Chapter 1989: Road to London
Berdych’s character still lacks some blood and murderousness.
The theme of "Big Four VS Challengers" runs through the entire season. One by one, members of the Challenger Alliance are inspired to tap their potential and usher in a breakthrough. They also realize that the Big Four are neither invincible nor out of reach. No matter how powerful the giants are, they are still flesh and blood after all.
However, although Berdych was stable, he was unable to achieve a breakthrough. Not only that, his performance also gradually declined after Wimbledon.
At this point, with two weeks left before the year-end finals, Berdych was already worried about the future and his confidence was hampered.
Perhaps, this is his inner demon, the layer of window paper waiting to be broken.
But what is rare is that this time, Berdych did not become the target of ridicule by netizens, but instead won a lot of likes and support.
Netizens said that Berdych's words were "vivid and vivid" and that this year's year-end finals was a journey to hell. One by one, they shouted to Ferrer, Dimitrov, Kei Nishikori and others:
"Child, there's no need to be upset. You know there's a tiger in the mountain, but you're still going there. Please think twice. There's really no need to force yourself to join in the fun."
"Give up London and go to an island for a vacation, sunbathe, and play in the water. There's no need to make things difficult for yourself. The sooner you give up, the happier you will be."
There are endless jokes of all kinds.
Now we can see the momentum of the lineup for the year-end finals. Even netizens who have always been keen to watch the fun have backed off, and there is no longer any mood to tease or complain about Berdych, Ferrer and others. Sympathy and empathy prevail, and the direction of public opinion has completely changed.
The spectators were also able to empathize with the intensity and cruelty of this year's Huashan Sword Contest. Half a month in advance, the bloody atmosphere was already in the air.
Of course, jokes aside, it can be seen from the side that the attention in London this year is off the charts, and the heat can be felt in Paris.
At the same time, there is another crucial suspense——
Gao Wen, can you defend your title?
Like the US Open, Gao Wen is also the defending champion of the Paris Masters. The last hurdle in the battle for the world's number one title lies before him.
The specific situation is complicated. After all, Djokovic was the runner-up of last year's Paris Masters and the champion of the year-end finals. He also has huge pressure to maintain points. Therefore, Gao Wen's failure to defend his title will not necessarily end all suspense. The two players have different possibilities of advancing to different rounds.
But overall, let's make a rough summary:
If Gawain fails to defend his title, his hopes of competing for the year-end world No. 1 will be very slim, not even a 1% chance. Not only will he have to expect Djokovic to perform poorly, but he will also have to pray that Djokovic will perform poorly consecutively. You can imagine how difficult it will be.
If Gao Wen defends his title, he may not be able to take the initiative in the competition for the year-end world number one, but at least he can take the initiative into his own hands and win the opportunity to face Djokovic head-on.
This is the difference.
On the road to the year-end world No. 1 crown, every step is thrilling, every step is important, and even every round of the tournament can make a difference.
It is precisely because of this that every game in every event at the end of the year may overturn the situation. When the players gather in Paris, the intensity reaches a peak. Every step is thrilling and every fight is bloody. The intensity and excitement of the entire season are accumulating energy for this moment.
This kind of suspense is the most fascinating.
Get your melon seeds and beer ready, grab your stools, and under the watchful eyes of the crowd, blow the horn for the final battle before London!
…
"ah!"
On the court, Gawain jumped into the air, raised his arms and shouted, and with a Pegasus Meteor Fist he released all the energy deep in his dantian, exploding with blood.
“Ahhhh!”
In the audience stands, no one could sit still anymore. Everyone stood up suddenly. Cheers and screams, exclamations and astonishment were intertwined.
"ah!"
In the commentary booth, one or two veteran players couldn't help but feel their scalps tingling, exchanged glances in surprise, and smiled wildly.
——It’s unbelievable! But, it happened again! In this year’s Paris Masters, upsets and excitement coexist, surprises and strengths intersect, every round is exciting, every game has surprises, the ups and downs of the process, the exciting competition really pushed the season’s end to a new peak, and the orgasm in the brain can’t stop at all.
This also once again verifies what Berdych said: No one is sure whether they should get involved. Maybe they should not be "in the car" but "under the car".
First, Federer lost to Isner and was unexpectedly eliminated in the round of 16; Dimitrov lost to Ferrer and lost the head-to-head competition for a place in the finals.
Secondly, Nadal lost to Wawrinka in two tie-breaks and unfortunately stopped in the quarterfinals; Berdych lost to Djokovic in two tie-breaks and also stopped in the quarterfinals.
Once again, Djokovic defeated Wawrinka in the deciding set to enter the final, and Gawain swept Murray in straight sets to enter the final. The top two seeds were in trouble again.
Again and again, 7.0, here it comes.
In fact, when the competition reached the quarterfinals, the first suspense was over.
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Berdych and Nadal both advanced to the quarterfinals and secured their places in the finals with their performances; Ferrer beat Dimitrov to win the last qualification for the finals, and naturally, Dimitrov became the first substitute for the year-end finals.
The most tragic one is Kei Nishikori.
He was plagued by injuries in the North American summer season. After being eliminated in the first round of the US Open and losing a huge number of points, his performance in the Asian and European hard court seasons did not improve. To make matters worse, he ended his season in Paris by retiring due to injury, which ended in disgrace.
Last year, Kei Nishikori reached the highlight moment of his career, creating history continuously, flourishing both on and off the court, and reaping success in both career and love.
This year, although Kei Nishikori's performance is still good, the overall momentum has declined, and as the season progresses, it has become worse and worse, and more and more sluggish. Finally, the season ended in this way. Obviously, this was not what Kei Nishikori could foresee.
Regardless, all the seats for the year-end finals have been confirmed, with no surprises or ups and downs. Despite the lack of surprises, it also proves one thing:
As far as this year is concerned, judging from their current status, these eight players are indeed a whole level higher than the other players. The gap is obvious and there is no suspense.
At the same time, another suspense continued all the way, and amid the hustle and bustle and anticipation, it continued all the way to the final stage.
The seventh final of the season between the world's No. 1 and No. 2 was also a rematch of the Paris Masters final after a year! And this time -
"6:4", "3:6", "6:4".
The one who laughs last is still Gawain.
From the capital to the Magic City and then to Paris, the exchanges between the two players became more and more intense. However, before leaving for London, Gawain still won one more game, declaring his determination with an absolutely strong and excellent state:
To compete for the world's number one, Gao Wen does not need to win by quantity, but by quality. He is ready to stand upright on the field and face off head-on.
And then, here comes London! Ahhhh, ahhhh, finally!
(End of this chapter)