Chapter 51 Smooth Sailing
The format of the NCAA tennis team competition is different and very special.
The competition is divided into doubles and singles.
First, the doubles match will be held, with a total of three games. Each match will only be played in one set. The side that wins two games first will win the doubles victory and count as one point.
That is to say, in three doubles matches, if one side wins two games in a row, then the outcome of the third game will not matter.
Because doubles matches are decided in one set, there is a high chance of variables and little room for error, so the Bruins will conduct mini-matches throughout their daily training. Martin hopes that the players can stay highly focused and not take every game lightly.
Then there will be six singles matches, each of which is a best-of-three match, and each match counts one point. The specific rules of the competition are basically the same as those of the professional tour, with the only difference being:
In professional competitions, the game enters a tie-break when the score reaches "6:6", but in the NCAA, it goes earlier, and the game directly enters a tie-break when the score reaches "5:5".
From the single-set decision in doubles to the early tiebreak in singles, the relevant rules are formulated to shorten the game time. Otherwise, it is not an easy task to complete nine games in one day.
Doubles matches total one point, singles matches total six points, and the first side to win four points wins.
Among them, the arrangement of the order of the competition venues is determined by the home team. The ranking of the three doubles games and the ranking of the six singles games are designed based on different considerations and may be different for each game.
Moreover, the NCAA does not strictly require that the order of singles be determined according to the ranking order. That is to say, although Thompson is currently the No. 2 seed in the United States, Martin deliberately ranked him as the sixth singles, which is also no problem.
In other words, the "Tian Ji Horse Racing" tactic can repeatedly play an advantage in team competitions, it all depends on the layout of the coaches of both sides.
A simple glance will show you how special the NCAA tennis team tournament is.
In addition, the NCAA has a special rule, that is, even if one side is certain to win, for example, the score is already "4:0", but the remaining game is not allowed to be directly forfeited unless there is an injury. Players from both sides still have to go on the court to start the game and must play at least six innings.
However, "incomplete games" are allowed, that is, after six or more innings, the coaches of both sides reach an agreement and then terminate the game, then the game will be declared a no-win.
The reason why the NCAA has such regulations is due to the nature of the game: this is not a professional game, and participation is more important than the result, so they need to ensure that every player on the roster gets the opportunity to stand on the court, rather than just judging success or failure by winning or losing.
However, the NCAA also takes into account the intensity of the schedule and the intensity of the competition. When physical strength is tested, barely completing the game may lead to the risk of injury, so it allows the coaches of both sides to terminate the game early after reaching an agreement, and this single game will be counted as a win-loss game.
However, there are special cases.
At the beginning of the season, coaches hope that players can play more games and adjust their condition. Even if the team has won or lost, they still hope that all singles and doubles matches can be completed to prepare for the next season, so they will not terminate the game early.
Therefore, strange scores such as "5:0" and "6:1" may occasionally appear, but the overall rules remain the same: the first team to win four points wins.
The new spring season officially kicked off, and the UCLA Bruins got off to a good start with a thrilling "7:0" victory. In all the games, Di Giulio only lost one set, and all other games were easily won. They proved with practical actions that they are undoubtedly a strong contender for this year's championship.
Of course, UC Irvine is a NCAA Division II team with mediocre overall strength. It is not even ranked in the top 64 in the United States, so it is difficult for it to cause any particular trouble to the Bruins.
But for Gao Wen, the game was still a little special.
This was the first time since his rebirth that he had stepped onto a formal competition field, and he was playing at home. He felt the lively atmosphere of the competition again. That familiar yet unfamiliar feeling made him a little excited, even a little too excited because he couldn't believe it.
In the opening stage, Gao Wen's hitting seemed to be too strong and his footwork was too aggressive, which made him easily overrun, and even the hitting point was a little early.
But for tennis, if you hit the ball too early, it will fly directly, either out of bounds or high, neither of which is a good thing.
After his serve was broken at the beginning, his opponent easily held his serve. He lost eight points in the first ten points and was soon behind 0:2. Then in his second serve, the score was 15:40 and his opponent got two break points. He seemed to have no ability to fight back.
Seeing that the away team of UC Irvine was finally going to rise up and take control of the game, Martin, who was sitting on the sidelines, was sitting on the sidelines, watching the game calmly and steadily, without any sign of worry at all.
Sure enough, Gao Wen did not disappoint the head coach's trust.
Gradually, Gao Wen adapted to the atmosphere of the game, put aside all distractions, focused, and devoted himself to the game. Most importantly, he regained his composure and concentration, and the situation turned around.
The opponent standing on the other side of the court is also an Asian face, Shuhei-Shibahara. Judging from his name, he should be a Japanese-American. He is already a junior this year. His entire playing style is still based on fast flat hitting and flexible running. His movement covering the entire court is indeed good.
The confrontation between the two Asian faces is also a beautiful sight in the NCAA arena.
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At the beginning of the game, Gao Wen hoped to show more aggressiveness, hitting the ball with greater force and returning the ball in a tricky place, trying to suppress his opponent in one fell swoop, but the result was counterproductive; after calming down, his brain started to work again, and the line and method of hitting the ball changed significantly.
Pushing off the ground, turning the body, arching the back, swinging the arms, an inside corner serve with full force, looks slow and floating, attracting the opponent to step forward and hit directly, but the bounce of the ball is higher than expected, and the speed is also slower than expected. The strong rotation turns the tennis ball into a ball of light and shadow, and the result is...
Just swing the racket in the air.
Shuhei Shibahara made a big loop of his arm swing, and from the lines of his arm muscles, it could be seen that he was preparing to hit the ball with all his strength, but he misjudged and lost his sense of space for the position of the fast-spinning tennis ball. He didn't hit the tennis ball at all and even staggered twice.
ACE score!
An ACE that makes people laugh and cry.
The bounce height and rotation speed of the serve changed dramatically, and the point was scored effortlessly. Shibahara Shuhei originally thought that it was just a misjudgment and an accident, but in the next point, Gao Wen made the Asian No. 6 singles player on the opposite side feel the tension of the game.
(End of this chapter)