The Tennis Bomber

By Rony Kessler

Rachel, the heroine introduced in the "The Mysterious Animal Soup and Rachel's Gifts," returns in this story of suspense taking place at the US Tennis Open Junior competition, where her young brother Johnnie is competing. After a bombing in a facility where Johnnie and his two friends are playing, the Leo Glick family is faced with

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Penguin Books
• Release date: Feb 20, 2023
• ISBN: 9781637773857

Book preview

PROLOGUE

The story takes place around an annual tennis tournament that takes place every year in New York State. So please bear with me as I give you some background. Tennis is a racquet sport, played across a net on various surfaces. Large racquets are used, and the game can be played by two players, one on each side or with four players two on each side. When two players play each other, they are playing singles and when there are two on each side of the net it’s called doubles. Tennis is played competitively in high schools, colleges and professionally, but it is also a popular leisure sport, played by many avid tennis fans from the very young, often into a very old age. (I still play often at 80.) The formal competition game, as played in schools and by professionals, features matches of singles and doubles. Men and women usually play singles separately, however, doubles, in addition to men and women playing separately, also features mixed doubles. The game was not always played with racquets as it is today. Its origins are in France, some eight hundred years ago, by playing just with the palms of the hands. It was perhaps four hundred years later that racquets were introduced. I remember when I began playing, we used wooden racquets. I still have a few. Today, the racquets are very sophisticated, and players hit tennis balls over one hundred and thirty miles per hour. Don’t get in the way of one of these rockets, they will hurt you.

The story opens at the United States Open Tennis Tournament. It has a long history and an important economic and prestigious place in New York City’s Manhattan, and its surrounding boroughs. The current and new stadium is in Queens county of New York City. New York City is one of the largest cities in the United States, the gate for many foreign visitors in the east end of the country and is one of the best-known cities in the world. U.S. Tennis Open, began as the U.S. National Championships in 1881 by a group which called itself the US National Lawn Association. The first tournament was held that year at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island with competitions held only for men's singles and men's doubles. That status quo shifted over the next decade to incorporate a women's singles competition in 1887, women’s doubles in 1889, and mixed doubles in 1892. For nearly three-quarters of a century the individual competitions of the U.S. National Championship were held at a variety of separate locations, until 1968 when all five tournaments were finally collected into a centralized event at the West Side Tennis Club in Forest Hills, Queens. This was the first year that the event took on its new name and also was the first time that professionals and amateurs were allowed to compete together. In 1978, the tournament moved to its permanent home in Flushing Meadows at the U.S. Tennis Association National Tennis Center.

Held each year over a two-week period of late August and early September, the international competition has historically been the last of the Grand Slam events of the tennis season. In 1973, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Billie Jean King, and her work to help form the Women's Tennis Association, the U.S. Open became the first of the Grand Slam events, (The others being the Australian Open, the French Open, and England’s Wimbledon), to award the same prize values to the men and women competitors. The surfaces of play included hard cement courts in many playgrounds, grass and softer hard courts in tennis clubs and institutions, and soft clay or clay type courts. From 1881 to 1974, the official rules of the tournament required play on grass. For the following three years, from 1975 to 1977, players took to clay courts, then finally in 1978 the hard-court surface known as Deco-Turf became the standard.

The major tournaments all run junior tennis events, which run alongside the main draw or often at another site but connected to the main event. Junior tennis’ participants are aged 18 and under. Eligibility to compete in the sanctioned Junior tournaments is not based on age, but year of birth: as a result, some players must move out of juniors soon after their eighteenth birthday, while others can play juniors until they are nineteen. Some players who qualify as junior tennis players also play in main adult tours, or in what is called the main draw. Since the players are underage, permission forms must be signed by a parent or guardian, to allow participation. Historically, some junior players will turn professional at the age of 16 like Andre Agassi or Pete Sampras, but that is rare and reserved for very gifted players. Juniors are all considered amateurs and do not get prize money. The competition is still fierce and can result in battles both on the court and off.

The 1989 US Open was a tennis tournament played on hardcourts at the USTA National Tennis Center located in Flushing Queens, not far outside Manhattan. While the story includes events and results from that tournament, it is strictly a work of fiction and does not reflect any actual occurrences, events or competition results from tennis matches held that year.

CHAPTER 1

MONDAY AROUND NOON, SABOTAGE

The explosion was heard almost everywhere on the grounds of the Flushing New York Tennis Center site of the annual US Open Tennis Event. Instantly the whole place was transformed. It seems like for an instant everything and everyone froze. Then, some people began running for the exits, while others just stared toward the source of the booming sound, afraid to move since they did not know where it was safe to go to. Soon sirens could be heard by everyone in the distance as emergency vehicles converged on the scene. The explosion seemed to originate in the players’ lounge, a place where participants went to change and rest before and after their practice and matches.

Some of the US Open matches of the Boys had concluded while others were still going on. It was now the so-called round of 16 with quarter finals soon to follow in the last of the four Tennis Grand Slams. The Grand slams are the major tournaments in the tennis world. They last two weeks of play. The boys’ and girls’ tournament runs alongside the majors, with 128 players to start. Every round eliminates half the players. The round of 16 is the fourth round, followed by what is called the quarter finals, then the semifinals, and then, in the seventh round, the finals. The US Open Tennis Grand Slam is a major attraction for boys and girls who can make a name for themselves on the international circuit. Some have played on the international circuit for years, and some were at their first tournament outside their country. The ages of the boys and girls varied from as young as 12 and as old as 18.

The tournament has always been strictly amateur, so some very talented and gifted boys and girls chose to turn professional, so they can participate in the money awarded to the winners at each level, even the very first round. Being a professional and playing in the main adult draw was, generally speaking, the ultimate goal for all the juniors. Junior players often graduated from these contests, to become professional tennis players, after they participated in them and did well in these tough and competitive tournaments. It was a decision not only for them but also one for their parents and coaches. It was a time-consuming commitment, requiring a lot of travel. The cost initially, including the travel, coaching, equipment, and tutors when missing school, was very high and far more than the expected earnings from victories and sponsor support. The decision that the Son or Daughter is ready to take on the Professionals in the main draw was never an easy one, but families, or better said, tennis families, were very enthusiastic and very invested in success.

Three young Israelis, Johnnie Glick, Shaul Cohen, and Gadi Yaron were all new to international competition. It was their first tournament outside their own country. Their invitation to participate was a major surprise for them and their parents. They suspected that the recent success of the Israeli professional tennis players in the main draw had a lot to do with it. The fact that it was a grand slam, made it both a challenging and scary opportunity for them.

There was a lot of discussion in the Glick household about Johnnie going to the United States, to participate in a very competitive environment at his youthful age. Johnnie was an avid and wonderful tennis player, with a consistent winning record in Israeli competition. He was consistently beating much older tennis players and his current coach. Dan Banto decided to work with him free of charge and encouraged him to dedicate himself to tennis. Leo, his father, and the rest of the family felt that he was too young, but Rachel, his oldest sister, disagreed and spoke up for letting him go and volunteered to go with him. Rachel was in her second year at Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey, and she pointed out that her Aunt Ruthie and Uncle Joe lived close to Flushing Queens where the US Open Tennis was taking place. It simply meant that she will be going a couple of weeks earlier to the US. Eventually, everyone relented and agreed to let the youngest member of the family go.

The US Open event and everything that surrounds it, the grounds, the beautiful tennis courts, the variety of foods, the bands playing on the grounds and the amazing player’s lounge, were all part of a wonderful setting. The boys and girls that came to compete loved experiencing it all and enjoyed every minute of it.

Shaul and Gadi lost their match and were already eliminated from the singles competition, Shaul to a very talented player from Australia, Mark white, and Gadi lost to Daniel Strump, considered to be one of the best junior players in the world and expected to win the tournament. They were still part of the tennis doubles tournament running side by side with the singles one. They played doubles together as a team. Johnnie had shocked the Junior tennis world by winning four matches and making it to the fourth round, the round of 16. Now he had won his round of sixteen match in the morning against the promising Turkish player Akel Tombak, making it to the quarter finals. The match against Akel was a lot tougher than all the matches for Johnnie so far. Most of the matches in the round of 16 are tough, because to get to that level, every player in that round had to win four matches just as Johnnie had to.

Johnnie was much younger than Akel and while being about the same height as Akel, was thinner with lean long muscles, and while he was twelve going on thirteen, he looked like a ten-year-old with an angelic face that almost always was seen smiling. Akel at seventeen, almost eighteen, the cutoff age, was the oldest junior in the open. Akel was big boned and heavy muscled with a fierce look and black hair. He had a hint of a black beard and mustache, like a shadow across his face, adding to his appearance as that of a warrior. Akel had a big following in Turkey, and the country had very high expectations for him. He was a national hero, winning many tournaments. He was certainly not expecting to have trouble with this young and inexperienced Israeli, after all he was predicted by many to be one of the finalists.

The two players had distinctive styles of play, not surprising, given their physical build and appearance and their on-court temperament and behavior. Akel was a big hitter. He swung his racket as if it were a club with not much finesse, but with a lot of power and speed. The tennis balls he hit at Johnnie came across the net fast and low, and his serves came in like rockets, and like his strokes, came in with a lot of power and speed and bounced up from the heavy top spin he applied. Akel was known for hitting a lot of aces when he served, meaning the opponent could not even lay a racquet on the serve, and the point was won instantly.

Johnnie’s style was totally the opposite. He was mostly a defensive player, relying on his speed and amazing eye-hand coordination. He was a smart player, and he used his opponent’s pace to his advantage. As the ball was hit across the net, he was able to use the speed of his opponent’s strokes to return the ball with similar pace, almost like a trampoline effect. Most of his opponents were not able to react as fast as Johnnie did and were often caught off balance. Johnnie’s biggest asset was his amazing speed and his control of the racquet. He was able to take the hard-hit balls on his racquet, apply spins and often take the pace off the balls completely, and by applying a counter spin to the ball, he could drop the ball just over the net, called in tennis speak a drop shot. Often the opponent could not get to the ball before it bounced a second time. The drop shot would force his opponent to race to the net so he can return the ball. If the opponent did get the ball back, while his momentum was still propelling him forward, Johnnie would hit a high ball over his rival’s head in an arc, referred to as a lob, so that his opponent would have to try and rush back to the baseline to return the ball or lose the point.

Most opponents did not make it, but if the opponent did, and returned the ball into play again, Johnnie would hit the ball short again, driving his opponent crazy and tiring him out. Most of Johnnie’s opponents were older, more experienced, and stronger hitters, but his opponents usually were not used to running in and out the way Johnnie made them. They were huffing and puffing when playing the next point, giving Johnnie an additional advantage. Johnnie was super quick. He made up with his legs what he lacked in his arm muscles. He got to every ball with such speed that on many occasions, he surprised his opponent who thought he won the point and was shocked when Johnnie returned the ball for a winner.

While tennis is a demanding physical game, the mental aspect of the game is very important, many commentators stress the importance of mental attitude. Johnnie’s added dimension to his game was his mentality. He had a calm demeanor on the court when he played, never showing frustration, or showing weakness. He could lose a point, a game, or a set and his opponent would not see any changes in the way he played or the way he appeared. Akel, like many other young players, did not control his emotions and showed his frustration with Johnnie’s style. He tried to trash talk Johnnie, often screaming at him, hit like a man! You hit like a girl, but Johnnie did not react. He just continued torturing Akel.

Johnnie was the underdog, meaning Akel, based on his higher ranking and experience on the international circuit, could expect to win their match. Both boys had a following in the crowd watching them, and even though Johnnie was the youngest boy in the draw, much younger than Akel, he got the better of him both physically and mentally. His reaction to Akel’s insults was to show no reaction. He said nothing, did not smirk, or smile or grimace. To win a set, a player had to win six games by a minimum advantage of two games, and a match was the best of three sets, which meant a player in order to win had to win two out of the three sets. Johnnie won the first set, and while Akel sat on his bench glaring at Johnnie, his coach was not showing much compassion for his young player, at seventeen, while older than Johnnie, he was still a kid. The Coach was yelling at him to start playing and start hitting the ball in the court not out, and to run out the points. It did not seem to please Akel. He did not appreciate the yells. He felt the coach was showing him up, and he glared at his coach as well as at the crowd, the chair umpire and at any one his sight fell on.

Johnnie on the other hand, was sitting composed and sipping from a bottle of water and a bottle of Gatorade alternatively. His coach did not yell or even speak. They did all their talking before the match, and Coach Dan knew to leave him be. It was obvious that Akel was agitated and could not relax, and when they continued to play in the second set, Johnnie continued to make him run in and out, and Akel continued to curse under his breath and yell at Johnnie to play like a man. He questioned some calls and still glared at everyone as if they are all responsible for his difficulties. Johnnie did not react and just beat him in two sets when he took the second set as well. Beating Akel in two sets by scores of six to four and six to three was a surprising result no one expected, least of all Akel and his coach.

At the end of the match, Akel was still visibly upset, angry even, sweat was running down his face, and his clothing looked like he took a dip in a pool.