Chapter 33 Superstar Showdown
"Maria, I love you!"
"Milos, you are so sexy!"
"Venus! Ahhhh! Venus!"
Screams came one after another, and the rolling sound waves filled the entire venue, carrying with them the sunlight, as if one could hear the sound of the air waves vibrating in the air, and the heat licking the surface of the skin could vaguely feel the slight madness of midsummer, making people unable to help but wander in the blue sky and white clouds.
The scene was bustling with noise and people were jostling each other. There was a huge crowd inside and outside the venue, making it impossible to get through. It was hard to believe that this was just a charity exhibition match.
There is no doubt that Maria Sharapova is the top and most popular player today.
In 2004, Sharapova, who was only 17 years old, emerged out of nowhere and won the first Grand Slam trophy of her career at the All England Tennis Club in Wimbledon. After that, she officially started her journey to becoming a popular superstar. As of this year, she has not only won four Grand Slam titles and completed the Grand Slam, but also won the title of the world's highest-paid female athlete for nine consecutive years.
For professional tennis, Sharapova's super popularity and commercial value have become a label, even far beyond her achievements on the court.
Of course, as a professional tennis player, her aggressive offensive style throughout the court has also won her the love of countless fans.
The charity exhibition match has Sharapova in charge, which has already ensured attendance, not to mention that this year there is more than just one top superstar.
Venus Williams and Serena Williams are undoubtedly epoch-making superstars in tennis. The two sisters not only completely broke the shackles of racial prejudice, but also ushered in a new era of power-based play. They are undoubtedly the greatest players in the history of American tennis.
Among them, her younger sister Serena is a strong contender for the best in the history of global tennis. Even if she leaves the field of tennis, she is still one of the best legends in all sports. Back then, the 17-year-old Sharapova defeated Serena to win the Wimbledon championship, so her victory was so sensational.
Since Venus turned to professional tennis in 1994, she has won seven Grand Slam championship trophies. Until now, she is the second female active player with the most Grand Slam trophies after Serena, which makes the "Williams Sisters" one of the most shining names in competitive sports.
Today, Sharapova is about to compete against Venus. Although it is just a charity exhibition match, the intensity is definitely not enough, but it is still a top-level competition, even the semi-finals or even the finals. In other words,
This is a game that costs a lot to watch. In addition, the advantage of an exhibition game is that the audience can get close to the players and appreciate their demeanor outside of the game, so naturally the enthusiasm is high.
Bustling with people.
Mighty and powerful.
Dense and surging crowds meandered along the familiar streets of the campus. Their jubilant and excited postures, their beaming and laughing expressions filled the sight. It was like a carnival. The boiling enthusiasm could be felt in every corner, and being in it, one could not help but get excited as well.
"...Gawain, do you think this is how the Grand Slam will be?"
McDonald was a little nervous and excited, and one could vaguely feel his steps dancing lightly.
Gao Wen was sighing, fortunately McDonald came to the dormitory early to call him, otherwise if he was a little later, he probably wouldn't be able to get in. They still underestimated the appeal of this exhibition match. Then he heard McDonald's words and chuckled.
"That's not even close."
"The Grand Slam would be ten times more exciting. Our current situation is at the level of a top tour."
Despite this, McDonnell Douglas still jumped up eagerly and exclaimed repeatedly.
“That’s already amazing!”
"Gao Wen, do you think we will have the opportunity to play in front of 10,000 or 20,000 spectators in the future?"
"What does that feel like? It's really hard to imagine!"
Gawain was also deeply moved and smiled at MacDonald.
"Of course we will have the chance to compete at the Grand Slam Center, feel the power of the audience cheering for us, and then burn ourselves to defeat our opponents."
Close your eyes, and you can seem to hear the enthusiastic applause and cheers from the audience, and the whole world is spreading out beneath your feet.
McDonald was speechless, but just kept jumping like a little rabbit, using all his body movements to express his anticipation and excitement.
The sound of the wind brought the fans' discussions, and their rising tones and heated words could feel the passion.
"Wow, are we going to watch Sharapova vs. Williams live today? Who do you think will win?"
"It has to be Maria. Venus isn't Serena after all."
"That's not certain. Maria just returned from injury and I don't know how she's doing."
"Venus's form has been quite up and down in the past two years, and I don't know how she will perform in the competition."
"Anyway, I think the Williams sisters always perform at their best when facing Sharapova."
As the fans say, "Sharapova vs. Williams", this is also one of the most talked-about rivalries in women's tennis.
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The "Williams" here mainly refers to Serena.
In 2004, the "genius girl" Maria Sharapova emerged and defeated Serena Williams in the finals of Wimbledon and the year-end finals to win the championship.
This not only announced that Serena's power-based playing style encountered severe impact and challenges, but also Sharapova replaced Serena as the most popular advertising darling in women's tennis.
In other words, Serena's dominance on and off the court has been replaced by Sharapova.
To make matters worse, Sharapova's unreasonable playing style has many similarities with Serena's aggressive style, just like "Queen vs. Queen", all these factors put the two players in the position of "enemies".
The news media, which are fickle and fascinated by the past, all stood on the side of the 17-year-old Sharapova, advocating that women's tennis is about to usher in a revolutionary change and continuing to fan the flames.
Therefore, every time when playing against Sharapova, Serena can mobilize all her strength. Even if she is not in good shape, she can still burst out 200% of her energy, just hoping to prove herself on the court.
Since Sharapova defeated Serena twice in a row in 2004, Serena has entered the invincible mode and has won thirteen consecutive games against Sharapova!
As Serena's sister, Venus was naturally very motivated when playing against Sharapova.
Off-field factors also added more highlights to this charity exhibition match.
This includes Gowen and MacDonald.
"Who do you think will win today?"
"Although it's an exhibition match, Williams probably doesn't want to lose to Sharapova. I guess Williams should be able to win."
(End of this chapter)