She's back ~ L. Hamilton

115.| She can't keep up

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I am standing in the tunnel. I lean down and wipe the dirt off the top of my shoes. I remember the words my uncle wrote down. The words that have been replaying in my head all morning.

Keep her playing at the baseline. It will thrill her, but she won't be able to keep up.

I breathe in deeply.

Here we go.

The second my feet hit the court, the crowd cheers.

They cheer so loudly I can barely hear myself think.

I know what the sportscasters are saying. They are telling all the people at home that I've just lost uncle, my coach, my best friend, that I am out here playing my first match without him.

I expect the roar to die down, but it doesn't. The crowd keeps cheering as I set up my things.

It is almost eerie-the way their voices ring through the air, the way the howl of it echoes throughout the arena. Their sound is a deep rumble, shaking the net.

I look up all around me—thousands of people stomping and calling. I wave in a wide circle through each section, and I watch as people in the crowd start standing up.

I glance up at my player box. Lewis, tasha and Liam are standing up, I'm not sure they ever sat down.

A pang shoots through my chest, I attempt to swallow it down.

For so many years the only occupants of that box were the same two people. Hundreds of games, thousands of hours, 26 grand slam titles.

And now neither were here.

Lewis smiles down at me, Tasha has a small smile playing on her lips, Liam cups his hands around his mouth as he cheers.

I pull my eyes away from my box, as each section stands, rising like a tide.

I subconsciously rub my fingers over the base of my racket, over the R logo. The matching one hanging around my next and tattooed on Daniel's hand.

They are clapping for my uncle. For this one moment of time, it feels as if everyone in the arena misses Marco Ricciardo as much as I do.

A tear leaves my eye before I can stop it.

I can imagine the broadcast. The commentators speaking in seldom voices as the camera slowly zooms into my face.

I wipe it away.

Dvokavoa stands no chance.

52 minutes later I'm shaking her hand, as she congratulates me.

Transcript

SportsRadio

David: We are here with Rachel, to talk about what's going on at the US Open. Rachel, give us the lay of the land here. Start with the men's game.

Rachel: Well, there's no story coming out of men's tennis quite like that of Liam Black.

David: He's soaring

Rachel: There was nobody, and I mean nobody
—favoring Liam Black as we came into this tournament.

David : This is his last, is it not?

Rachel: All of us were saying, "The guy's retiring, he's the oldest one on the court, his salad days are long behind him."

David: And he had to pull out of Wimbledon with an injury.

Rachel: He tore the cartilage in his ribs back in May at the French. This was not a player anyone was betting on.

David: And yet.

Rachel: [Laughs]. And yet! Black comes out onto the court in the first round and just pummels Frank Gusta. Takes him in straight sets. Still, we're all thinking, "Okay, but it won't happen again.

David: And we were wrong.

Rachel: Dead wrong. He takes Ortega in the second round, again in straight sets. Then Bracher. Then Mailer.

David: And now he's in the quarterfinals.

Rachel: He's in the quarterfinals. At the age of forty! And let me tell you, the crowd is with him in these matches. I haven't seen a crowd for a men's games this energized in years. You know I'm a skeptic, David.

David: [laughs] You're a believe it when you see it kind of gal.

Rachel: But Blacks got me on the edge of my seat. He's got me rooting for him. I don't know how this ends, but I'll tell you it's a hell of a show.

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