Game over. Or was it?
Humbert asked for a moment to catch his breath. Usually he beat Cedric easily at squash. But this time his timing was off. Way off. This could become the biggest defeat he ever suffered. But Humbert wasn’t going to make this a walkover. He returned to the service box and gave Cedric a nod. Game on. Let’s make this respectable.
An elegant drop-shot that barely cleared the red line made it 10-2 and he was lucky his opponent had a wayward serve thereafter. The belief that he could really pull off the upset still hadn’t gelled after the scores read 10-5, though three hard-fought points later Humbert re-found his self-belief.
You see, Cedric was shaking as a leaf now, cursing everything from his cheap racket to the uneven squash court floor. Humbert started to enjoy his suffering. He had him on the ropes. Just two more points and the game was really afoot.
10-9 was a doozy as Humbert wrong-footed his opponent who was now incessantly shaking his head in disbelief. This was to be the comeback of all comebacks, surely? Humbert’s power-serve secured 10 all and Cedric did not even get his racket on the ball on the next point.
Humbert had never been one not to boast when the chance arose so he throw Cedric a smug remark just before serving the final point of this remarkable comeback.
Hey, Humbert, quit dreaming!
He looked up. Cedric was standing in the serve box, ready to pummel the ball against the wall.
10-1, Cedric stated again. Game over.
Or is it, sneered Humbert as he took the position.
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