Chapter Text
It took Kara a moment to realise she wasn't alone in bed, that she wasn't in her own room. Lena's sleepy form felt warm and soft in her arms and Kara felt something warm blooming in her chest.
They only knew each other for about two weeks, but somehow it felt like a lifetime. She didn't realise just how much she missed this kind of closeness. She spent more nights with Lena than alone this week and she wasn't ready to return to her empty bed. Or her empty apartment.
“Morning.” Lena said, her eyes still closed.
“Morning.” Kara echoed through the smile spreading on her lips.
“I don't want to get up.” Lena mumbled, her eyes barely open.
None of them made a move to leave. The light sounds of the busy streets of New York filled the silence of the room. For a moment Kara could pretend they were just a normal couple waking up for another mundane day of work and whatever it was most people did with their life. To be honest Kara spent so much of her years as a professional athlete that she found any other life unimaginable, but there at that moment in bed with Lena – she felt a foreign longing for it in a way she couldn't quite explain. Most importantly, she realised that she was falling for the other woman and she wasn't ready to be separated from her any time soon.
“Hey, Lena?”
“Mmm?” Lena's eyelid slightly opened, as she tilted her head towards Kara.
“What if one of us won't make it to the finals?”
“Kara, you won't lose the semis.” Lena stated, opening her eyes a bit more to look right at her.
“You don't know that. I was lucky so far, but she is the number four player in the tour. The only two players left from the top five in the tournament are you and her.”
“That means nothing”
“Why?”
“You didn't win by luck. Kara, you know as well as I do that luck cannot carry you out in a tournament, and saying that is a mockery of the sport and highly disrespectful of your opponents and fellow players. “
“Right. Sorry. I just… I don't know I feel like everything is gonna fall apart at any moment. I don't want it to end.”
Lena was quiet for a moment, her eyes drifting away and coming back to her. “The end is inevitable. It will come sooner or later, but it is your choice how you want to end it.”
“And if I lose anyway?”
“If you lose, which I don't think you will, then it is your choice if you leave with your head raised high or your tail between your legs.”
“Right…”
“And I mean, there will be more tournaments.” Lena said in a much smaller voice. “More beds to share.”
“Yeah?”
“If you want to.”
“I'd love to.” Kara said more honestly than she realised, leaning in to lock lips with her lover who recoiled back in a sudden movement.
“I just woke up. My breath stinks.” Lena explained in defense.
“But I wanna kiss you.” Kara pouted.
“Fine.” Lena rolled her eyes and leaned in.
“Oh, um.” It was Kara who pulled back this time. “Maybe brushing our teeth first is a good idea.”
“Seriously?”
Kara tried her best reassuring smile, making Lena roll her eyes and throw her pillow at Kara in response as she got out of bed.
“You look gorgeous though!” Kara followed her figure as she entered the large bathroom of the suite.
“Come on!” Lena shouted from within. “I’m not kissing your stinky breath!”
“I never said it was stinkey!” Kara shouted defensively and pulled the blanket back to join Lena by the sink.
— — —
After a nice breakfast with Alex and Eliza, the two athletes continued for a small session in the gym. They reunited with the Danvers at the lounge and picked up a protein smoothly when Kara noted the shift in atmosphere than the days before.
There were more people walking about the facility for the early hour in the morning. People in suits and various coaches moved with haste, Kara assumed it had to do with whatever announcement they had in stores for them.
“Hello sister.” It really seemed like their back luck of bumping into the wrong people just as they were about to leave continued.
“Lex.” Lena answered coldly, turning to face her brother, masking her surprise rather well.
“What? No greetings for your favourite brother?” He smirked, shoving one hand in a casual way into his suit's trousers.
“What are you doing here?”
“Business. Plus I can't miss an opportunity watching my sister play in the biggest tournament in the world.”
“I'm afraid you missed most of it already.” Lena said with a clear bite in her voice.
“Please, those games hardly matter.” He shook his head dismissively.
“So, you're actually here to watch me play?” Lena raised a doubtful eyebrow, but there was something else in her voice that Kara couldn't quite pin down.
“Of course! I want to make sure you put your practice to good use.” He glanced briefly at Kara and gave her a small wink. She felt a cold shiver down her body and wanted to distance themselves from him as much as she could.
Lena only rolled her eyes in response.
“I am looking forward to seeing you in action, sister dear.” There was something nauseating about his smile he gave her before walking away.
They walked outside in silence. Kara kept her guard up and looked around to make sure Lex was not following, the last thing she needed was a replay to what he did to Clark.
“He's a piece of work.” Alex noted once they settled in a secluded enough area on the premises.
“You don't need to tell me.” Lena's words felt heavier than usual. Kara didn't stop herself this time and embraced her, rubbing her hand along her arm for reassurance.
“I can't believe he managed to avoid jail with what he did to Clark.” She said. She could easily see the violent side of that man, in fact it was almost too easy.
“Clark is too nice. The fact that he settled without proper charges is a travesty if you ask me. That man should be locked up. How did he even manage to get away with that?” Alex crossed her arms and shook her head. It was not the first time she complained about it.
“Mind games.” Lena said. “He is a master in his field. He is prepared to play the long game for things he really wants no matter how pitiful they are. Though despite the lack of official verdict, in a way he did lose. He lost what mattered to him most.”
“The ban?” Alex raised a doubtful eyebrow.
“Yes. He valued his career and his rank. His image had always been the forefront of his life, that was why Clark irritated him so much; a low born player with no proper background who rose through the ranks very quickly and dethroned him with ease all the while wearing a humble smile. He was threatening his legacy and everything he stood for. So once Clack was about to pass his win streak and win more Slam titles from him, he snapped.” Lena continued her voice somewhat detached.
“I think piece of work might've been an understatement.” Alex muttered.
“Yeah… he changed a lot through the years. We barely talked in the past three years and I can't recall if he came to watch too many of my games outside of his LuthorWear obligations.”
“Well he did say he had some business here, so you think the whole wanting to see you play is just an act to seem nice?” Kara asked.
“Perhaps. Although I wouldn't say nice, I don't think he was trying to fool anyone with that act, just needed to be patronising.”
“Not to be a devil's advocate, but perhaps he turned a new leaf? Maybe he wants to reconnect?” Aliza asked, keeping her smile soft and reassuring.
“I somehow doubt that.” Lena shook her head dismissively.
“So where to now?” Alex asked.
“Whatever big announcement regarding the competition changes is up in less than an hour, we could go wait at the lounge.” Lena suggested.
“Or… we could go back to the hotel and watch it on television while we eat room service?” The last thing Kara wanted was to accidentally bump into Lex again. Or any other player for that matter. Plus she was getting hungry.
“Sounds good to me.” Lena agreed.
“I'm game.” Alex shrugged.
“I'm following your lead.”
— — —
It was only once they arrived at the hotel that they learned Kara got an upgrade. Her new room – or more accurately a freaking suit! – was just across the hall from Lena. Moving rooms was a fast and easy ordeal considering she didn't have much packed anyways.
They celebrated the new room by ordering an impressive amount of room service and opened up the TV to catch the live announcement.
A well dressed man took a position near an official US Open podium with a group of people – equally well dressed – standing behind him.
“The US Open has always been at the forefront of innovation in the world of tennis. Our aim is always to evolve and to be the leading force in tennis standards and values. We were the first tournament to implement the tie breaker set, the first Grand Slam to award equal prize money for both men and women, and now we're going to once again change the face of modern tennis as we know it.
“Earlier this year we received a very clear demand from athletes hoping for equality in every sense of the word, and so, we are here to deliver. For far too long it was believed that women couldn't handle the five set match like their male counterparts, but we are here to breach boundaries and set up new records!” The man moved for a moment to get a piece of paper out of his pocket, exposing a man dressed in the exact same suit Lex was wearing just earlier today.
Holding the paper up proudly, the man continued. “With an eighty five percent support of the majority of the WTA, we are proud to announce that starting immediately, both the semi finals and finals in the women's tournament will be played in the best of five sets! To honour that change we will be moving the men's seats to give the women another day to prepare. I hope you are excited as we are for the rest of the tournament, thank you!”
Reporters shouted questions but the man and his entourage simply left the stage. The stream cut to a couple of presenters talking in a studio.
“What the fuck?” Lena asked, muting the television stream with the remote.
“Isn't that a good thing? Did you not say you supported equal set numbers for both men and women tennis?” Alex asked with slight confusion.
“I do. But this is not something you can just add near the end of a tournament.” Kara explained, her mind still attempting to catch up with the massive announcement.
“It's something that we need to train for. We've been training to play a best of three matches, best of five could mean playing double the amount each day with very high intensity.” Lena was fuming, her eyes still trained on the TV screen.
“It requires different strategies, different mental preparations, not to mention a lot of stamina work.” Lena added. “Coming unprepared would mean there's a higher risk of fatigue, and it's much more prone to injuries. Even the best players in the men's category who had been training rigorously for years can crumble under the physical pressure.”
“So is it even legal?” Alex asked, more invested in their outrage.
“I didn't think so, but I mean…” Kara gestured at the still running muted television.
“I do remember signing this paper, I remember talking about it in the media, but I thought it would be tested first in some unranked events, maybe be implemented in a grand slam a few years down the road. That's just – madness.”
“So what now?” Kara asked, unsure how best to prepare.
“I suggest you two take this day easy and maybe some light training tomorrow, but don't push yourself, a five set game is very demanding on the body so take that into account.” Eliza handed them both some water and offered a reassuring smile.
— — —
They spent some time in the gym, practicing their leg work and stamina exercises. They caught up with the most recent games and once Lena was called for some important sponsors meeting, Kara returned to her suite to search up her next opponent.
It was only hours later, tucked into her much larger hotel bed next to Lena that Kara remembered a comment she made only a few days prior.
“Your brother.”
“What about him?” Lena turned her head to face her.
“You said you saw him at that party, didn't you?”
“I'm not sure. I thought I might have had, but it was a bit of a blur.”
“Do you think he had something to do with the announcement?”
Lena was quiet for a moment. “Perhaps. Although I can't see what he has to gain from that. And my brother doesn't do anything unless it feeds his personal interest.”
“Right. But do you think –”
“Can we not talk about my brother, please? I had enough of him for one day.”
“Yeah, of course. What do you want to talk about?”
“How about no talking?” Lena's frustrated tone quickly changed, her seductive smirk making Kara hot all over.
“Yeah, I'm okay with that.” Kara nodded, her eyes tracing Lena's red lips before meeting them with her own for a deep kiss.
She loved how soft Lena's lips were, how kissable she was. Slipping a hand under her shirt, Kara started drawing circles on Lena's side and absolutely adored the little noises Lena made in reaction to it.
They were in no rush and Kara enjoyed every second she had simply touching and kissing this magnificent woman.
Lena moved to kiss her neck and Kara let out a desperate moan and buckled her hips forward in response, suddenly needing some friction.
She could feel Lena's smile as it went down to her collarbone. Her shirt was soon thrown off, with Lena's close behind. Lena continued her assault on her neck while Kara’s fingers cleverly moved around her body, finding purchase on Lena's breasts.
Squeezing and massaging them, it was only until she pinched a nipple between her fingers that Lena cried out just below her ear. God, she was so hot.
Using her position on top, Kara used the opportunity to lower her head and kiss the rest of Lena's soft skin. It was warm and reactive to every single touch. Kara sucked in a nipple to Lena's erotic moan and used her hands to massage her hips.
Lena's body was twitching and aching, yet she said nothing between moans and broken sounds. Her chest was wet with saliva by the time Kara moved to kiss down her stomach.
“Kara…” Lena breathed out.
“What do you want, baby?”
“You.”
“You got me.” Kara smiled and climbed up to kiss her deeply.
The rest of their clothing was soon disposed of. Kara leaned down to kiss her again, and loved how their naked bodies felt against each other as the kiss deepened.
“I want to make you feel good.” Lena whispered into her ear.
“You are.” Kara reassured her.
“You know what I mean.”
“I do.” Kara said and sucked the pulse point behind her ear, eliciting a broken plea out of the other woman. “I want to make you feel good too.”
“Good.” Lena managed. “There's so many things I want to do to you.”
“Yeah? I want to do a lot of things to you too.”
“Like what?” Lena asked in a low voice, placing a leg between Kara’s and putting pressure on the aching spot between her legs.
“Ah.. I… I want, I want to fuck you until you can't walk. I want to see you ride my fingers into oblivion. I want to eat you out until all I can ever taste in my mouth is you.”
“Fuck.”
“Yes, pretty much.”
“Fuck, Kara I need you to touch me.”
“Of course, baby, what do you need?”
“I… fuck I wish I brought my toys here.”
Kara chuckled lightly. “Maybe next time. How about I try something?”
“Anything.” Lena’s voice was eager and desperate and so very hot.
Kara couldn't say she had much experience with scissoring, but the idea felt too perfect to ignore. Lifting one of Lena's legs up, she quickly understood the intent and moved around to accommodate Kara best.
The first touch shot immediate pleasure through her body. It felt odd, very intimate and good. Grinding herself on Lena she could feel and hear her reactions which only brought her closer.
Lena grabbed the bedding around her in closed fists as her breathing got quicker with each sound that escaped her lips. Sweat covered her body as her chest moved with each breath and Kara couldn't take her eyes off of her. She was a marvel to watch.
Her orgasm hit her with little notice, sending white hot pleasure all around her.
She continued grinding, making them both come a second time until it was hard to keep herself upright as she felt her body turning to jelly, but continued to ride on Lena until she couldn't move.
“That was…” Lena breathed heavily, attempting to catch her breath. “Very good.”
“Very very good.” Kara agreed, laying her head on Lena's chest.
Tilting her head up, she met Lena in another kiss. It was slower this time, but Kara didn't mind. Not one bit.
— — —
Walking back to the now familiar training court, Kara felt slightly more relaxed. Having Alex and Eliza tiredly watching helped even more.
“What do you know about your next opponent?” Lena asked, throwing her a ball to hit cross court.
“Nyxly Sptinz. Australian player.” Kara stated and hit the ball to its mark across the court.
“Unrelevant, but correct. Go on.”
“Ranked number four in the tour, went one rank down since the beginning of the current tour, but two up from the year before. And probably the thing you want me to get to is her unique playing style.”
“Which is?” Lena raised an eyebrow and released another ball for her to hit.
“Two one armed forehands. Using both hands.”
“Wait, like she switches between her hands?” Alex asked, taking a sip of her takeaway coffee.
“Yes.” Lena confirmed.
“And what does it mean? Is that better?” Alex inquired further.
“It's different and less predictable. Like left-handed players are not better for their dominant hand, but since they are less common, most players have less experience playing against them.” Lena explained.
“So it's just different?”
“No.” Kara said and hit another ball headed her way. “Assuming two forehands with equal capabilities will mean superior reach for groundstrokes and volleys, superior overhead smash, more tricky serves using either hand, harder for opponents to figure a game plan. Also, forehand cross court ball striking with heavy topspin on either wing will open up the court more against opponents, and reduce wear and tear on shoulders and arms with the option to alternate use of playing arm.”
“That sounds like a huge advantage, isn't it?” Alex asked, waving her hands around. It was nice to see her so invested.
“In some ways, yes. But it's a complicated style to use, especially at this level. Since she prioritizes her forehands, she is far less experienced with her backhands which she inevitably has to use from time to time, not to mention the split moment decision on which hand to use and how to position herself that could cause her crucial points.” Lena explained, feeding Kara another ball.
“And she's ranked number four you said?” Alex looked at Kara for confirmation. “So I assume she is well adapted with the style, right? So what's the plan?”
Lena turned to look at Kara expectedly.
“Explot her weak points. Force her to play positions she is less adapted in, like near the net where she has less time to switch up her hands, or overwhelm her with fast balls, prioritising power over topspin.”
“So the opposite of Kelly?” Alex asked.
“In a way, I suppose.” Kara nodded.
“And who are you playing, Luthor?”
“Eve Tessmacher.” Lena replied, sending Kara another ball.
“Who?” Kara could not say she heard the name before.
“Remember the one who spilled her shake on me in the locker room? I'm looking forward to taking my revenge on that.”
“What is she like as a player?” Alex asked, taking another sip of her coffee.
“Nothing too special from what I've seen so far. She managed to get this far so I can't discount that. She has potential, but so far has struggled heavily in every single match, winning by a tie breaker almost exclusively. I'm more concerned with another player?”
“Who?” Kara asked and hit another ball.
“You.” Lena said simply and threw her another.
“Right…” Kara wished she had the confidence Lena had in her. Truth be told she was still stunned she made it so far. She hit Lena's ball, a bit too strong, sending it just outside the court.
Kara shook her head just as Lena sent her a fast ball without any warning. Kara sent out her racquet just in time to hit it, sinking a fast ball right between Lena's feet.
“Don't get too much in your head.” Lena said with a satisfied smile. “You're better than you think.”
Kara mastered a small smile.
They left the practice court once more people started to arrive at the area. Kara felt a little better, but the various shouts and comments made by the observers around them did not help putting her mind at ease. Nyxly was a tough threat she needed to overcome, but she wasn't the only one. She first had to figure herself out.
They spent some more time at the gym then headed back to Kara's room for strategy planning. Both Eliza and Alex left for their own hotel to rest.
“The most important thing is that you must adapt to whatever your opponent throws at you. If you need to be a sprinter, then be. If you need to catch a high ball, you fly. Always adapt to what you need to get you the point.” Lena instructed, waving her hands around as she marched around the suite.
Kara nodded repeatedly, hung on every single word that could help her survive the next round. To be completely honest, she half hazardly accepted defeat. She hoped to have the confidence Lena had in her. Despite her reservations regarding her next match, for the first time in a while Kara saw a future in the sport. It definitely revolved around the idea she could spend more time with the number one player in the WTA, but it wasn't just Lena, she found she was enjoying the sport for the first time in a long while.
After her lecture and instructing Kara on a game plan, Lena retreated to her own suite only to come back moments later dressed in her pajamas and holding a toothbrush.
There was something domestic and calm about the way they prepared for bed together in silence and slipped under the covers of Kara's king size bed.
“Can I just say,” Kara spoke softly into the darkness of the room.”I'm really happy that I got to meet you. And if I don't make it tomorrow –”
“Don't say that.” Lena cut her off abruptly.
“Lena, I can't ignore it isn't an option. She is an amazing player, she has a Slam title, like a proper one - not a junior one. I'm just being realistic.” Kara wasn't stressed about her potential loss. She was grateful for the tournament she had so far. For Lena.
“No, you're being pessimistic. There could be no room for doubt or intention if you plan on winning.” Lena continued, her tone clear and direct.
“I'm not sure that's how it works, but I just wanted to say thank you.”
“No need to thank me, it was all your doing.”
“I'm not sure I would've made it into the third round if it wasn't for you.”
“Nonsense. You made it because you were better.”
Silence grew between them. Kara didn't want to fight over it. She was grateful and she wasn't sure how to make Lena see it.
“I do have a question, though.” Lena spoke, breaking the silence. “In your last game, you mixed up your styles.”
“I did. Although it was harder than expected.”
“How do you mean?”
“It's two very different sides of me I suppose. Can't say I really figured out how to really merge them together properly. It felt more like they were consulting with each other. Does that make sense?”
“Maybe you need to come back to that moment. What made you decide to combine them together?”
“I just realised that choosing between the two was meaningless. Not one side could win against Kelly on its own. So I thought that perhaps it was time for both parts of me to stop running in different directions, to fear one side to clash with the other. I managed to beat Kelly like that, but Nyxly is the complete opposite in many ways, so I'm not sure that it would even work against her.”
“It will once you stop doubting yourself.”
“Right…” Kara let out a small chuckle. Lena sure was stubborn. “I have a question now.”
Lena nodded for her to continue.
“Your brother. I just… I don't know, you seem to be more on edge since we saw him. And – I mean you don't have to answer if you don't want to – but I was just wondering what was your relationship like? Was it always this antagonistic?”
“I wouldn't call it antagonistic. He's an ass, sure, but he wasn't always.” Lena shifted in bed to lay on her back, her gaze drifting to the ceiling.
“He was the first to welcome me into the family after being adopted. He introduced me into tennis and even nicknamed me Ace after I won my first tournament game with straight aces.” A ghost of a smile drifted upon her lips. “He was a great brother when he chose to be. He was…” Lena trailed off, her words unspoken, but grief lingered in the air.
Kara interlaced her fingers with Lena, giving her hand a small reassuring squeeze.
“Once he lost his rank at the top to Clark Kent he just – changed. He was more agitated, more angry. After losing that US Open five years ago… well you know what happened. He didn't take his punishment - light as it were - too kindly. After that he just became closed off. Bitter, I suppose. He stopped coming to my matches, stopped supporting me at all or anything like that. He stopped really talking to me, and that was… that was hard.”
“I'm so sorry, Lena.”
“He made his choices.” Lena shook her head dismissively.
“Still, it wasn't easy and it wasn't fair for you.”
“Life is never fair. It is what it is.”
“Well, I promise you that I will always be here for you. Win or lose, you got me.” Kara gave her a warm smile and leaned in closer to her.
“That's… thank you.”
“Anytime. Now I believe some sleep is in order?”
“Yes. We should.”
“Goodnight, Lena.”
“Goodnight, Kara.” Lena gave her a small kiss on the cheek and took her position as the little spoon in bed.
— — —
Kara took a moment to enjoy the warmth of Lena in her arms before she had dared to open her eyes and face the day. Lena looked so peaceful in her sleepy state. She learned that despite her rigorous morning routines, Lena was not a morning person and carried an adorable pout for at least an hour after she woke up.
It suddenly hit her just how much she was going to miss this, miss Lena. Whether it was this day or two days away, this competition was coming to an end soon. Their… relationship? No. It was casual, they both agreed it was. Then again it was way more than any casual thing Kara ever had. Hell, it was more than most relationships she had. Whatever they had, she wasn't ready to let go of it just yet.
They spent the morning in relative silence going about their morning routine and Kara couldn't shake this sinking feeling of the approaching end. The burst of their bubble. It felt closer than ever, and her worries regarding her next game did nothing to elevate this feeling.
Both Eliza and Alex accompanied them for breakfast before leaving them to their preparations.
Since the match was potentially much longer than the ones she played so far, Kara decided to spend extra preparation time at the practice court and gym. Lena left for her match, looking confident yet slightly stiffer than normal. Lena always seemed to hide behind a more confident persona from what Kara gathered so far. And she was confident, but even she had her reservations regarding the recent changes.
It was torture. The longer she spent preparing the more anxious she got. Lena was probably deep into her own game when Kara collected her bag and headed into the court.
The crowd roared as her name was called out and she exited the tunnel into the view of her spectators.
“As discussed, this match would be the best of five sets.” The representative said, waiting for both of them to nod before she continued. “Kara, you will have the red towels this match, while Nyxly gets the white ones. Understood.”
Both women dutifully nodded.
After losing the coin toss, Kara stepped back behind the serving line and prepared herself. Nyxly unsurprisingly chose to serve first. Kara knew she had a particularly tough serve and readied herself for the worst.
— — —
“Welcome to another great day of tennis coming to you from the Billie Jean King stadium here in New York! The sun is shining, the crowd is buzzing and we are absolutely thrilled to be here and commentate on this game in the semi finals.”
“I feel ‘thrilled’ is an understatement looking at what we have in our hands today, Catherine!”
“You're speaking about the recent change to the women's format I assume, David?”
“I am! I'm still fuming about this change. Mid tournament? That's unheard of!”
“I completely agree with you, I only hope our athletes can handle it.”
— — —
Nyxly threw the ball high in the air and caught it in her hand, faking a first serve and making Kara tense up for nothing.
She threw it up once again and hit it with a fast fluid motion.
“Fifteen – Love, Sptinz.”
What was even that serve? That angle made it impossible to return unless she stood at the extreme side of the court - but that would leave her completely open for attacks in the center. How could she even counter that? Breaking her game would be almost impossible.
Preparing herself for the next one, Kara just managed to hit the ball this time, sending it just outside the baseline.
“Thirty – Love, Sptinz.”
— — —
With one game each, Kara managed to return most of Nyxly's serves. They were only three games in and it was already a game like nothing Kara had played before. The pressure of the extra sets was weighing heavily on their shoulders, knowing each and every stroke counted, there was no time to play it safe.
Nyxly herself was a puzzle she had to figure out, her style so different than anything she played before. There was no doubt how she made it so far.
— — —
“Spellbinding forehand slice! How did she do that?”
“Sptinz, forehands are so unpredictable, it's a marvel to see them in action.”
“It's very interesting to see how the recent changes completely affected those women's play style.”
“The controversial decision by the board has its supporters and critics, but it's those women who have to deal with the repercussions.”
“They are both playing a much more aggressive game, making high risk high rewards kind of moves.”
“Yes, they are in a race against time and their own capabilities. They both need to win it, and need to do it fast!”
— — —
It was intense. There were no other words for it. Kara threw herself at every ball, hoping to get a successful attack as quickly as she could, risking dangerous strokes with the hope of hitting a winner.
She wasn't alone in her endeavour, Nyxly was playing just as risky, both of them knowing full well that they had to end it as quickly as possible.
Despite the threat of exhaustion, Kara found herself enjoying the sport in a new way. It was a celebration of her more instinctive side. She let herself jump head first into every situation and risk impossible shots. The crowd was loving it and she played to their cheers on every success. The misses were inevitable yet disappointing nonetheless, and of course, more costly in this kind of style.
“Game, set – Sptinz!”
Damn. She should've paid more attention to her ball placement in this kind of angle. It was not the first careless ball to lose her a game, but being a set down meant that if she wanted to win it was a minimum of four sets game now.
Maybe it was a sign for her to incorporate more of her strategic side more. The next set was hers! It had to be.
— — —
“Danvers is on fire here! What a shot!”
“It's just so good! Tennis from another planet! The foot speed – out of this world!”
“That's what we're here for!”
“That was a clever slice and move in from Sptinz.”
“Oh, but a brilliant finish from Danvers.”
“She has at least two serves she could finish the set out here.”
“I think she can make it.”
— — —
Kara received a couple of balls from the ball kid and pocket one of them before bouncing the other. One more point and the set was hers.
She bounced the ball a couple of more times with her racket and took her position. An ace would be really nice now.
Taking a deep breath, Kara let out a final bounce and threw the ball up in the air. Hitting it with full force, the ball flew through the court. Nyxly managed to just hit it, but her angle wasn't right, sending the ball far outside the court.
“Game, set – Danvers. One set all”
She did it! Throwing her hands up and celebrating with the crowd, Kara slowly realised that she wasn't much closer to winning than before. In a normal game she would've needed just one more set, but with the new rules she needed two more. It was nearing an hour and a half hours and it was as if the game had just begun. She had good stamina, she knew that, but could she carry this kind of game until the end?
— — —
“Unbelievable! Danvers can't believe she lost that shot. Once again, brilliant anticipation skills to get to that point and then the skill needed to control that ball! Amazing.”
“It is Sptinz to serve.”
“Nice return from Danvers.”
“Oh, a tricky one from Sptinz.”
“Look at that! Can we see that again? What a shot from that angle!”
“Such a clear winner cross court from that position, can you imagine?”
“I don't need to! I just saw it with my own eyes. This might be the shot of the tournament.”
“Quite so. And with that Danvers takes another game.”
— — —
It was tight. Nyxly was relentless. Forced to a tie breaker on the third set of the match, Kara started to feel the pressure. This tie breaker felt like forever, with the points being eight to seven in favour of Nyxly.
Kara decided to go on the offensive. It was Nyxly to serve, so she waited for the shot and then rushed the net to get an early attack. She found the sweet spot. Nyxly didn't have time to switch up her hands and was forced to hit a backhand that went wide.
Nyxly attempted to serve the next ball on the T line, but it was too strong, getting her a fault. She prepared for the second serve, eyes locked on the ball as it flew up in the air.
“Fault! Game, Set – Danvers.”
Throwing a hand in the air, Kara felt the rush of success.
One more set to go.
— — —
“And here we are in set four! Those women had never played this much in an official tournament. Not in the number of sets, and I'm pretty sure not for this long.”
“We have seen some fantastic tennis so far from those two players. I think this is fair to say that regardless of the final point, they both showcased their best tennis out there.”
“I agree. I think this is them at their best. I would've loved to see how they would fair in their usual match length.”
“Or alternatively, to see them after they get used to this new meta.”
— — —
Three hours into the match and Kara's body felt heavier than usual. Her right arm was aching and her legs felt sluggish. Her concentration was also down. She felt slow to say the least.
Nyxly's hand advantage was definitely coming into play with both hands feeling less strained than Kara's right. Despite that, Nyxly was definitely just as exhausted as she was. Her movement was far slower than before and even her more strategic game suffered, making questionable shots with no real purpose.
She should exploit that. It was time to drag herself to the finish line with the rest of the strength she had, slowing the pace of the game and planning accordingly. Put Lena's coaching into good use.
With the thought of Lena guiding her, Kara moved to serve the next game.
— — —
“What was that from Sptinz?”
“An easy point for Danvers.”
“She was too passive out there! She wasn't doing anything at all.”
“Such a disappointing point.”
— — —
“Oh, and that's another game for Danvers.”
“That was some aggression on the racquet there.”
“Not the first time from Sptinz. But first time in this tournament.”
“Oh, and now the racquet has definitely been destroyed.”
— — —
“I think now we're definitely seeing the downside of this recent change.”
“Indeed. Those players hadn't played this kind of intense – high value game for this long and you can very clearly see it in their movements. Much slower and, let's say it, flat.”
“Yeah, it's nothing like the kind of tennis we saw in those first two hours. I think from here it's simply an endurance test.”
“Who can keep her focus up, who can keep her stamina up. It's as much of a mental fight as it is a physical one, and this one is quite brutal in both fields.”
“Quite so.”
— — —
Despite the game's very explosive beginning, it ended in a very dull fashion.
Kara was leading six games to five when Nyxly's own serve worked against her, leading her to a double fault on match point, securing Kara the win.
The relief that Kara felt was immense.
She was in the finals!
She won!
Kara surrendered to gravity and fell into the ground as the cheers of the crowd surrounded her. Taking a moment to calm herself, Kara got up, her muscles aching and sore, yet she pushed through it. Just a little bit more and she could be laying motionless in her hotel bed.
Everything was a blur as she headed for the shower and rinsed herself from the sweat and dirt that pilled up on her skin.
The camera flashes and rumbling voices were overwhelming as she stepped in front of the press, but she simply smiled and waved at them.
“Congratulations on your win. How are you feeling?”
“I'm very happy,” Kara chuckled. “And honestly relieved. Also very tired.”
“You had a pretty intense first and second set, but by the fourth one things felt a bit slower, would you associate it to the recent changes by the board?”
“Yes, I believe it was.”
“And what are your thoughts regarding the new changes?”
“Well… I'm not against the idea overall, but the sudden introduction of it, well, I would've liked some time to prepare for it.” Kara said honestly. She wanted to be a bit more angry about it, but knew her words could easily be used against her later on and for the first time in one of those conferences she felt like she had an actual future in the sport, one she wanted to pursue.
“Last question!” A voice called out, making the room burst out with raised hands and questions being spoken on top of each other.
A person was picked from the crowd, one Kara could only see the silhouette of against all the flashes.
“This is the first time in the history of the US Open to have two wildcards face off against each other, what are your thoughts?”
“Um, wha.. what do you mean?”
“What are your thoughts regarding the finals?”
“No, but what do you mean by two wildcards? What wildcards?”
“Oh, I thought you've heard. Eve Tessmacher will face you in the finals.”
It took a moment for her words to sink in. When they did they felt bitter and heavy.
“Lena lost?”