It’s almost a 2 hour ride from Stoughton, MA to Bloomfield, CT. Lots of time for Deuce to think. He was on his way to a USTA tournament – not his first. His first was about 30 years ago in Norwood, MA, not long after he had joined his first tennis club. Most of the details were sketchy in his memory, but he remembered losing handily to a guy he probably should have beaten. Except for nerves. His muscles were so tight he could barely keep the ball in the court. And his opponent had an incredible spin serve that went left or right, and all Deuce could do was guess which way he needed to go to have a chance of returning it.
Nerves are a funny thing. Deuce had played many competitive matches since that day, some in leagues, most among friends. And most of the time, he had been able to make tension into a positive force, a motivator if you will. But every once in a while, the muscles would tighten when least expected, as if to say “I’m still here and I can ruin you on a whim!” And I guess that facing off that demon was one of his goals in signing up for an Over 60 USTA Tournament. Having some fun with a different experience was the other.
