Tennis a hit on Stickney Courts
Story and photographs by Andrew Ti, audio by Bob Garypie

See Tennis Singles and Doubles Results at
See also:
Doubles Tennis Coverage, and More photos

Thwack, thwack, thwack. Tennis balls make an incredibly distinctive sound. The air around the Stickney Center Varsity Courts of Ohio State, thankfully clear of rain, echoes subtly with those very thwacks. As you sit there, though, you hear so many that the sound falls from your attention, fading into the background.

Tennis is organized into a single elimination tournament, and here in the early stages, the pool of players is still quite large. All around, games are running simultaneously, the flurry of activity making it hard to pick out any single thing from the chaotic background. The players seem to be, perhaps, more generally athletic than in other events, presumably because facing another player on the court requiring a measure of confidence through skill. Make no mistake, being here is nice, and the atmosphere is nothing if not genial, but the competitive spirit is really showing, and winning, while not everything, is certainly what the players have come here to do.

In the stands, family and friends gather to watch, and cheer. And as each round passes, the competition gets stiffer, each opponent more challenging. The players tire as the afternoon goes on, and sometimes elimination can offer a much needed break. But the spirit of tennis and sportsmanship is out in spades and everyone can be proud of this hard played and well fought contest.

Hear Randy Ward of Syracuse read his wonderful poetry.

See also:
Doubles Tennis Coverage