nobody does it better...

a faint smile of amusement brushes his lips,
humor settling serenely as he waits…
his opponent’s racket a pile of rubble…smashed mercilessly
against the synthetic surface…

he tucks a vagrant curl behind his headband…
biting at his lower lip, he tosses the ball up following its
path, his eyes focused, his body taut, knees bending;

he springs, crushing the ball at its peak
just before it begins its descent…it grazes the center line
and skids past his opponent once again—

ah—the zone is his today
…another racket flies…
the crowd roars its approval,
applauding the champion as he wins another game…

he bows on the baseline, twirling his racquet, awaiting
his opponent’s serve…
his eyes following the server’s motion;
intent, he leans slightly to his right as the server
makes contact—abruptly flicking the ball back deep into
the corner for another winner…

he moves quickly, decisively…poised on the balls of his feet,
always balanced, graceful, skirting the surface—
tall and athletic, anticipating what others cannot…

his classic lines silhouetted
in the fading light as victory nears;
soon, another point, another game, another match…
arm stretched to the heavens in celebration…he wins
day after day…year after year…

ladies and gentlemen…roger is in his house—
measuring 78 feet long and 36 feet wide…
it is a glorious mansion custom-made just for him,
tailored and elegant and designed to
suit his style of play…

he has covered every inch
with painstaking accuracy and legendary strokes;
it will be his house as long as he chooses…

when he leaves this place he will
take a quarter of a million hearts with him…
god willing—he will not move out
before we are ready…

5 time US Open Champ 2008

by ja allen