Chapter 194: Highly Anticipated
"Ah! Ahhhhh!"
On the center court, when Hess Olesen hit the ball out of bounds for the last time, Giron could no longer control his emotions and screamed to the sky.
He really has been waiting for too long.
In the second half of the season, the ups and downs of his form put Jilong in a slump. At the same time, the worries of the graduation season also came. Although he was still a junior, the consideration of whether he should turn professional had already entered his field of vision.
All these worries became more and more lingering because of my ups and downs in condition.
All along, Jilong suppressed his emotions and secretly struggled with himself, like a butterfly trying to break out of its cocoon, struggling with all his might but becoming increasingly powerless, to the point where he began to doubt himself: "Can I really break through?"
“Am I really suited to this profession?”
The downturn in Athens occurred in such a background, but after leaving the team competition and entering the singles draw, he finally regained his center of gravity and the rhythm that he was most familiar and comfortable with. He accumulated confidence by shooting the ball one by one, and moved forward step by step, waiting for the moment to break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly.
Then--
"ah!"
Jilong clenched his fists and vented the pent-up emotions in his chest. He did it. He finally made it to the finals and reawakened the passion and love for tennis in his blood. It was as if every inch of his skin was burning and he roared without reservation.
This day has finally arrived! Then, Jilong turned to look at the audience stands, found the figures of his family, and showed his faith and determination with his eyes: there is only one game left, and there is only one threshold to the national championship. No matter who he faces, he will go to the court and give it his all.
Refuse to have any regrets.
He is ready
A full fifteen minutes later, Court No. 1.
"yeah!"
Gawain jumped high and raised his arms and shouted, but that was all. There was no more celebration. He turned around and looked at the audience stands.
At a glance, he could see MacDonald standing and applauding, and then a smile appeared on Gawain's face.
Sunshine. Confidence. Determination.
There was no more celebration because he believed that this was not the end, he was moving forward towards his dream unswervingly, and now it was within reach.
The final, no matter which player you play against, is always a tough match.
They are the seeded players, they are the chosen ones, they are the favorites to win the championship, they are the focus of attention, and they are the challengers who lower their posture and launch the attack.
Gawain did not mind being regarded as an attacker and challenger, because this opportunity was a ray of sunshine stolen from the fingers of fate. Everything that was happening now was as perfect and happy as a dream. He would not be restrained, nor would he hold back.
Now that I have a second chance to live, I must bloom and burn wildly.
Let the storm come even harder.
In just fifteen minutes, the two semi-finals ended one after another, and then the journalists gradually learned the results. The much-anticipated "Brown Bears Civil War" made its debut.
finally!
Wait, why did they say "finally"? ESPN said it all: "Gawain finally faces the ultimate test."
It’s not because of the internal war within the Bruins team, nor is it because people hate Gao Wen, but because “it’s fun to watch the fun”, or because the spectators are all joining in the fun.
In fact, the media has been very friendly to Gao Wen since his rise in the second half of the season. The praise and applause continued and reached its peak after he won the team competition.
Countless media outlets have reached a consensus that Gao Wen is undoubtedly the biggest discovery in this year's NCAA arena. He made a brilliant debut like a comet and played a key role many times in the Bruins' road to the championship.
There are also many voices saying that Gao Wen is a "genius" -
His smooth offense, light and agile defense, and delicate and soft touch make Gao Wen's games pleasing to the eye; his vigorous and youthful playing style, coupled with his handsome appearance and sunny and refreshing smile, have successfully won Gao Wen the love of countless fans.
"Genius" is a compliment but also a burden. Otherwise, there wouldn't be so many "Zhongyong" cases in competitive sports throughout history.
Precisely because of the overwhelming praise and affirmation, the voices of doubt and rebuttal gradually arose and grew stronger in the blink of an eye.
Previously, there was a lot of excitement in the quarterfinal match against Sarkeesian, but Sarkeesian was just a "Dark Mark Star" and his hard power was far from being recognized. Even if the media backlashed, the extent was very limited and the voice did not fully form a climate. Now Giron is a player of another level.
From last year to this year, Gillon has always been one of the top players in the United States. This season, he has been a true master ranked second for a long time. Even though his form fluctuated at the end of the season and his ranking dropped, he was still the third seed when the singles competition began.
In other words, it is not just the seed ranking that is obvious, but Jilong has also established an image of a master in the minds of media reporters and fans.
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So, how will Gawain perform against Giron? This will be a test of Gawain's quality, and also the ultimate test for the Athens's most influential player this season.
If they fail, their dark horse status will gradually fade away, and there is still a long road ahead for the freshman players; once they win, it will be the moment to break out of the cocoon and become a butterfly.
On the surface, all the news focus is on Jilong, but in fact the focus of discussion is on Gao Wen.
"The ultimate showdown is also the ultimate test! The men's singles final of the U.S. Championship is about to begin."
"Will the No. 3 seed defend the dignity of its ranking, or will the American dark horse complete a perfect season?"
“Gawain is undoubtedly the biggest discovery in Athens this year, but Giron is the real touchstone.”
“There’s no doubt that Gowon has never played against a player of Geelong’s calibre before, this is another level of competition.”
“The Gawain legend may end here.”
“No one can predict what Gawain and Geelong will achieve in the future, but for now, it will be very difficult for Gawain to get past Geelong.”
Just casually browse the news headlines or online tweets, and you will find that there are contents that are not optimistic about Gao Wen everywhere.
Although there are still some comments that firmly support Gao Wen, who believe that Gao Wen has the ability to defeat any opponent, overall, Jilong still has overwhelming support. The general view is that Gao Wen will be in danger in the final against a real master.
Even UCLA fans are no exception.
For them, no matter who wins, it is the honor of the school, and there is not much difference. However, in their perception, Gao Wen still lacks foundation after all, and Jilong should obviously have more advantages. Moreover, this is the final.
From mentality to atmosphere to state, everything is a different story on the finals stage. Is Gao Wen, who is only a freshman this year, sure his knees won't tremble? The third update.
(End of this chapter)