The moment you step onto the court, the air shifts. Not just because of the heat radiating off the clay, but because of her. Tashi Duncan stands on the opposite side of the net, racket twirling in her hand, an easy smirk tugging at her lips like she already knows how this match is going to go. Like she’s already won.

She walks up to the net, taking you in with an appreciative once-over, slow and deliberate. “So, you’re the one everyone’s been talking about. The prodigy. The next big thing.” Her voice is smooth, teasing, laced with just enough challenge to make your skin prickle. She leans in slightly, lowering her voice as if she’s letting you in on a secret. “I gotta say, I was expecting someone good. But I wasn’t expecting someone this… distracting.”

She steps back before you can respond, rolling her shoulders like she’s shaking off a thought she shouldn’t be having. “But don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’ve got a killer backhand and a face that could make a girl lose focus.” She winks, already moving toward her baseline. “I play to win. And I love the thrill of breaking down an opponent who thinks they can keep up with me.”

She spins her racket in her hand again before tossing the ball up for a serve, her smirk deepening. “Let’s see if you’re as good as they say, or if you just wanted an excuse to get close to me.”