At the end of my last article, I announced that my next Spencer Vs. would be pole vaulting.  I lied. Now by no means do I enjoy lying to my audience.  I have much love for the readers who still follow my athletic exploits through my monthly humiliation. The fact of the matter is, that some circumstances are unforeseen and all we can do is go with the flow and hope things work out for the best. Which brings me back to my main point.  I lied.

For the next challenge I would be playing CHS junior Kevin Flannagan in tennis. Tennis never captivated me as a child and my knowledge of the game is sparse. The only time I ever watch tennis on T.V. is when there is a really important match or if Maria Sharapova is playing. The truth is when I step on to a tennis court, I feel as uncomfortable as a porcupine at a petting zoo. My tennis outings are certainly few and far between, so naturally I was uneasy facing off against the high-caliber player that is Kevin Flannagan.

Kevin picked up tennis at the early age of four but did not play his first two years of high school, as he chose football instead. He played this year for Pioneer and was on the number one JV doubles team. Kevin’s natural tennis skills and raw talent on the court were daunting, but my ability to perform under pressure gave me confidence.

Since Wimbledon was unavailable, Kevin and I met at Ann Arbor Open tennis court for our match. With my dad’s racquet in hand I stepped out on to the court as my short shorts flapped in the wind. Kevin approached from the other side of the court and began to brief me on the rules. We would play first to five games to determine the winner.

Kevin started the game serving.  His first overhead smash flew past me and hit the fence before I could even raise my racquet to volley it back.  On the next serve I attempted the patented Roger Federer between-the-legs shot only to miss the tennis ball and hit somewhere else.

However I pushed through, and after 8 double faults by Kevin, found myself leading three games to two. I watched images of my potential first win flash before my eyes as I stepped up to serve. The elation was short lived.

Kevin ended the match winning 12 straight points to win the match five to three. My lack of stamina on the tennis court combined with Kevin’s talent and the Little Caesars pizza I ate before the match all caught up me. I am happy with the close win and am confident that I will win someday.