Time passed quickly for Oli. He didn't pay much attention to Worrik and Jezza, who were both going on about crushing their no-name opponents. Instead, Oli closed his eyes and pondered how to test his own opponent and how far he should take it. He was the ninth seed but the differences in true strength only got wider with every jump in seed, so Oli's expectations weren't too high for someone not even in the top five.
When the bookies finished their work, the announcer came back to center stage. "And now, let the tournament begin!"
Cheers cried out but not as enthusiastic as before. But who could blame the crowd when they were anxious for the second fight, not the first?