Chapter 1430: The Battle of the Gods of War
"Pah! Rafa!"
"Pah! Gawain!"
There was a huge crowd of people at the entrance of Philippe Chatrier Stadium. The Roland Garros, which had originally quieted down, became bustling again. Obviously, sitting in front of the TV and watching the game live were two completely different things. No one wanted to miss this carnival.
At the stadium entrance, everything is sold out——
Before the quarterfinals, Suzanne Lenglen's ticket sales exceeded 90%, while Philippe Chatrier's ticket sales were slightly lower at 80%.
From here we can see that Federer's appeal in Paris is still unmatched. Even though the tournament deliberately arranged this match to be played by Suzanne Lenglen, it still failed to stop the enthusiasm of the audience.
Of course, the two stadiums have different capacities. Philippe Chatrier can accommodate 15,000 people, while Suzanne Lenglen can only accommodate 10,000 people. So judging from the number of spectators, Philippe Chatrier still wins, but the visual pressure conveyed by the attendance rate still wins over Suzanne Lenglen.
However, as the match progressed, during the break after the first set, all tickets for Philippe Chatrier were sold out, but a large number of spectators continued to flock to the stadium to watch the game.
In a blink of an eye, the venue was full and everyone witnessed the excitement of the second set.
The camera lens clearly showed that the Philippe Chatrier Stadium was packed with people. Although people have not yet checked the exact data, judging from the situation on the scene, this game should have set a record.
Breaking the attendance record for the quarterfinals at the Philippe-Chatier Stadium.
Generally speaking, the grand occasion of over 95% attendance rate can only be achieved in the semi-finals or finals. Before that, there is always a lack of sparks, even in the quarter-finals with the participation of host players.
But today, because of Nadal's appeal, because of Gawain's popularity, because of various things before the game, and most importantly because of the excitement and suspense of the event, Roland Garros staged an unparalleled grand occasion.
In the second set, Nadal had already got set point and was about to win the game and take a huge two-set lead, but at the end of the set, he witnessed Gawain's heroic comeback and win three games in a row, and then came from behind to win.
“6:4”, “5:7”.
The big score, the draw, the two players are back on the same starting line, and the five-set three-win system has become a three-set two-win system, but the suspense of the outcome is still full of infinite possibilities, which will completely ignite the fans' expectations.
If Nadal wins, he will end Gawain's 18-game Grand Slam winning streak and strongly sound the clarion call for the King of Clay to conquer Roland Garros again.
If Gawain wins, he will give Nadal his second defeat in his career at Roland Garros, ending Nadal's quest for a sixth consecutive French Open title.
In other words, no matter who wins in the end, the result will trigger a news frenzy.
Can't miss it, absolutely can't miss it.
Gradually, people once again headed towards Roland Garros and gathered at Philippe Chatrier. Even though the tickets were sold out, the bustling crowd still gathered on the lawn in front of the stadium, watching the live broadcast on the big screen and feeling the enthusiasm on the front line.
Crowds of people continued to gather from all directions.
Even people themselves didn't realize that the Swiss derby between French favorite Federer and Wawrinka was being held next door at Suzanne Lenglen. Everyone's attention was focused on the event in front of them.
The "battle of gods of war" between Nadal and Gawain.
Although people had mentioned Gawain's title of "God of War" at the Australian Open earlier this year, it was not a big deal at the time, and the match between Nadal and Gawain did not trigger such a level of discussion. The controversy over the "host's mortal enemy" had already stolen the spotlight from all topics.
After experiencing the Australian Open final and witnessing this match, people deeply realized that Gawain's tenacity and fighting spirit are indeed the rise of another god of war.
From the stalemate in the first set to the reversal in the second set, the two players were always fighting and struggling. The air around Philippe Chatrier was almost ignited, and the audience also became excited.
Mars--
It is not only reflected in the high fighting spirit in desperate situations, but also in the tenacious will in fierce battles, and more importantly in the surging passion and vitality in peak showdowns, strong collisions, and challenges to the limits. It is always fighting, always struggling, always burning... and always breathing.
Obviously, this is true for Nadal and also for Gawain.
The entanglement and game between you and me are always full of passion and blooming.
Wonderful, one wave higher than another, one scene after another——
The Philippe Chatrier Stadium has gone completely crazy.
Crazy for Nadal, burning with enthusiasm for Gawain, the rising and falling cheers echoed for a long time, and everyone was rooting for this game.
"Pah! Rafa!"
"Pah! Gawain!"
Treat everyone equally and without distinction.
The third set was still tense and exciting.
At the end of the second set, the two players fought hard when their physical strength was low. In the end, the young and energetic Gao Wen seized the opportunity and won three games in a row.
It is generally believed that this situation is likely to continue at the beginning of the third set, with Gao Wen continuing to be high-energy and strong, widening the gap from the start.
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But as a bystander, I overlooked two things: first, Gawain is also a flesh and blood person, he also faced a physical low, and the burning release at the end of the second set caused him to slide towards the limit of his physical strength faster, even facing the dilemma of physical extreme earlier than Nadal.
Second, Nadal's tenacity. If it were an ordinary player, he would have lost three games in a row and lost the second set after having four set points. It would be inevitable that his mentality would fluctuate, and he might collapse at the beginning of the third set, but Nadal would not. His mentality was stable.
Nadal can also be frustrated, depressed and down, but his greatest strength lies in that he is always able to leave his negative emotions in the previous point and then refocus on the next point, the next game or even the next set.
Very, very occasionally, Nadal would suffer a set loss in the previous set, but would come back and rally in the next set, then fight hard for victory.
This ability to adjust one's mindset is indeed an innate toughness.
Of course, Nadal's physical strength is still a problem, but a new set is a new beginning, and he can completely start from scratch, so the situation will naturally be different.
So, the third set is different from the first two.
Because of the physical constraints, both players will focus more on their own serving games. Correspondingly, they will take more risks in the opponent's serving games. If they lose the initiative, they will not fight desperately.
It doesn't mean giving up the confrontation, but it is more reasonable and rational not to continue to burn physical energy to save the ball in some rounds where the chances are slim.
Naturally, the overall confrontation and entanglement were reduced a lot.
The most direct thing is that the number of break points has plummeted, while the break rate has risen sharply.
Nadal got three break points and converted one.
Gao Wen got four break points and converted one.
It's completely different from the previous two discs.
However, this does not mean a reduction in the number of exciting rounds. On the contrary, the two players, despite being stretched physically, used all their skills and utilized the characteristics of the clay to the fullest. The back-and-forth game and competition instead burst out with a kaleidoscope of splendor and variety.
(End of this chapter)