The Canadian Masters, also known as the Rogers Cup, is not only the highest-level ATP Masters, but also the highest-level WTA Crown.

The championship points are 1,000, and the prize money is also very generous, second only to the Indian Wells and Miami Sunshine double titles in the first half of the year. In addition, the event has signed a cooperation agreement with the US Open to form the US Open series. The exposure, attention and prize cooperation are all very attractive.

There is no doubt that if you are eyeing the final Grand Slam of the upcoming year, the Rogers Cup is a tournament not to be missed.

It is worth mentioning that the biggest difference between the Rogers Cup and all other events in the tour is that the same event is held in different cities.

Just like the World Cup and the Olympics.

The men's and women's events are held in different cities and swap places every other year.

Last year, the men's event was in Montreal and the women's event was in Toronto; this year, the men's event is in Toronto and the women's event is in Montreal.

Next year, they will be exchanged back again.

Different cities, different venues and different styles. Although they are very similar, there are still subtle differences. Therefore, the difficulty of defending the Rogers Cup has skyrocketed.

Since 1990, only three players have defended the men's title: Agassi in 1994 and 1995, Djokovic in 2011 and 2012, and Nadal in 2018 and 2019.

The women's tournament is no exception, with only two players winning consecutive titles: Seles won four consecutive titles between 1995 and 1998, and Hingis defended her title in 1999 and 2000.

Last year's Rogers Cup, the men's singles competition is worth writing about -

Tsonga defeated Djokovic, Murray and Federer consecutively to win the championship.

A Masters tournament, a 1,000-point event, an important warm-up tournament leading to the US Open, a tournament where top players compete in advance before the Grand Slam, and also the first major tournament of the summer hard court season in North America. It is conceivable that everyone is eager to be a part of it.

Jilong is no exception.

But the point is, Giron knows his own condition and his own weight. He will not expect to compete on a high-level stage like the Rogers Cup, and he doesn't even dare to hope for the competitions in Atlanta and Washington. Even if he wins the qualification, he doesn't think he can win.

He has no confidence.

However.

Jilong did so anyway, applying for a qualifying wild card for the Rogers Cup.

Don't forget that as the singles runner-up of last year's NCAA National Championship, Giron had the right to choose a wildcard for the US Open series. At that time, Giron chose the Rogers Cup. Although he lost the first game, it was still a valuable experience that confirmed his determination to turn professional.

This year, Jilong applied for a wildcard again, not a main draw wildcard, but a qualifying wildcard.

With a little expectation, he finally passed! So, Jilong, who was ranked outside the top 300 in the world, embarked on the journey of Rogers Cup qualifying.

Somewhat ridiculous.

Looking back over the past month, Jilong had a poor record of only five wins and four losses in the Challenge and Hope levels, making it difficult for him to be competitive; but now, he has stepped onto the stage of the Masters qualifying competition to fight for a place in the main competition, which seems ridiculous no matter how you think about it.

despite this……

Jilong, I still want to give it a try.

He admitted that the main reason was from Gawain. After a year, their timelines overlapped again, but they were in two completely different positions. He wanted to give it a try and fight hard, not to prove anything to Gawain, but to prove to himself: he did not give up.

He will not compromise nor be content. He will not be satisfied with just making a living by participating in challenge tournaments. He will not be stuck at such a level, unable to move forward or improve.

He refused.

He still holds on to his dreams, he still wants to step onto the Grand Slam stage, he still wants to stand on the center court of the Grand Slam, he still wants to compete with the top ten players in the world, he still wants to achieve something in his career, he is still struggling and still fighting.

He knows all the truths, his own state, his situation, his mentality, etc. Maybe now is not the best time, he needs patience, he needs calmness, he needs to focus; but deep down in his heart, he is still that child of destiny.

This is his pride and also his stubbornness.

He wanted to give it a try.

An adventure, a rebellion, an indulgence.

Jilong, gave myself an excuse and an opportunity.

Although Gawain was the source of everything, Gillon knew that this was his battle, and in the final analysis, it still depended on him—

Otherwise, just having passion in your heart won't accomplish anything.

The troubled emotions completely settled down, and Jilong regained his focus, just like he was back in college. The Bruins were all united, fighting and moving forward side by side. Everything was about tennis and only about tennis.

A surprise

In the first round, Jilong defeated another American player Ryan Harrison, "6:4" and "7:5", the scores were very close.

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More importantly, after regaining his concentration, Jilong played his best game in the past month, especially his decisiveness and toughness at the crucial moments. This gave Jilong some confidence. In a trance, it seemed as if he was back in the college arena, enjoying tennis without worries.

Next, in the second round, Geelong will have to face Australian player James Duckworth. Although his world ranking is not high, Duckworth won a game at the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013 and advanced to the second round. He is definitely not that easy to deal with.

Tap, tap, tap, tap—

Jilong was running all the way from one end of the court to the other, his speed had reached the limit, his eyes shining as he stared at the tennis ball.

With a push of the foot, emergency brake was applied.

A two-handed backhand strike, like a home run in baseball.

Bang! Straight line.

“Got it!”

Jilong clenched his fists tightly and cheered loudly -

He saved the break point by breaking the net in a straight line, which was very thrilling, but very firm.

At this moment, there was a commotion next to the court. The buzzing sound was like ripples, gently spreading on the surface of the lake, and the rustling sound was surging.

Unlike those large stadiums, all the qualifying matches are held in small stadiums. The space is limited and the players almost compete under the eyes of the audience. The spectator stands can only accommodate about 300 people, or even less, creating an intimate feeling of an experimental theater, right at your fingertips.

Naturally, everything is magnified before our eyes with exceptional clarity; even the audience's movements of picking their noses, dozing off, or looking at their phones are all clearly visible.

In addition, there is no wall between the stadium and the street, only the low spectator stands, so the noisy sounds coming and going enter the stadium unimpeded, and the loud conversations and laughter all echo in the ears.

For outdoor games, anti-interference has always been a very important part of tennis games, which are even noisier than some challenge games.

Just like now——

Subconsciously, Jilong looked in the direction of the sound and saw Gawain and MacDonald.