Chapter 302 Contradictory Mentality
Although summer is about to pass, the sun hanging in the blue sky is still trying to catch the tail of August. The golden sunlight is diffused in the air. You can feel the heat wave quietly spreading early in the morning, and you can't help but want to find the shade of the trees to hide.
However, the hustle and bustle of Flushing still allows one to deeply feel the joy and excitement of the upcoming carnival. Among the people coming and going, one can see a small interview team, like a reef in the center of a river, swimming upstream.
"How's it going, Jun Ge, have you figured out anything?"
Hu Litao watched Zhan Jun put the information together with a thoughtful expression, but he didn't speak. He just asked casually -
At this time, they were on their way to the training ground, ready to meet the young player who emerged from the cracks in the rocks, but due to lack of information, this created many difficulties for their preparations.
Zhan Jun shook his head and sighed softly.
"I can't tell anything. It's all basic information."
"But at least we have achieved some results. The U.S. championship plus three Challenge Tournament titles is a historic performance after all. No male player from the mainland has ever performed like this before."
"That's natural, the quality is there but I'm afraid we are like English football, expecting too much and not seeing the reality."
Hu Litao does not comment on football, but he also watches it. When Zhan Junyi said this, he immediately reacted: England's football team claims every year that it is "the best national team in history" and it has been like this since 1966. But whether it is the best in history is a matter of opinion. Anyway, one objective fact is that they have not yet been able to win a second world championship.
Hu Litao couldn't help but chuckle, "That's not the case."
However, Zhan Jun has a different opinion.
"Our men's tennis has been weak for a long time. Not to mention the Challenger Championship, even the number of appearances in the Grand Slam main draws is few and far between. And you and I both know what happened to Wu Di last year."
"Now, a new star suddenly emerges with outstanding performance and has won the Challenge Championship for three consecutive weeks. You also know the morality of the media. I am afraid that the title of 'genius' will be everywhere."
Chinese men's tennis has indeed been weak for a long time. Especially since the women's players broke the deadlock at the 2004 Athens Olympics, they have risen across the board. In sharp contrast, the performance of men's players seems extremely bad, and has even gone beyond "lackluster" and is simply "not worth mentioning."
As mentioned before, in the singles competitions of the four Grand Slams, Chinese male players have only made two official appearances so far, both at the Australian Open.
One time was last year, when Wu Di got a wild card, and that wild card was the result of joint efforts between the Australian Tennis Association and the Chinese Tennis Association. The Australian Open held a wild card tournament in China, and the final winner would be able to win this wild card. The purpose was to expand the influence of the Australian Open in the Chinese market.
In other words, Wu Di stood out in the civil war and got the wild card.
The first time was this year, when Zhang Ze passed the qualifying test and advanced to the main competition. Strictly speaking, this was the moment that made history.
However, whether it is a wildcard or a qualifying match, the performance in the main match is the most important, and the result is that both players lost.
An even more cruel reality is that until 2021, it is still difficult for Chinese male tennis players to win a single victory in the Grand Slam tournaments.
Especially when young male players perform well in youth competitions, even reaching the world number one ranking and winning Grand Slam titles, it is even more regrettable that adults have been unable to make breakthroughs in the main competitions.
It is also because of this that once a new star worth looking forward to appears, the pressure will inevitably be overwhelming, and in the blink of an eye you may fall into the trap of "deification movement".
Similar stories have happened more than once, including basketball player Yao Ming, hurdler Liu Xiang, and now the popular Li Na.
Hu Litao's smile faded slightly, and a hint of worry appeared in his eyes.
"Are you worried that too much attention and too many expectations will suddenly come, disrupting the balance of your daily life, and you may not be able to adapt, which will then affect your performance on the court?"
Hu Litao couldn't help but nod after thinking about it, and then he asked and answered his own questions.
"That's right. He's only eighteen years old, still a child. He became the center of attention overnight. It would probably be difficult for him to adapt right away."
But what can you do? Pressure is part of competitive sports.
Zhan Jun nodded slightly in agreement, "I am also very conflicted right now."
"On the one hand, I look forward to his outstanding performance on the court; on the other hand, I am worried that my expectations are too high and I might be disappointed."
The bottom line is that there is too little information. No matter what, you still need to watch the games to know the results of competitive sports. No information means just guessing.
Hu Litao was a bit more straightforward, and he didn't think too much. He comforted Zhan Jun, "Don't worry, we are here to do our homework today. We will take things one step at a time. Competitive sports can sometimes be a mystery."
Zhan Jun was amused by his colleague's teasing words and couldn't help laughing, and his mood relaxed a little.
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As Hu Litao said, they came here to do their homework.
For the first round of matches, in addition to the international signals, CCTV also purchased the broadcasting rights for the Chinese players' matches. However, the draw has not yet been completed, and the schedule has naturally not yet been released. Everything is still pending.
According to the TV station's meeting discussion, the female players who have a higher chance of winning should be the focus of the broadcast compared to the male players who have little hope. However, if Gao Wen's game happens to appear in the free time and CCTV's broadcast is also arranged, but the commentator knows nothing about him, it would be a huge embarrassment.
After all, Gao Wen has obtained a wild card to enter the main competition, which means that no matter what, there must be a place for Gao Wen among the 128 draws. Even if this young player is the Monkey King who jumped out of a crack in the stone, the TV station needs to be prepared.
Therefore, the TV station held an emergency meeting last night, passed the decision without objection, and then contacted Tobias through the information on the ATP official website and quickly finalized the first interview.
In addition to Zhan Jun and Hu Litao, the entire camera crew also followed. Anyway, they were kept as backup material and it was still unclear whether they would be used.
Just like Zhang Ze this year and Wu Di last year, the TV stations recorded interview video materials related to the preparations, but after losing in the first round, there was no need to broadcast it. They were recorded in the database to see if they could be used in the future.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
The sounds of balls hitting the balls in the training grounds are intertwined. Different players gather on different courts. Coaches and players can be seen coming and going. There are only two days left before the official opening of the Grand Slam. The enthusiasm can be felt in the air.
When he arrived at the No. 14 training ground, Zhan Jun saw Gao Wen at a glance——
With black hair and black eyes, he stands out on the tennis court, but his yellow skin has been tanned into a uniform wheat color due to long-term exposure to the sun.
This... is Gawain? (End of this chapter)