It was a perfect morning for tennis, bright and warm, and though it
gave promise of heat later, at ten o’clock a soft, fresh breeze blew
across the campus from the woods. Trevor won the toss and chose the
south court.
“I see my finish here,” he said with a grin.
Stewart laughed.
“I’m glad I’ve got you scared. How are you feeling?”
“Fine.”
“So’m I; so look out for yourself.”
Trevor’s fears appeared to be justified by events, for Stewart took the
first set from him very easily, six games to three, and won the second
after a somewhat harder battle to the tune of 7-5. But after that
Trevor seemingly found himself, and the third encounter was brilliant
enough to win almost unceasing applause from the fairly large throng of
spectators. It went to him finally by six games to four, and the fourth
set begun.
The two boys played very different tennis. Trevor at his best was
supremely careful and painstaking; one might have thought that tennis
was a game like chess, in which each stroke was the result of deep
study. He played slowly, relying upon scientific placing for his
points. His serve was a justly celebrated overhand cut which against
almost any boy in the school save his present opponent was very
dangerous. But Trevor and Stewart had played together all the spring,
and knew each other’s style from A to Z, and Stewart had from long
experience learned to return Trevor’s puzzling service with a forehand
stroke off the ground that was almost always successful. Trevor played
well back as a rule, and was the possessor of a back-hand return that
was the admiration of all.
Stewart on the court was like a whirlwind in white flannels. He
was all dash and go. Lithe and lightly built, he seemed capable of
being everywhere at once, and that without any special effort. His
playing was brilliant in the extreme; his service was a swift stroke
that landed the ball almost invariably on the service-line, and that
required the opponent to stand back of base-line to receive it; his
return was a long, lightning-like drive that just topped the net; and
his smashing was something terrific. But, like most whirlwind players,
Stewart took long risks and occasionally got very wild.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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