She's back ~ L. Hamilton

21. | The Night Before

Mid January
The Night before the Australian Open

My uncle and I were sitting on the patio of my hotel suite looking out over the city, discussing the draw which was announced earlier today. I'm in section 7. In my first game tomorrow I'll be playing twenty year old player named Madeline Oxford. We're playing on the Rob Laver court, the court with by far the biggest crowd.

It was safe to say it wasn't a coincidence. My first game is set to be the most watched opening round tennis game of all time. Everyone wants to what I have left after all these years, most of them want to see me fail.

"It's not an accident" my uncle smiled "they have you on the highest traffic court against a low ranked player. They're behind you Delaney, they want you to go far"

I shake my head "no one's ever been behind me before, why change now"

"Cause they want to see you vs Nicki, it would be one of the biggest sporting games of all time, the money they would make from that alone would be unparalleled"

I look across the slice of Melbourne that we can see from my hotel suite. I have sat here looking at this view so many times, as a rookie, as a challenger, as a champion, as a legend. And now, it's as a comeback

"You'll go out there tomorrow Delaney" my uncle says "and you'll beat her, Non le darai il tempo di pensare"

I inhale sharply, imagining the opposite of what my uncle is describing. What if tomorrow I loose my first round? What if this whole thing is over before it's even begun? The idea of that is so humiliating, the thought makes me sick to my stomach. I don't know what I'd even do in that situation.

We stayed out there for an hour before we called it a night. Shortly after he left my mum called me. Her and my dad were in Paris for a fashion show this week, so they wished me luck before they too called it a night.

Daniel was staying a couple of doors down from me. The Australian Open wasn't the only thing on this weekend in Melbourne, 20 minutes down the road the Australian Grand Prix is on.

It begins tomorrow, the same day as the opens first day. I have no doubt Daniel will go out and crush it tomorrow during the first two practice sessions. It also meant my rest day will fall right on race day, meaning I can go to the track.

The phone rings again as I walk out of the bathroom. "Hello?"

"Goodluck tomorrow" Liam says

"You too"

"Fucking crush her" he said, I could hear the smile in his voice "make her bleed"

"Will do" I say "you to"

"You can do this" Liam says "at least, you can, I know you can"

"Thank you" I say, "I guess this is it, no turning back now"

"No, I suppose not" he says "but you wouldn't turn back even if you could"

****

20 minutes later I was in bed, watching some program on the tv when my hotel room phone rang this time

What on earth?

Surely I've spoke to enough people tonight.