“The day was ending. Scarlet strokes crossed the mirrored display cases and old windows, the rich gold of the domes sparkled, the bronze St. Petersburg horses finally rushed towards the setting sun. With a quick step, Masha crossed the foyer of the sports complex, slipped away from the flock of reporters with cameras at the ready and fluttered out. She stopped, throwing her face back, realizing and not believing. She did, did, did it! An hour ago, in the seventh, decisive game, the Swedish tennis player made a mistake on the last cut. With this cut, Masha snatched victory on balance, which means she accomplished the incredible - she reached the final bracket of the 2024 Olympics...”