“I guess that’s just the way the story goes”
If you play tennis long enough, there will come a
time when you wish for the set to never end. John Isner may disagree, but every
tennis player reaches the point where they want to play on and on long after
the set has ended. Whether it’s pure energy, enjoyable weather, or a terrific
opponent, the unending set is a phenomenon you will go through at least once as
a tennis player. I think my moment came two summers ago in a recreational
match. It was a Saturday at the peak of summer. The sun was beating down on the
hard surface of the court in the early dawn of the morning. There was some sort
of 5K race going on around the tennis courts. My opponent and I were not
distracted by the commencement of the race, nor did the award ceremony throw
off our concentration. We played six sets of tennis that morning. Our endurance
outlasted that of the runners competing in the street race. My water bottle,
warm after just the first switchover, was completely finished by the second
set. There’s a certain splendor to the kind of tennis that you never want to
end. It’s even better when you’re opponent feels the same way. After the fifth
set, our stamina no longer mattered. The points and the games were strung
together into one unending set. We played for the enjoyment of basking in the
unending set (and the dehydrating heat).
I had a different type of ‘unending set moment’ this
week. Did you ever have a night you didn’t want to end? I have had several, but
none quite like the most recent. It was my last night with a close friend
before we both move out of state. We were full of energy. We laughed hard. He
was a terrific opponent, and the one who has shown me that winning isn’t about
who totals the most points. No, winning is about finding the person who makes
you smile inside and out. After that night, it’s hard to believe we will never
see each other again. It pains my heart, but I know the next set is waiting out
there for both of us. All good things come to an end, even the unending set. I
think there is always an end because it’s the only way we can enjoy what has
passed.
“No I can’t forget this evening or your face as you
were leaving”
No comments:
Post a Comment