Playing The Moldovans At Tennis

September 1997. Tony Hawks and Arthur Smith are watching the football round at Tony's house. England are playing Moldova in the World Cup qualifiers and winning easily. The conversation, oddly, turns to tennis, which Arthur has always asserted is a "crap game", especially after Tony beat him at it on holiday in Majorca, easily. A pedantic argument ensues, Tony believing that even a natural sportsman or woman couldn't be good at tennis without the proper tuition. Arthur vowing that most natural sportsmen could pick up a racket, and without too much bother, play a good game.

And so a childish bet was proffered that Tony couldn't play all of the Moldovan national football team at tennis and beat them all. The bet was on. Tony would have to visit Moldova, track down the eleven men who played in the England match, and one by one, persuade them to play him at tennis and beat them. Simple . . .