Chapter 1208 Luxurious Lineup
For F1, the Monte Carlo Grand Prix is the oldest, most special track, and perhaps the most difficult race to win.
Naturally, no one wants to miss it, and not only will they not miss it, but they will also try their best to win.
The same is true for tennis, the Monte Carlo Masters.
Firstly, Monte Carlo opens the clay court season, officially kicking off the clay court season when injuries are at their lowest, and it is also the beginning of adjusting to form.
Secondly, the competition environment in Monte Carlo is most similar to that in Paris, so before going to Paris, we can adapt to the venue and climate and make adjustments in advance.
Thirdly, Monte Carlo is known as the weathervane of the French Open, not only because of the similar venue and environment, but also because it is known as the blessed land of the French Open.
Every year, players who win in Monte Carlo seem to be blessed with not only a good clay court season but also good luck at the French Open.
In fact, professional players should all believe that strength is the only key to victory; but the reality is often somewhat biased. Professional players more or less have their own little superstitions. If an action or an object can bring them good luck, they will stick to it.
For example, some players firmly believe that they must use a different tennis ball every time they serve, which means a fresh start and they will never use the same tennis ball twice.
On the contrary, some players firmly believe that if they scored in the previous round, then this tennis ball can bring them good luck, so they will continue to use the same tennis ball for the next point.
It's the same superstition, but it's carried out in two different ways, and there are a lot of people practicing it on tour.
The same is true for Monte Carlo, the "French Open paradise", a superstition that is better believed than not.
Of course, the "Big Four Era" is really too special. From 2005 to 2012, Nadal completed an incredible eight-time championship dynasty here, so it doesn't seem to make much sense to discuss the "blessed land" here.
However, if we trace back the time, the picture is quite different.
In 1993, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004, the champions of the Monte Carlo Masters all reached the French Open finals, and won the championship five times. Only Ferrero in 2002 and Coria in 2004 unfortunately finished second in Paris.
In addition, the worst performance of the Monte Carlo Masters champions in 1994, 1996, 1997 and 2000 at the French Open was also the fourth round.
It can be seen from all aspects that Monte Carlo is indeed the weather vane of the French Open, and it is also indeed the blessed land of the French Open, different from other events.
Of course, last year, in 2014, Monte Carlo suffered a slight setback, as Wawrinka defeated Federer here to win his first Masters title in his career. However, in Paris, he was upset in the first round of the French Open.
This also became the second Monte Carlo champion to be eliminated in the first round of the French Open in the Open era after Ilie-Nastase in 1972. In fact, Nastase won three consecutive championships in Monte Carlo in 1971, 1972 and 1973, and his subsequent results in the French Open were runner-up, first round and championship respectively. It was only in 1972 that he suffered a shocking upset.
Despite this, this still does not affect Monte Carlo's existence as the "French Open paradise".
Like the North American "Sunshine Double", the players who come to Monte Carlo to participate every year are all stars.
In fact, due to Monaco's special situation, Monte Carlo does not have much sponsorship funds, and the prize money of the tournament is only slightly higher than that of the Rome Masters. It is far less wealthy than the "Sunshine Double Crown" and pales in comparison with Doha, Dubai and other events.
It is precisely because of this that in 2009, the ATP tournament was restructured, upgrading the Magic City to a new Masters tournament, and preparing to cancel the qualifications of two Masters tournaments, and finally retaining eight Masters tournament seats. The two Masters tournaments that were "named" were Hamburg and Monte Carlo.
Both tournaments face similar problems, financial difficulties are undoubtedly one of them; and the relatively poor tennis market is also a severe challenge.
In the ATP's view, although Hamburg and Monte Carlo both have a long history, they are not in line with the future development direction of tennis.
At that time, because of the relegation, Monte Carlo and Hamburg were even preparing to sue ATP because ATP tore up the contract.
The final result is that Monte Carlo retains the Masters level treatment, but becomes the only Masters tournament where participation is not mandatory.
Simply put, if players miss the other eight Masters tournaments without injury or other legitimate reasons, they will be fined and penalized; but this will not be the case in Monte Carlo. Even if there is no legitimate reason, they can choose not to participate, and the ATP will not impose any punishment.
But in comparison, Monte Carlo is already very lucky, because Hamburg was directly downgraded to a 500-point event, and then it has never been able to return to the top ranks. In recent years, it has been mainly German players who have participated in the competition and supported it. Last year, Hamburg gave Zverev a wildcard, which is a direct reflection of this.
Firstly, the prize money is limited; secondly, participation is not compulsory; thirdly, the audience attendance is far lower than that of Madrid and Rome.
Logically speaking, the appeal of Monte Carlo should have dropped dramatically, but the reality is that the players who come to participate every year are still star-studded.
Because of its reputation as the "French Open weathervane" and "French Open blessed land", no one wants to miss it.
This year is no exception.
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Among the top 20 players in the world, except for Murray and Kei Nishikori, all others have registered to participate.
Murray and Kei Nishikori both competed intensively and suffered varying degrees of physical fatigue in the "Sunshine Double". Considering the long clay court season, the two skipped Monte Carlo, but no one among the other top players wanted to miss it and gathered together again in a bustling crowd.
So, who will be able to reach the top here this year?
and!
In addition to the championship battle, the "world ranking battle" that the entire ATP is most concerned about is about to officially kick off as the summer season begins:
Gao Wen's pursuit of the world's second place is about to begin. Obviously, the drama of "Big Four vs. Challengers" is approaching its climax step by step.
Perhaps, he can go one step further based on his world No. 2 ranking? Even if we put aside the world ranking competition for the time being, the attention and focus on Gao Wen has once again reached a new height. Since last year's Paris Masters, Gao Wen has won three consecutive Masters titles. So, can he continue his winning streak?
From Grand Slams to Masters, will Gao Wen's strong performance face challenges as the clay court season begins? Assuming that Gao Wen does encounter different challenges on clay courts, or even loses, then when will Gao Wen's 15-game winning streak in the Masters end?
What role will clay play this time? Will Gao Wen be able to continue his magical performance on clay court for the first time in his career? All these make the Monte Carlo championship battle full of more highlights.
Nike is not the only one that is excited. The news media and the fanatical fans are all the same. To be precise, who else can be an exception? (End of this chapter)