want to move. He replayed the match, over and over, in his mind. His heart was beating faster than it had during any game he’d ever played. Something within him had been lit as he watched that match. A passion he’d never felt before. A want, to stand on the court with those two. A desire, a drive, to be a player who could stand as equals with the two giants before him. At that moment, he knew, he could never quit this sport. Tennis was going to be his life.