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DELRAY BEACH, Fla. — Before the start of every tennis match now, Stevie Johnson walks to the back of the court and squats down for a moment or two. Sometimes he says a little prayer. Often he gives himself an abbreviated pep talk.
Almost always he thinks of doing things the way his father wanted him to.
“I really just say a couple of words to myself to help me put everything in perspective,” said Johnson, 29, whose father, Steve, died of a heart attack at age 58 nearly two years ago. “I tell myself to do things the right way and to treat people with respect.