Fernando Gonzalez by Max Cook

Contributed by Veronica Jackson

While walking from the grassy parking lot, where they line up cars very tightly in neat rows at the Legg Mason Tennis Tournament on Friday, I met a fine young gentleman parked next to me who said, “I have no idea about this sport.” He was attending the daytime matches because a work colleague had given him tickets and the day was “too beautiful to pass up.” I gave him my brief rundown of why I love this game. It’s such a mental sport. One can be incredibly physically fit and have great technique, but if you don’t believe in your abilities and that you can beat your opponent, one can lose matches. I also assured him that it was an easy game to follow and he would enjoy himself. Besides, sitting anywhere in the Stadium at 1 PM on a sunny afternoon is a beautiful way to get a tan. We continued to walk towards the entrance. He went to Will Call as I bade him good luck and I continued through the entrance gates.

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