Chapter 1708: Hold your head high
Gao Wen knew the truth, he knew it all, and he had always done so -
He has given himself unreservedly to the competition, both mentally and physically. This is the highest limit of his current level, but it does not represent the end of his ability. He will still improve, he will still grow, he will still break through, and then make a comeback next year.
Therefore, there should be no regrets, no remorse, no sadness. He should hold his head high, straighten his back, and accept the result of the game with dignity.
He has such confidence that he faces the result calmly and sincerely congratulates his opponent.
but.
Why is my mouth still full of bitterness?
Ah, I'm not willing to accept this.
I really can't accept it.
He is not ready to end the game yet. He still wants to keep fighting and burning. He still wants to keep competing with Federer.
Last month, at Roland Garros, he lost to Wawrinka in a long set at 8:10 and was eliminated in the semi-finals.
This time, at Wimbledon, he lost to Federer in a long set at 11:13 and was eliminated in the semi-finals again.
Although everyone says that this is an unparalleled achievement, this is true for any player, including the Big Four. The reason why the Big Four can form a top group is because they have consistently delivered top performances for a long time and have repeatedly swept the top four in top competitions.
In other words, the top four, this is already very, very, very outstanding.
What's more, this is only Gawain's first season, his first time on clay, first time on grass, first time at Roland Garros, first time at Wimbledon. As a result, Gawain was able to reach this round and give such a performance, which is a breakthrough from any angle.
Gawain, you should be proud.
In fact, Gawain told himself this and believed it.
But.
Why are you still unwilling to give up? Why?
In just one month, he faced such a narrow defeat twice, and twice faced the dilemma of fighting to the end but still failing to turn the situation around. In Gao Wen's short one-year professional career, this was ultimately too difficult and too heavy, and his mouth was almost filled with bitterness.
Truth, after all, is just truth, but human heart is not.
He just needs a little time.
A little bit is enough.
"Pah! Gawain!"
"Pah! Gawain!"
On the centre court, thunder rumbled, and the momentum gradually built up from clapping to shouting, culminating in a very rare scene at the All England Club.
The entire audience stood up and not only applauded the loser, but also shouted the loser's name.
Sampras also stood up and tried to shout something, but his hot tears kept falling so that he couldn't make any sound. He just straightened his back and stared at the figure sitting on the grass on the court, feeling proud and emotionally stirred.
This moment belongs to Federer, but at the same time, it also belongs to Gawain.
Maybe, Gao Wen lost this game and was eliminated in the semi-finals of the second consecutive Grand Slam, but that's not all.
Gawain proved himself with "two meaningless hours", reinterpreted the competitive spirit with unparalleled performance and incredible willpower; and successfully won the support of Wimbledon with "two hours of unyielding struggle to the end".
From Dimitrov to Murray to Federer, including the first round match against Istomin, Gawain made his debut at the All England Club with his brilliant performances, and his debut went down in history.
Incredible two weeks!
At this point, the center court was even willing to temporarily ignore Federer, the unique darling of the All England Club, and shouted Gawain's name with thunderous applause.
"Pah! Gawain!"
The sound and air waves collided violently, stirring up dazzling sparks.
Gawain, I heard you.
I raised my head and looked at the noise and excitement of the whole audience standing up. After the energy burned out, my empty chest was filled up again bit by bit.
Gawain let out a long, heavy breath, took off his sneakers again, and then supported himself on the ground with both hands, and stood up tremblingly.
Feel the softness of the grass with your feet again.
At first it was just a sudden action. He needed to feel the grass, from the movement of his feet to the feeling of hitting the ball. Everything was new and unfamiliar. But no one, including Gawain himself, realized that slowly, this had evolved into a habit for Gawain at Wimbledon.
The sense of reality slowly flows into the heart.
In the past two weeks, they have run, fought and burned here; they have confronted, competed and fought here. They stood on the Centre Court in 2015 and looked back at the 100-year history of the All England Club. They have filled the present with their own fights and competitions, which have evolved into the history of tennis.
In fact, when the game is over, they are just a group of ordinary people who make a living by playing tennis and competitive sports. But in fact, history is written by ordinary people. In their ordinary day, ten years later or a hundred years later, those deeds will become the cornerstone of defining time and space.
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"Do you remember what we had for breakfast the morning of the 2008 Wimbledon final?"
"Do you remember the moment when the 2015 Wimbledon semi-final ended and we were all cheering for Gawain like crazy in front of the TV?"
The same is true for Gawain.
Will he be able to remember the story of his first trip to Wimbledon ten years from now?
After twelve days of competition, the Wimbledon venue was in ruins.
The baseline is completely bald, with no lawn to cover it, exposing the yellow sand, clearing out an elliptical, long, submarine-shaped strip from left to right. The closer to the midpoint, the more "spacious" it is, just like the big belly of a submarine. No wonder people joke that this is basically red soil.
The color of the grass in the singles line area also changes significantly, especially in the bottom corner of the serving area, which begins to fade, as if there is a gap between green and yellow. This is in sharp contrast to the green grass in the doubles line area. From the change in color, it seems as if you can see the fierce battle unfolding.
No wonder Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam that does not allow warm-up to adjust to the Centre Court before the start of the match.
The lawn is precious. If you just scratch it casually, it will become bald.
Through his socks, Gawain could clearly feel the slight stinging pain from the grass, because his tired and sluggish feet seemed to have completely adapted to the field. He still wanted to keep fighting, he still wanted to keep playing, he was not ready to leave, but this was the end.
I am still unwilling, all that reluctance, that nostalgia, that melancholy are surging on the tip of my tongue; but there are no regrets and even less remorse.
It is precisely because the competition is fierce that the bitterness of defeat is more intense; it is also precisely because of the unwillingness to lose that the fighting spirit to challenge is more vigorous.
Gao Wen knew that this was not the point.
Not just today. Including Melbourne Park and Roland Garros, regardless of winning or losing, when Gao Wen really stood in front of the top champions and challenged his limits, he saw the gap.
Maybe you win, maybe you lose, but the gap is objective. The same venue, the same opponent, different games may have completely different results.
He needs to keep fighting, he needs to keep working hard, and he’s ready to keep fighting.
Once you truly see the peak, your fighting spirit will burn even more.
(End of this chapter)