Page 138 of Carrie Soto Is Back

And Bowe smiled. “Yeah,” he said. “I think so too.”

Bowe holds the game; it’s now 4–5. During the changeover, he comes up to the players’ box and winks at me. I smile at him and wink back. I am once again a fool.

Bowe gets back to the baseline. The pressure is on him now. If he does not win this game, it is the last professional match of his career. But you wouldn’t know it looking at him. He’s waving to the crowd, laughing as they cheer for him, lifting his hands up to encourage them all.

Last night, he told me he would like to make it to the final. “This is all I’ve ever wanted out of this year. To do something great like this. I never thought I’d get this far, and now I have,” he said in the quiet of the night. “So why not dream further?”

But today, right before he went into the locker room, he told me the opposite. “I never thought I’d get this far, and now I have,” he said. “So the rest is all icing on the cake.”

Matsuda serves a fast one. It lands at Bowe’s feet, and Bowe jumps backward to return it. It lands just over the net. Matsuda scrambles for it and misses.

Love–15.

Bowe smiles. The crowd cheers. It’s clear that all the cheering annoys Matsuda. And so in between serves, Bowe looks at the crowd, pumping them up to cheer louder. Matsuda shakes his head, sends off another blistering serve.

Bowe lunges for it but hits it into the net.

15–all.

I check my watch again. I have to go.

15–30.

30–all.

30–40.

Deuce.

Advantage Matsuda.

Deuce.

I have to go.

Advantage Bowe.

Deuce.

Advantage Matsuda.

Deuce.

I’m late to warm up.

Advantage Matsuda.

Deuce.

Advantage Matsuda.

Bowe’s tired. I don’t know if Matsuda can tell, if the crowd can tell, but I can. He’s not up as high on his serve. I will him some strength, a burst of energy. Just two points in a row can save this game and maybe take him to the final.

Deuce.

Advantage Matsuda.

Matsuda sends another serve to Bowe’s feet. This time, Bowe runs back as fast as he can. He gets into position, gets his racket on the ball. But then it hits the net.

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