Page 25 of Match Point

Players alternated serving per game. After winning six games, players won aset. Women’s matches were best-of-three sets, while the men played best-of-five.

Right before the match started, the big screen in the arena was showing celebrities in the crowd. Mostly they showed other tennis stars who had come to watch the match, but Hugh Jackman was also in the crowd, which prompted one curly-haired brunette woman to scream, “I LOVE YOU WOLVERINE!” and try to flash the camera before being escorted out.

I was laughing at that scene when another round of applause went up in the arena. My face was now on the big TV screen, with the words, “2022 Champion Miranda Jacobs.”

I forced myself to smile for the camera. But as the applause in the arena grew louder and louder, my smile became more genuine. One of the Aussie fans behind me clapped me on the back and said, “Retiring while you’re on top, good on ya. That’s the way everyone should go.”

I politely dipped my head and gave a little wave. Maybe I should have kept the Mets cap on after all.

Fortunately, the match started right after that, and the other fans around me turned their attention to the court. Dominic got to serve first. Dominic started off strong with an ace (a serve that the opponent never even touches with his racket.) That put him up 15-0. The next serve was returned, but after a quick volley Dominic won the point, putting him up 30-0.

But then the opponent smoked his return on the next point, hitting a shot that Dominic couldn’t chase down. Now it was 30-15. Dominic also lost the next point on an unforced error, hitting the ball into the net on his backhand. Now it was 30-30. On the next point, he missed his serve both times—resulting in a point for the opponent.

Now Dominic was down 30-40; if he lost this point, he lost the first game. Traditionally, players had amassiveadvantage when they served, and it was considered a huge upset if they lost a game while serving. There was a buzz in the air now, with fans cheering on Dominic—and some cheering for his opponent to break the serve. I leaned forward in my seat and clutched my hands together.

Dominic accepted a ball from the ball boy, then bounced it twice on the ground. He paused, tossed it into the air, and contorted his body backwards—then violently forwards, hitting his serve. The opponent took two steps to his right and hit a blistering forehand, which clipped the edge of the line. Dominic sprawled toward the ball, but couldn’t get his racket on it.

The crowd went wild as the chair umpire announced that the opponent had won the first game. Dominic walked back to the bench with his head held high, but I could tell he was rattled.

“Losing on his serve in the first game of the tournament,” an Australian fan said behind me. “Wonder if that’s ever happened to the number one player in the world before.”

“Doubt it,” another fan replied. “Especially against someone unranked.”

I closed my eyes. Was this my fault? Was the coach in Rocky right when he said that women weakened a man’s legs?

But tennis matches were long affairs, and there were several dozen more games to play. Dominic came out blazing in the next game, breaking his opponents serve and evening the score. After that, it was never a close match: Dominic won the first set 6 - 3, the second set 6 - 1, and the third set 6 - 2.

“Game, set, match,” the chair umpire announced when the last point was won. “Dominic deGrom, from the United States.”

Dominic tossed his sweat bands into the crowd and gave a wave to the cheering fans. But I was already leaving my seat and heading down to the ground level, where I could use my VIP pass to get into the restricted areas.

I intercepted Dominic on his way to the press room, where two dozen reporters were waiting to ask him questions about the match. His smile was even bigger when he saw me than it was when he won the match.

“Do they know you snuck back here?” he asked. “Should I call security?”

“Being a former player has its perks,” I replied. There were other players and a multitude of staff within sight of us, so I resisted the urge to kiss him on his sweaty lips. “You had me worried there after you lost your first serve.” I lowered my voice. “Maybe last night was a mistake?”

“Definitely not a mistake,” he replied, which instantly soothed my concerns. “I was actually distracted in that first game because they showed a beautiful woman on the Jumbotron, and I couldn’t get her out of my head.”

“The Hugh Jackman fan who flashed the camera?” I replied. “I don’t blame you. She had a great rack.”

Dominic leaned closer. He smelled strongly of deodorant and manly musk. “She wasn’t the one I was referring to.”

The compliment made my heart soar, but I tried to joke it off. “That’s nice of you to say. But she definitely had better boobs.”

“I like yours more.”

“Now Iknowyou’re lying.”

He looked like he wanted to kiss me, but was restraining himself. “Hey, I’m glad you came down here. I wanted to talk to you about last night.”

I felt myself tense. “Oh?”

“I do need to focus on my game the rest of the tournament. That means early bedtimes.”

“No, yeah, of course,” I said.Play it cool, Miranda.

“But I don’t want last night to be a one-time thing,” he added. “Maybe after the tournament, when we’re both back home, we can get together for a slice of cake and a drink?”

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