Chapter 1080: Stopped in the quarterfinals
"Game, Melo/Dodig, '7:5', '3:6', '10:7'..."
The quarterfinals of the doubles match are over.
Facing the second seed of the tournament, Ivan-Dodig and Marcelo-Melo, who are currently ranked second in the world in doubles, the young Gawain and Dimitrov tried their best and fought till the end, but unfortunately lost.
Stopped in the quarterfinals.
On the one hand, at the critical moment, the shortcomings of Gawain and Dimitrov's lack of tacit cooperation in doubles were exposed, and some details of the shots were lacking.
On the other hand, Melo and Dodig are in great form, having topped Acapulco last week and continuing their good form this week, performing even better at crucial moments.
In the semi-finals, Melo and Dodig will face this year's Australian Open men's doubles champions, Fognini and Bolelli, which is obviously also a focus battle.
At the end of the last point, Melo won with a high pressure shot at the net, declaring the end of the game. Dimitrov felt a sense of emptiness and could not hide his disappointment.
Of course, losing a match is always disappointing, but this moment is not just because of that, but more because, this year in Indian Wells, through doubles, I have indeed regained the long-lost ease and joy.
He likes to stand on the doubles court, he likes to fight side by side with Gao Wen, temporarily relieve the pressure, embrace the unrestrained freedom, and purely enjoy tennis.
A simple happiness.
If possible, Dimitrov hopes to continue fighting and also hopes to challenge the combination of Fognini and Bolelli.
Sadly, the doubles match ended here.
The short-lived happiness came to an end, and then he had to return to reality and face the pressure and difficulties of playing singles.
An indescribable and inexplicable feeling of loss lingered in my chest. I let out a long breath, trying to get rid of it, but the effect was not obvious.
Turning around, Dimitrov looked at Gawain, a hint of guilt in his eyes:
With this defeat, Gao Wen's unbeaten record in doubles this season was also broken.
He always had an idea in his mind that if Gawain and Nadal were paired together, they should be able to continue winning, and he was the one who was lagging behind.
Gawain noticed Dimitrov's gaze, and was somewhat evasive and apologetic.
Although Gawain didn't understand what Dimitrov was thinking, he knew that his friend was at a low point in his confidence. Even if it was just a loss in a doubles match, he would probably blame himself and take all the blame on his shoulders, feeling both self-blame and guilt.
So, Gao Wen took the initiative to walk forward, gave his friend a hug, and then bumped him with his shoulder.
"This is a doubles match. You don't want to shoulder all the responsibility by yourself and completely ignore my existence, as if you are enjoying all the credit, right?"
At the joke, Dimitrov burst out laughing and shook his head, "No, I just feel a little reluctant."
Gao Wen patted Dimitrov on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, there is another singles match tomorrow, you can enjoy it. If you still feel it is not enough, we can go to the training ground now. Don't worry, I will definitely not show mercy and beat you up in the training ground."
Ha! Dimitrov was amused.
Slowly, he began to enjoy the game again, not playing for the sake of playing, not hitting for the sake of hitting, which was more important than winning.
Because it means he is back on the right track.
This is a good thing.
Maybe, singles matches are not as scary as imagined? Thinking of this, Dimitrov smiled slightly and made a joke, "Great, I can finally enjoy the spotlight alone."
Gawain deliberately opened his mouth and made a surprised expression, "Gregor, you have learned bad things."
Dimitrov's eyes were filled with smiles. "It's OK. I learned all of this from the master."
So, this is...Birds of a feather flock together?
It seems that Dimitrov has learned a lot from Gawain, but he doesn't know whether it is "red" or "black".
So far, the Cavaliers' journey in Indian Wells has come to an end, and they unfortunately stopped in the quarterfinals. In addition to the Murrays who lost in the previous round and the Nadals who were also blocked from the semifinals, all the top ten players in the world in men's singles have left the doubles draw.
It's a pity, for sure, but strictly speaking, it's a good thing for both doubles and singles matches, as this way everyone can stay focused.
However, at the post-match press conference, reporters still couldn't wait to ask, "When will the Cavaliers' next appearance be?"
Moreover, the reporters also acted as enthusiastic aunts and uncles, giving advice, "If the Knights can join hands on the Wimbledon doubles stage, it will definitely be a beautiful sight."
You know, it’s still three months away from Wimbledon, which is a very, very distant future, but the spectators have already started dreaming.
It seems that not only netizens, but also the news media are happy to see the Knights make their comeback.
The slight difference from Doha is that Indian Wells is a two-week event with a more relaxed and flexible schedule, and singles and doubles can be staggered.
After finishing the doubles match, Gao Wen and Dimitrov had no competition tasks, and their third round singles matches were scheduled for tomorrow.
So, after the press conference, both of them went to the training ground to practice for an extra hour.
From a distance, you can see the bustling crowd in the fan area.
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In fact, after entering the official match day, the fan area became relatively deserted. After all, the stadium and the game are what are truly attractive.
Fans and spectators come to Indian Wells to chase stars, but more importantly, to watch the game, and the latter is the key point.
Naturally, the crowds that once crowded in the fan zone are now scattered in every corner of the different courts at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden.
Compared with last week, the current hustle and bustle is nothing compared to it, and the scale has shrunk by more than half.
However--
"ah!"
Screams resounded across the sky like a thunderbolt. The birds on the treetops flapped their wings and flew high, making a fluttering sound, and even a strong wind surged along with them.
“Ahhhh!”
The screams continued to rise, sharp and shocking, bursting out with incredible energy, even breaking through the applause and cheers from the stadium behind them.
"Gawain! Gregor!"
"Knight! You are my knight!"
“Ah! Ahhhhh!”
The heart-wrenching cries exploded like thunder, and even though the number of people was not large, the momentum was so great that it easily detonated a small volcano.
The spectators who were walking back and forth on the court also cast their eyes over and could see the mighty heat wave erupting before their eyes.
Gawain and Dimitrov, who were talking, were both startled. They exchanged glances and walked towards the fan area in tacit understanding.
A figure stood out in the surging crowd:
Black, female, middle-aged, wearing sunglasses, dreadlocks, classic reggae look, pear-shaped figure that is slightly bulky, but with a unique Caribbean style, she is lazily yet full of elegance and heroism, her bright smile shows her enthusiasm and passion that even sunglasses cannot block.
It catches the eye so easily that it doesn't even need an introduction.
(End of this chapter)