Chapter 2011 is full of excitement
Maybe the intensity of the competition in the Ilie-Nastase group will be raised to another level?
The O2 Stadium is crazy.
There were exclamations and joy in the players' lounge. Excitement was written all over their faces and the air was filled with restless excitement.
Gawain shook his head slightly and said half-jokingly, "Huh, now I finally understand what Thomas meant by that."
Wawrinka looked innocent, "Hey, man, have you ever considered my feelings when you say that?"
The two exchanged glances again and both laughed.
At this moment, the only person who couldn't laugh might be the person facing Nadal across the net on the court.
Murray was not satisfied.
To be precise, I should say I am very, very dissatisfied.
With a turn, Murray started swearing and chattering endlessly to his own players' box. His voice was completely drowned out by the excitement of the entire stadium and could not be heard clearly; but the irritation revealed in his eyes, expression, and body language was more direct than the language itself.
Irritable, angry, and frustrated.
Murray thinks he can do better, no, he should do better.
It was a signature Nadal score, and also a signature indoor hard court score. Nadal's offensive firepower on the forehand position was fully unleashed.
Even though the point was scored by Nadal, who was playing away, the O2 Arena was still filled with applause for Nadal and the exciting match.
But it only lasted for a moment before the home crowd found their voices again and started cheering for Murray. Neutral fans who loved to watch the fun were no exception and joined the cheering one by one, hoping that Murray would be able to fight back and make the game more exciting.
"Pah! Andy!"
"Pah! Andy!"
The momentum spread out in a mighty and powerful manner.
Not only at the All England Club, but also at the O2 Arena, Murray also carries the host's high expectations, looking forward to witnessing the miracle happen again.
However, in Gao Wen's opinion, the balance of victory was slowly tilting towards Nadal, not because Nadal had just broken the serve, but because of the whole situation -
Murray, seemed confused.
Yes, “confusion” is not depression or struggle.
From Wimbledon to the US Open, Murray is the same. He has attracted much attention for his excellent warm-up performance, but he has been eliminated early on the Grand Slam stage. This seems to have put him in a short-term myth and trapped in an invisible shackle.
"Should he lower his expectations of himself?"
“Maybe he’s not as good as he thought?”
"Perhaps, he has reached a bottleneck and has lost the possibility of further progress?"
And so on and so forth.
This is not a technical problem or an injury problem, it is purely a psychological problem. Self-doubt is also a form of self-reflection. Over time, it may become a maze of inner demons.
Countless professional players have faced, are facing, or will face such a psychological test. The problem is that most players lose to themselves, stop here, and then can never move forward again; only a very, very small number of players can break through and complete the transformation.
Once you break through, you will be able to reach a higher level.
Since ancient times, this night has been no different.
It is not easy to achieve the top. It is a single-plank bridge that thousands of people rush to. This stage alone can eliminate 99% of people.
However, achieving greatness is much more difficult, even a hundred or a thousand times more difficult than the previous stage, and there is only a 0.01% chance of becoming a legend.
At least, Murray has not been able to break through yet.
——It’s not just reflected in the key points.
On some ordinary points, Murray's shot selection is also questionable. This used to be the part that Murray was most confident in and also the strongest weapon to stand among the strong. But now, Murray himself will have doubts. Over time, when he arranges his shots again, he will start to hesitate in hitting the ball.
As a result, the entire game process began to shake.
Of course, Gao Wen doesn't think he is necessarily right.
The greatest charm of competitive sports lies in the unknown. No one can predict the outcome. Whether it is Nadal or Murray, they are still fighting.
You should never give up until the moment it’s over.
Perhaps Murray will prove that Gao Wen's judgment is wrong with practical actions?
However……
“6:4”, “6:1”.
The game ended rather quickly, lasting only seventy-three minutes.
Everything happened just as Gao Wen predicted:
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Nadal defeated Murray in straight sets and got off to a good start with the Ilie Nastase team. Not only did he continue his good touch since the Asian season, but he also continued to rise. He found his tennis at the right time, proving once again that there is a reason for the Big Four to continue to thrive.
Murray is still trapped in his own inner demons. Although he is not troubled by injuries, the shaken confidence has caused problems with the foundation of the entire game. The adjustments made since the hard court season in North America in the summer have not yet seen any improvement. This is still a long and arduous journey.
On the other side, Federer and Murray experienced fluctuations one after another.
On this side, Nadal returned to his position.
The "Big Four" are indeed extraordinary, and they are indeed an unimaginably severe challenge for the Challenger Alliance.
This is undoubtedly good news for Nadal fans, but for other spectators, it is still not enough.
It can be seen from Berdych's ridicule before the game that the competition in this year's year-end finals is unprecedentedly fierce. The explosive rise of the Challenger League has further stimulated the potential of the Big Four. The intensity of ATP competitions has been pushed to a new level. The O2 Arena is bound to usher in a bloody storm.
However, what is the reality? At the end of the second match day, the first round of the two groups has come to an end, with four games "2:0", four games in straight sets, and four games outright victory.
Moreover, the score was not intense at all——
Djokovic lost four games, Nadal lost five games, Federer lost six games, and Gao Wen lost seven games. Four, five, six, and seven were just the right number to sit in and eat fruit.
In other words, even in the most intense, exciting, tense and stalemate match, they only lost seven games, which was completely one-sided.
This is not the Huashan Sword Contest that people expected.
Things shouldn't be like this, absolutely not.
In this regard, eight players, including the four winners, expressed a similar view.
“The competition was not easy.”
Because of the competition system and schedule, it is not easy for the players to adjust their status, especially after experiencing a season of ups and downs and fierce battles, facing the confrontation with top players again, they need more time to complete the adjustment, which also means that there may be variables in every game.
Indeed, judging from the scores, match time and match content, none of the four matches in the first round could be called exciting, with the only exception perhaps being the short segment between Gao Wen and Wawrinka at the end of the second set; but for the players, they are all adjusting, groping and trying their best.
Whether it is victory or failure, it is all a process.
No one can guarantee that subsequent games will be more exciting, "because each game is a new test"; but what is certain is that they are all trying their best. After all, "no one wants to end the season in failure."
Then, the schedule for the third match day was announced, and the media went wild.
(End of this chapter)