Ten days.
It passed so quickly that before we even had time to enjoy it, the vacation was over.
After that, Gao Wen had a short three-day training at UCLA, and then set out on the journey again, leaving Los Angeles and heading to Delhi, India, to play for the country, facing India in the Davis Cup and fighting for a place in the World Group play-offs.
There was no sign of MacDonald in the group.
It was not because McDonald was still hesitating and had not made a decision, but because the Davis Cup was a competition for the country, and Gawain tried to keep the accompanying team as simple as possible, with only Peart accompanying him alone. Otherwise, it would be too exaggerated to bring a batting partner to a weekend event.
The match against India was tougher than expected.
Although tennis is not widely promoted in India, and compared with cricket, which attracts thousands of people, it is completely different, and the singles arena has always lacked a leading figure; but in fact, India has always been the kingdom of tennis doubles and occupies an important page in the professional tennis arena: Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes, Sania Mirza and other players, they have all topped the world doubles rankings and won multiple Grand Slam titles, becoming legends in the field of doubles.
Thanks to the guidance of these top players, Indian tennis also has its own heritage and glory. Not only doubles, but singles should not be underestimated.
In fact, neither Bhupathi nor Paes signed up for the Davis Cup this year, and India's strongest doubles team became the weakest link.
However, among the Indian singles players, three of their prime-year players are ranked among the top 150 in the world, and their overall strength is not weak. Therefore, they are ranked second seed in the Asia/Oceania region, second only to Uzbekistan led by Istomin, and have good competitiveness.
As you can imagine, all the burdens were weighing heavily on Gawain's shoulders.
The media generally speculated that in order to ensure victory, China should arrange two singles matches for Gao Wen, guarantee two wins, and then strive hard for the other three matches, especially the doubles, hoping to achieve a breakthrough, grab a victory, and advance to the next round.
However…it didn’t.
Li Zhe said in an interview that Gao Wen was very cooperative and active. He was willing to play in both singles and doubles. He also very much hoped to take up the banner and lead the team forward, leading China to further advance onto the highest stage in the Davis Cup.
In fact, Gao Wen volunteered to take responsibility for two singles matches.
But the team also reached a consensus that they should trust Gawain, but not rely solely on him.
Otherwise, Gawain will be dragging the team forward alone and stumbling. Even if they defeat India and advance to the next round, they will still not be able to move forward when facing more severe challenges in the play-offs. They should not be a burden to Gawain. On the contrary, they should be a helper to Gawain in fighting side by side.
India is a challenge, but it is also the only way for them to reach the next stage.
"We need to show growth and also show team spirit."
If even India needs to be prepared, then what should they do when facing the top 20 teams in the world? Therefore, China was very bold and adventurous and only arranged a single match for Gao Wen.
It turns out that this team is indeed growing.
The first day of competition witnessed surprises and also history.
The first singles player Gao Wen was the first to appear on the court.
Facing Somdev-Devvarman, who is ranked 87th in the world, Gao Wen defeated his opponent in three straight sets.
"6:2", "6:1", "6:1".
The entire game took less than a hundred minutes, showing good competitive form and the demeanor of the world's second best. The outcome was no surprise.
Second singles player Zhang Ze followed closely behind.
Zhang Ze's opponent is a young rookie, Yuki-Bhambri, who was born in 1992. Although the latter is currently ranked only 147th in the world, his upward momentum is very fierce and he is on par with Zhang Ze. This match is generally believed to be a fierce battle.
The game was indeed very close.
In the first four sets, the two players were evenly matched: “6:4”, “4:6”, “6:1”, and “5:7”.
Banbury was in front and Zhang Ze was behind.
Although Bambry's attack was rough, it was extremely powerful. The whole stroke had the attitude of a young man who was not giving up. His three-axe attack could also achieve great results.
Especially in the third and fourth sets, Zhang Ze reached his physical limit and was obviously unable to hold on to the game. It was very difficult, very, very difficult. At one point he was in danger and stood on the edge of a cliff. But Zhang Ze, who has achieved a breakthrough this season, also showed courage at the critical moment, and his whole state was different.
After completing the fatal break at the end of the fourth set, he fought more and more courageously in the deciding set, seizing the loophole that the young people's physical energy was unevenly distributed, which led to obvious fluctuations in the deciding stage, and actually broke Bamburi's two serve games in a row in one go, leading and being strong all the way, and won the deciding set in one fell swoop.
"2:6".
Zhang Ze wins.
An unexpected victory, a crucial victory, a victory that broke through myself——
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
Following his unexpected breakthrough at the Australian Open at the beginning of the year, Zhang Ze also made progress in the Davis Cup.
Following closely, with this momentum and energy, the third doubles match also fell completely into China's control.
The partnership of Wu Di and Li Zhe was in full form, winning two consecutive tie-breaks to widen the score gap. In the third set, they destroyed their opponents in one go, and finally defeated the young Indian doubles combination with a score of "6:1", ending the match in an incredible yet exhilarating way.
"3:0"! Although there is still a second day of competition to go, Huaxia has made history. After 1990, it has returned to the ranks of the World Group play-offs after a lapse of 25 years. It will strive to enter the World Group next year to witness the highest level of competition.
It was indeed an accident, especially the score of 3:0, which was so clean and straightforward. It was definitely not expected.
It is not surprising, but it is not surprising either. Gao Wen's presence not only plays the role of a stabilizing force, but also this young player sets an example to unite the team. Now this group of players in their prime have also been motivated, and their performance on and off the court is gradually improving.
Perhaps, for the players, the media and the fans, they all need to slowly adapt to the fact that Gao Wen's arrival is bringing more changes, and they need a little time.
Originally, people thought it was full of suspense, and they kept playing up the atmosphere before the game, emphasizing India's strength and stressing that the opponent must not be underestimated, trying to create some expectations and drama, just like the World Cup, where every opponent seen in Asia is "not to be taken lightly."
result--
That’s it?
The goal was accomplished so effortlessly, as if he had taken a sponsored trip to Delhi, swept away the victory, and turned away without leaving a cloud behind.
To the point that the media and netizens were a little confused, and it seemed that they couldn't celebrate at all, and even the cheering lacked some passion.
So, is this what it's like to have Messi in Argentine football?