Chapter 1180 The Will of Clay
Graf wiped the sweat from her forehead. Even though it was just a warm-up game and not a training match, she could still clearly feel Gawain's progress.
Take one step at a time, keep your feet on the ground and move forward steadily; in just less than three days of training, such growth is very gratifying and worthy of recognition.
This can be felt from the increasing intensity of the warm-up games. It has been a long time since Graf has sweated so much on the court.
"The last ball, the whole touch was so beautiful, how did you do it?" After all, Graf had retired for a long time and her physical strength could not keep up, so in the second half, her steps could not keep up. In the last few rounds, Graf did not see Gawain's handling method.
Gawain was breathing heavily. Don't underestimate this warm-up game. Both the body and the brain are working at high speed, and the overall consumption is no less than that of a training match. Moreover, Gawain needs to adapt to the clay court. He is not yet at the stage where he can react by instinct, so he needs to concentrate.
One hundred percent concentration is also a form of intense consumption.
So, instead of saying anything, Gawain made a cutting motion with a one-handed backhand to answer Graf's question.
Graf's eyes lit up slightly, "Smart choice."
Gao Wen was not complacent, he spread his hands, smiling a little helplessly, "Isn't this the only choice I have left? If I continue to fight, I really won't be able to keep up."
It was a warm-up game, facing Graf who had retired for many years, and the battle lasted for nearly fifty rounds, but in the end he still couldn't keep up?
Gawain didn't think this was worth being happy about—
Of course, there is no need to be discouraged.
Gao Wen shook his head slightly. "I know red clay is difficult, very difficult, but I didn't expect it to be so difficult. It's like another world."
Graf was amused by Gawain's vivid expression. "Do you know that the French Open has always been considered the most difficult tournament to win among the four Grand Slams?"
Gao Wen's face was full of surprise, he really didn't know.
Graf explained, "On the one hand, it's because of the uncertainty of clay. It's really a hotbed of upsets, and there are many surprises every year. On the other hand, it's because of the characteristics of clay. It requires not only patience but also tenacity. When standing on this court, you must be prepared for a fierce battle."
"Roland-Garros once said that victory belongs to the most tenacious, and this sentence is the most vivid description of the French Open."
Here is a little background knowledge. The official names of the four major championships are slightly different:
Australian Open, Australian Open tennis tournament.
US Open, United States Open tennis tournament.
The above two are mediocre and there is nothing special about them, but the other two Grand Slams are different.
Wimbledon, the Wimbledon Championships.
French Open, Roland Garros.
Look, it's clear at a glance.
In fact, "French Open" is a unified name to fit the four Grand Slams. Real tennis professionals and veteran fans do not call it that, but instead unanimously call it "Roland Garros."
Roland-Garros, a legendary pilot, was the first pilot in the world to fly across the Mediterranean Sea in 1913. It was also a feat that he did not land at all during the whole journey. Later, when World War I came, he became a national hero of France and was considered an iconic figure of the French Air Force for a long time.
In fact, looking back at Roland-Garros's career as a pilot, he only shot down three enemy planes. He was far from being an ace pilot. The real first ace pilot of France should be Adolphe-Pegoud, but this does not mean that Roland-Garros is overrated.
First of all, he was the world's first fighter pilot.
Secondly, he has been constantly improving fighter jets, from superimposing machine guns to improving propellers to modifying the seat structure, and has contributed many opinions to the improvement of fighter jets.
Finally, he was shot down and captured, but later managed to escape, got back on the plane, and continued fighting until he was shot down again and died heroically.
There is no doubt that this was a tough and focused man who devoted his life to flying. It is no surprise that he made the famous statement:
Victory belongs to the most tenacious.
So how did a pilot become the symbol of a tennis Grand Slam?
In 1927, four French players went to the United States and unexpectedly defeated the host country to win the Davis Cup, sparking a nationwide craze.
In 1928, they defended their Davis Cup title in France, pushing the tennis craze to a whole new height and becoming national heroes.
So, the Stade de France, the venue for the French Open, agreed to a project to give up three hectares of land next to the Stade de France to build a new stadium for the four players, but they made only one request -
Must be named after their member Roland-Garros.
While waiting for the completion of the new stadium, the French Open will also move in and start its competition here.
In fact, the French Open did not open its doors until 1925, allowing non-national tennis members to participate. That is to say, when tennis players from all over the world went to Paris to participate in the competition, just a few years later, they began to fully enter the "Roland Garros" competition.
Over time, "Roland-Garros" has become a new representative.
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In the blink of an eye, a century is about to pass. Now "Roland Garros" is specifically used to refer to the French Open, rather than any specific venue, just like Melbourne Park to the Australian Open and Flushing Meadows to the US Open; the three large stadiums here are all named separately.
A small piece of data can show the uniqueness of Roland Garros:
In the short half century since tennis entered the Open Era, the number of players who have been able to win the championship more than once in the same Grand Slam, including men's singles and women's singles, varies for each of the four Grand Slams: Australian Open, 26, 14 for men and 12 for women.
French Open, 17, 8 men and 9 women.
Wimbledon, 20, 12 men and 8 women.
US Open, twenty-two, ten men and twelve women.
The data is clear at a glance.
Obviously, even for the top players who have the ability to win the Grand Slam championship, it is the most difficult to win the French Open for the second time among the four Grand Slams.
Perhaps, in some mysterious way, the spirit of Roland Garros has indeed become one with this clay court Grand Slam, vividly interpreting the difficulties and challenges of clay court.
Tenacity and patience are essential qualities on clay courts.
In Graf's opinion, Gawain already has what it takes. In the past few days, Gawain's focus and dedication have impressed her again.
Of course, red clay is definitely not that simple.
Just like what Graf said before, even for top players like Federer and Djokovic, it takes more than one or two seasons to find their rhythm on clay courts.
It is relatively easier to move from clay to hard court, so Nadal was able to win the US Open.
It is obviously much more difficult to go from hard court to clay. Even without the huge obstacle of Nadal, top players will still face many challenges on the clay court.
(End of this chapter)