Chapter 36Beijing, the near future
The tennis exhibition was part prizefight, part theater. Alex was reminded again of the stories about famous rivals—opponents with a long relationship—who set up the first two sets so that one would win the first and the other, the second, and then they’d play the final set honestly. He and Ramon never did that. They’d play lights out, as they did their matches, and whoever won, won. It was more exciting that way, and it broke about even.
Now as Alex prepared to begin the One World Festival exhibition men’s singles match against Ramon—part of a series of exhibitions that had seen him play doubles with Ramon and mixed doubles against him with Hannah Gerimonde—he was being asked to play for time in a text by Mitch.
What does that mean? Alex texted back,
