Tennis in old age: Herbert Althaus and life on the Internet

IIn a tennis match, says Herbert Althaus, you can hit it short or long. You can play high above the net and very smooth. You can hit it slowly, sending the ball to your opponent like a poisoned invitation. Or so fast that your opponent has to run. You can throw balls left and right, or aim for the same square directly in front of your opponent’s feet fifteen times in a row. You can cut your eggs or not. You can move to the front of the goal or consistently play from behind the baseline.

You can play stops and strikes. You can direct the serve to the opponent’s body or to the outside lines. You can throw a backhand or throw him back with full force with both hands. You can patiently build cross plays and wait for the right moment, or simply force the moment with bold longline strikes. Herbert Althaus, German champion, world champion, number one in the world for many months, can do all this and much more. But above all, he can do one thing that sets him apart from his opponents: run very fast.