Ricciardo vs Wade
2023 Australian Open
Round of sixteen
I crouch behind the serve line, waiting for Anna Wade's first serve.
She is over six feet tall and when she smiles, she looks like she's about to bite.
She tosses the ball up into the air and serves it far right. I hit a groundstroke back. We rally for the point and I take it Love - 15
Another serve. Another rally. My point. Love - 30
I look up at my uncle and see a small smile on his lips.
Wade serves again, this time shorter. I hit it to the baseline. She hits it back. I win the point. Love - 40
She underestimated me. And it is a thrill to set her straight.
The sun has begun to burn, slow and hot. The crowd mumbles. I look up my players box at my uncle. He nods at me. Willing me to take the game. Then I look at the box beside my players box, Liam was taking a seat.
He cancelled his flight, I guess. And came here to watch me play Wade.
His eyes soften as I make eye contact with him. Sorry, he mouths. I nod
I shook my head. I hadn't allowed myself to look at the crowd. I knew it would be full of familiar faces from Daniel's world of formula 1. Tennis and formula 1 tend to have a lot of crossovers surprisingly. Both of them being two of the most elite and prestigious sports. It's not uncommon to see formula 1 drivers at tennis games or tennis players at Grand Prix's.
I move my eyes back to the court. Wade serves high and with a spin that makes it hard to predict. Still, I manage to return it deep in the baseline, a full two meters away from her.
The reff speaks over the speaker 'Game is Ricciardo's' Liam gives me a thumbs up.
Over the next nine games. I take the set.
During the changeover. I look over at Wade. She has talked such a big game of not being afraid of me, and I've pummelled her in the first set. I expect to see some sort of anxiety or concern, a sign that she understands what she's up against now.
Instead, when she catches my eye, she smiles. As if none of this has worried her in the slightest
During the second set, Wades groundstrokes become harder and faster. Her serves start stunning my arm as I return them. I adjust quickly.
It works, but she keeps pressing. Our rallies go sometimes as long as 16 shots.
I overshoot a couple groundstrokes, send a few cross court back hands a hair too wide. Fuck.
The heat bears down on me. I can feel it on my neck and shoulders
Out of the first five games in the second set. Wade takes four. At the changeover I do not look up at the players box at my uncle or at Liam. I bury my head in my towel. The momentum has shifted.
YOU ARE READING
She's back ~ L. Hamilton
FanfictionDelaney Ricciardo is fierce and her determined to win at any cost has not made her well liked. But by the time she retires from tennis she is a twenty four grand slam winner and regarded as the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen. But si...
