Three Balls

In tennis, when a player serves He gets a second chance In case the ball goes out of bounds Set in the court’s expanse. Before his first serve, he must have A second ball at hand, Kept in a pocket so he can Produce it on demand. As he walks toward the server’s box The ball boy sends his way Three tennis balls, one at a time; He needs just two to play. The player holds all three and then The bounces one ball back. The ball boy scoops it up and then The game is back on track. I always wonder how the player Knows which two to use For it should make no difference In the game which ones he’d choose. And yet this ritual repeats Each time a player serves. If I worked as a ball boy It would sure get on my nerves.