Chapter 1543 The Golden Generation
Wimbledon, here we come.
Just by imagining it, I can't help but feel my blood boiling. I feel uneasy, nervous, and apprehensive, but also expectant, excited, and delighted.
After all, everyone is witnessing history and is clearly aware that history is being written before their eyes, and such opportunities do not come every day; so they need to keep their eyes open and pay close attention from day one to avoid missing any moment of the birth of history.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the signing list was released.
First, in the quarter-finals, Djokovic will face Kei Nishikori.
There are some interesting matchups in this division, with Djokovic facing Anderson and Kei Nishikori facing Cilic in the round of 16.
Anderson, who had just defeated Gawain and Dimitrov in the Queen's Club Cup two weeks ago to reach the final, although he lost to Murray in the end, showed good form. It will be interesting to see how much trouble he can cause to the defending champion.
Cilic is another highlight. He has been lacking outstanding performance since his return from injury this year. He is still struggling in the post-US Open era. It remains to be seen whether he can regain his form and create some waves in this division.
In addition, Isner, who is always a threat on grass courts, is in this division and falls in Kei Nishikori's small division; there are also a number of new stars, including Australia's Tomic and Kojnakis, as well as Zverev, who has qualified for the Grand Slam main draw for the first time with his world ranking.
In the past, rising stars were worthy of attention, but the level of attention was very limited; but after the madness of the past year, things are completely different.
The emergence of a new generation of young players has easily sparked countless discussions. People are also looking forward to these young people being able to show determination and courage. Even if they cannot continue to climb to the top like Gawain, they can at least add some fresh blood to the Challenger Alliance.
Last year at Wimbledon, it was Kyrgios, Raonic, and Dimitrov. So this year? Maybe Tomic? Or Zverev?
However, overall, Djokovic's comprehensive strength on grass courts is still superior, and he is obviously the biggest favorite to qualify from this division.
The only uncertainty is how much negative impact the failure to win the Roland Garros championship for the third consecutive year will still remain, and whether Djokovic has gotten rid of the disappointment and bitterness and is ready to defend the Wimbledon title. Everything still depends on the world No. 1's own performance.
In fact, in this division, the topic that sparked the most discussion was Hewitt.
The former world number one and former Wimbledon champion had announced before the game that Wimbledon would be the last singles tournament of his career and he would officially retire after it. For this reason, Wimbledon also specially awarded him a wild card to witness his farewell journey.
At this time, there are still a small number of fans who remember that before Federer and Nadal completely changed the tennis landscape, ATP was an era of shining stars. Players such as Ferrero, Safin, Roddick, Moya, Henman, Nalbandian, Coria and others were hailed as the golden generation. The grand occasion of fierce competition and different styles was truly dazzling. The Hundred Schools of Thought in that period presented different styles and colors of tennis.
Until now, people still talk about it with relish. In fact, Federer, who was born in 1981, also belongs to the golden generation. It's just that his maturity and transformation came a little later, resulting in a dislocation, and then he wrote a completely different story. But the weight of the golden generation can be felt from the side.
As time goes by, the golden generation has retired one after another, and Hewitt is the last one.
When Hewitt leaves the court, Federer will be the only one left fighting alone from that glorious and brilliant generation. There is no doubt that this is the end of an era.
It is precisely because of this that the atmosphere among ATP players at Wimbledon this year is somewhat different, not only because of Hewitt's retirement, but also because his retirement represents the end of the golden generation.
For the post-90s players, the superstars they have looked up to since childhood are about to leave the stage, and only then do they realize that they have grown up.
In his farewell match of his career, Hewitt will face another veteran, Nieminen from Finland, in the first round. If he can successfully pass the level, he will challenge Djokovic in the second round. If this really happens, it will be a special moment for two generations of players to complete their last duel.
Perhaps Djokovic is the favorite to advance from this division, but before the first round of the match begins, Hewitt is undoubtedly the focus.
Secondly, in the 2/4 zone, Wawrinka faces Raonic.
Melee!
Among the four major divisions, this is known as the death division. It is not the division where Murray and Gawain will compete against each other, but a division where the competition landscape is completely open. Everyone, including Wawrinka and Raonic, has a chance, and the closeness of overall strength is indeed full of countless possibilities.
Wawrinka's small group includes players such as Thiem, Goffin, Verdasco, Robredo and others. Although they do not look like typical grass court masters, Wawrinka will need to go through some tests if he wants to replicate his performance in last year's quarterfinals. After all, grass is also the surface where he performs worst.
In Raonic's small group, he may face the legendary German veteran Tommy-Haas in the second round - he is also a good player from the golden generation. He may face Kyrgios in the third round and Nadal in the fourth round. In addition, Gasquet, who has recently recovered his form, is eyeing him covetously. It can be said that every step is thrilling.
On the one hand, the top seed Wawrinka is not good at grass; on the other hand, Raonic, the strongest player on grass, has just returned from injury. Both players need to face a tough road to the next round. The gap in strength between the players is not big, and Nadal, who should never be underestimated, is also in the mix.
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Death Zone, literally.
For the new generation, this division hides countless opportunities and may even be the most suitable stage for them to show themselves among the four divisions. It will depend on who can seize the opportunity and make the first breakthrough in their career, for example, reaching the semi-finals?
Judging from pre-match predictions, Kyrgios is undoubtedly the biggest dark horse in this division and is highly anticipated.
Of course, from another perspective, it is precisely because of the melee and the new generation that is full of opportunities that Nadal may be the one who benefits.
As we all know, when facing new generation players, Nadal's performance has always been the most stable among the Big Four; moreover, Nadal has always been good at honing his form through consecutive tough battles.
At Wimbledon, Nadal's first week is often full of crisis and he may be eliminated at any time; but the second week is a different story. On the one hand, the grass has been worn down and turned into mud, and on the other hand, Nadal has regained his form through the competition and his threat will be completely transformed.
Therefore, the chaos is an opportunity for the new generation and also for Nadal. The key still lies in the performance in the first week.
(End of this chapter)