Chapter 124 Marching into Athens
California Polytechnic State University, an NCAA Division II team, had an 11-win and 13-loss record this season. It was difficult for both its overall strength and its strongest players to pose a threat.
Facing such an opponent, the favorite to win the championship, the Bruins easily defeated their opponent with a score of "4:0" and got off to a good start in the US Championship with a complete victory.
Judging from the results, all four games were won, leaving no chance to the opponent; but judging from the process, the top seed still seemed a little slow to warm up.
Doubles, smooth sailing.
Gao Wen performed admirably - he only allowed his opponent to win three games in two sets and won the game in 43 minutes.
The problem still lies with Thompson and Gillon. Their conditions are still being adjusted, and both of them unexpectedly lost a set; but fortunately, the opponent's impact was limited, and they quickly gained a foothold and both won in three sets.
As absolute main players, Thompson and Gillon have played in all games this season, and often played important roles in charging into battle. After a long season of training and testing, their physical strength and energy are under double pressure. How to adjust their state to meet the challenge of the crazy May is indeed a difficult problem.
However, despite the fluctuations in form, they still won in the end, which is the most important thing; more importantly, this is only the first round and they still have time.
"...Gawain is indeed in good condition..."
"I think the most rare thing about Gao Wen is his ability to keep his composure in the game. He can withstand pressure no matter what the game is. Not only has he maintained an undefeated record so far this season, but he is also always bold and resolute enough in key games and points..."
"Yes, yes, yes. The last time we played against the Trojans, Gawain played against Sacramento. That game was truly a classic..."
Chirping and bustling.
The game was over, but the atmosphere was still boiling. The excited expressions on everyone's faces created a lively scene. The sunset in the sky was also boiling. Gao Wen's name was mentioned repeatedly, and Gu Xiao also became happy.
This was a scene that Gu Xiao was not familiar with, but surprisingly, he didn't hate it.
"Gao Wen did a really good job today." Gu Xiao said carefully -
All around him were strangers he met for the first time, and no one even spoke to him. He wasn't sure if his words were appropriate.
Then I saw smiles on every face.
"certainly!"
"It's more than good, it's perfect."
"I think it's OK for Gawain to play first singles. He is more suitable for dealing with tough situations than Jilong."
"I am now looking forward to Gao Wen's singles performance in the U.S. Championships, haha."
“It’s definitely worth looking forward to.”
Gu Xiao just said one sentence and received so many responses. He could clearly feel the friendliness and enthusiasm coming from all directions, which was something he had not felt in his four years of college life. Gu Xiao, who had always been a lone ranger, seemed to feel for the first time that college life had other aspects.
Just by saying "Go! Brown Bear! Go!" or "Gawain", you can easily close the distance and feel closeness and enthusiasm in an instant.
Then, the scene of everyone on the court waving their arms and cheering appeared in his mind. All the strangers were united together because of a game, and Gu Xiao seemed to understand it.
After thinking about it, Gu Xiao asked a question, "What exactly is May Madness?"
"Oh man, haven't you ever been in one?"
"It's okay, it's not too late for us to join this year."
“Welcome to May Madness, bro!”
One by one, they bumped Gu Xiao's shoulders affectionately, teasing and joking. Although Gu Xiao was very uncomfortable with it, a smile appeared on his face.
Buzz buzz buzz.
Buzz buzz buzz.
The campus of the University of California, Los Angeles is bustling with activity, and the entire North American continent is also embracing the carnival as May Madness slowly begins.
After defeating California Polytechnic University in the first round, the Bruins easily defeated UC San Diego with a score of 4:0 in the second round and advanced to the third round without any suspense.
Compared with the first round, UC San Diego was stronger, but the performance of the Bruins was slowly getting back on track. Gillon, Thompson, and Gawain all won in two sets, and the doubles were also complete wins in both games. Gawain even delivered a donut.
In order to ensure the players' form, McDonald, Bremer and Sale also played one and a half sets each. Although they did not finish the game, they were the ones with the upper hand. One could really feel the high vitality of the team, and it was clear that they had entered the rhythm and form of the crazy May.
After easily defeating their opponents in two rounds, UCLA advanced to the round of 16 without any suspense, winning the ticket to the second stage of May Madness. Then, it headed to the venue of this year's US Championship together with the other 15 teams that also advanced successfully.
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Athens, Georgia.
The Athens mentioned here is not Athens in Greece, but a small city located in Georgia in the southern part of North America, also called Athens.
Atlanta is undoubtedly the most famous city in Georgia.
This place was once the center of the civil rights movement and the Summer Olympics were held here. It is also one of the favorite cities for North American wealthy people to live in. The pleasant climate, comfortable environment and abundant entrepreneurial opportunities make this city carry the weight of history while also exuding youthful vitality.
Of course, thanks to the Georgia government’s tax incentive policies, countless Hollywood movies have chosen to shoot here, such as "The Avengers" and "The Walking Dead."
Athens, located less than an hour's drive northeast of Atlanta, has preserved the long history of this land in an quaint manner. It was originally inhabited by Indians and is still one of the most important Indian settlements today.
Just like Athens, Greece, the soil and buildings here record the traces of time, reminding people not to forget history.
Although it is a small city, Athens has always been the most loyal partner of the NCAA.
It is known as the city of private schools. Although it is small in size, it has three public high schools, eight private middle schools and six public/private universities. Until now, there are still traditional aristocratic families who continue to send their children here to receive private education.
It is also because the NCAA had a lot of cooperation with Athens in the early years, and Athens can be seen participating in every reform.
In 1977, the NCAA officially adjusted and gradually formed the current competition system. The National Championships in the first thirteen years were all held in Athens. Later, after adjustments, they were moved from Athens to other cities every three years. Later, this rule was abolished. Every year's competition is open for application and fair competition.
But despite this, Athens is still the most mature host venue, and the U.S. Championship still favors this city. This year is the third time in the past five years that it has come to Athens.
Fourth update.
(End of this chapter)