Chapter 591: Cool Script
"...Steve Johnson."
"Of course, there are still legends about him at UCLA. There are stories about how his serve knocked the spectators unconscious, how the potholes on the court were the marks of damage left by his forehand attacks, and how wherever he passed, there would be bloodshed and no one would be able to survive."
"Before our training every day, the coach would organize a speech for us, constantly emphasizing that we should always remember the wounds that Johnson had left on the brown bear."
"I still remember that when I first entered school, I couldn't help but cry and tremble when I heard this name."
…Looking at Gao Wen talking nonsense in all seriousness, the reporters tried to endure it again and again, but in the end they couldn't help it and rolled their eyes.
In fact, Gao Wen knew the reporters' intentions: they both came from the NCAA and were sworn enemies in the same city; they both achieved glory in the U.S. Championships and were both double champions in team and singles.
Gawain and Johnson have a lot in common. Johnson left a strong mark in the NCAA, but after turning to the professional arena, there is a world of difference between the two. Now Gawain is a Grand Slam champion, but Johnson has not yet been able to enter the semi-finals of any ATP-level event.
This meeting is like a high school reunion: the once powerful and famous figure has lost his glory and become mediocre after entering society; the mortal enemy who once lived in the shadow of his opponent has risen rapidly in the adult world. Isn't the reunion at the reunion the best time to turn things around? This is absolutely the best scenario for a cool novel.
The reporters just wanted to see Gawain "attack" Johnson and extend the sparks of the Los Angeles derby to the Magic City, so that the news would break.
Also, don’t forget that during the US Open, Gao Wen won the favor of countless spectators just by wearing the school team uniform. College is definitely a very important part of Gao Wen’s professional career. Now that the behind-the-scenes footage of the college arena has finally extended into the professional arena, how could reporters miss it easily!
However, Gawain did not play by the rules.
In Gao Wen's view, "rivals in the same city" are of course still rivals in the same city. This is indeed a spirit deeply imprinted in university culture. It is not only a competition between two teams, but also a contest between two universities. So in this game, he will try his best to defeat Johnson and continue to defend the glory of the Brown Bears in the extra chapter.
But they have all left college and are competing under their own names. There is no need to target each other in the youthful and passionate way of their college days. What's more, Johnson's NCAA glory does not overlap with Gao Wen's, so there is no need for him to be petty and deny the success of others.
In competitive sports, both victory and defeat should be upright. There is no need to highlight one's own nobility by discrediting opponents. The real strong ones will go to the field, prove themselves in the way of competitive sports, and defend their own honor through victory in an upright manner.
Therefore, Gawain would never take advantage of Johnson's misfortune as the reporters expected.
On the contrary, Gao Wen responded to the grievances of the "city derby" in a humorous and almost absurd way, defusing the attacks of reporters into nothingness -
Obviously, no one could take Gawain's words seriously.
After joking, Gao Wen spoke seriously.
"I respect Johansen's achievements, which are undoubtedly a benchmark that is difficult to surpass, but I hope I can have a relaxed attitude. When I step onto the court tomorrow, everything will be new, and then I will do my best to strive for the final victory."
“I am also looking forward to this game.”
These words all come from the heart.
In his previous life, Johnson was indeed a legend in the NCAA. Even after Gao Wen retired from the court due to injury, he couldn't help but take a second look at the tennis news. Just like McDonald, Giron and others, he was also curious about how Johnson performed in his career.
Johnson had the highlight of his career in 2016.
First, he eliminated Dimitrov at Wimbledon and advanced to the fourth round, setting his best personal Grand Slam record, and then unfortunately lost to Federer; then at the Rio Olympics held in the summer, he partnered with Sock to win the men's doubles bronze medal; in the end, his personal world ranking also reached a career-high 21st place, and he once became the number one player in the United States, although it was only for a short week.
Indeed, compared to Johnson's NCAA glory, his career is not so brilliant, but there is no doubt that he still occupies a place in the professional tennis world through his diligent training and hard work, and until 2021, he still remains among the top 100 in the world.
Therefore, Gao Wen is indeed looking forward to playing against Johnson because of the NCAA complex and also because of his respect for Johnson.
Facts also prove Gawain's wisdom.
When Johnson and Gawain shook hands before the game, the bearded man looked at Gawain seriously and asked, "Are those legends really circulating in your locker room?"
Gao Wen also answered very seriously, "They also said that you actually have a third eye, but now I can confirm that this is probably a false rumor."
The two men both had smiles on their faces. Maybe they couldn't be friends. "City enemies" were still city enemies, but at least they didn't need to tear each other to pieces.
Likewise, facts have proved that Gao Wen is always true to his word.
Gao Wen was fully prepared for this game.
In the opening stage, both sides began to test each other.
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Johnson and Isner are players who were trained in the same era and system. Their playing styles are also very similar. With a height of 188 cm and a weight of 86 kg, his overall physique looks slightly stronger than Gao Wenqiang, but in fact, the two have very different technical styles.
Johnson's serve and forehand are excellent, and his instantaneous explosive power is not the kind that has impact and penetrating power, but the solid and heavy kind.
At the same time, Mingming's weight is almost the same as Gao Wen, and he is even shorter. Logically, his mobility should be good, but in fact, his steps are very heavy and his defensive judgment is always a little slow. It can be seen that in daily training, he is relatively lacking in footwork and movement training.
However, compared to Isner, Johnson is shorter, so his shots are more solid and stable, which also means that the fluctuation range of his serve is relatively small. Of course, Johnson's serve is not on the same level as Isner, mainly due to the lack of variation.
"2:2".
After both sides held their serve for two games, the fifth game was Johnson's serve. He could clearly feel that Gawain was starting to exert his strength.
From the moment you receive the serve, you can feel the impact——
It was the same serve, the same flat serve. On Johnson's end, he continued to follow the routine without any changes; but the quality of Gawain's return changed, and then Johnson found that the situation of the game was slightly out of control.
Wait, how did this all happen?
(End of this chapter)