Definitely Amazing: EVERYTHING ON THE LINE by Bob MItchell

[Untreed]

It's not just tennis, it's the whole shebang:

All in all this was a great book to read. The plot, its characters, the quotes, tennis, the Italian, the abilities and disabilities, parenting, food and the fun conversations between God and Satan.

Continue at Open Book Society and read a book excerpt at Untreed Reads.

Everything on the Line by Bob Mitchell:

The year is 2043. God and Satan are dining at a cute little Italian trattoria in Purgatory, when Satan challenges God to a wager: At stake is whether Good or Evil will prevail in the world. Both antagonists will choose someone on earth to compete in a winner-take-all athletic competition. If God's choice wins, Good will prevail forever. If Satan's choice wins?

They select tennis as the ideal crucible in which to have this ultimate mano-a-mano sporting test of physical skills and inner strength.

Throughout the novel (which takes place in Florence, Venice, Rome, New York, Florida, Ohio, Paris, Barcelona, Melbourne, and Wimbledon), Italian wunderkind Ugo Bellezza (God's choice) and American prodigy Jack Spade (Satan's) battle both opponents and their own personal demons-and become the two greatest players in the history of tennis-until, in the final chapter, they clash in a titanic battle at Wimbledon, a cataclysmic, touching, and surprising dénouement in which (with everything on the line, literally and figuratively) the eternal battle between Good and Evil is ultimately decided.

"Everything on the Line has a line about everything - it's a fanciful, exuberant valentine to tennis and the people who play it."
--Mary Carillo, CBS, NBC, ESPN commentator, winner (with John McEnroe) of French Open mixed doubles title, Peabody Award winner

"Although few novelists have touched pro tennis, knowledgeable Bob Mitchell makes a big splash with Everything on the Line, filled with surprises and humor, set in a future Obama presidency (Malia's). In a fierce rivalry for No. 1, an American and an Italian (he with a Stradivarius racket!) battle across the planet."
--Bud Collins, Boston Globe, ESPN, Tennis Channel, dean of American tennis writers, member International Tennis Hall of Fame

"Bob Mitchell's novel, Everything on the Line, is a complex, rich, challenging story weaving together the author's vast knowledge of tennis, history, art, and poetry."
--Peter Bodo, senior editor and chief columnist, Tennis magazine