Chapter 663: The head-on showdown
"Berdych VS Gawain".
There is no doubt that this is the focus of the third round of the Paris Masters, and its level of attention is second only to the "Murray VS Dimitrov" duel in the upper half.
Because these are the only two matches among the eight games of the round of 16 that will be between "direct competitors in the year-end finals".
Among them, the duel between Murray and Dimitrov is undoubtedly more topical.
No one will forget that this year at Wimbledon, Dimitrov defeated the defending champion Murray in straight sets and reached the Grand Slam semi-finals for the first time in his career.
Just four months later, in Paris, the two players will face off again, not only for a place in the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters, but also for a place in the year-end finals. Coupled with the "festival" of Wimbledon, this game will be even more interesting.
For Tobias, the third day of the Paris Masters was a torment.
Both matches between Dimitrov and Gao Wen were head-to-head confrontations with blood on the bayonet. The outcome was very simple: if they lost, they would miss the year-end finals; only victory could keep hope going.
Relatively speaking, Murray and Berdych are more relaxed. They have basically secured their seats in London. Winning is to further consolidate their advantage and keep their competitors out; but losing is not the end of the world, which allows them to go into battle with ease.
And that’s not all.
In addition, Tobias also needs to pay attention to another match between Kei Nishikori and Felipe Lopez in the upper half:
If Kei Nishikori wins, it means that Nishikori and Raonic will compete for the eighth place in the championship points - at most, with the addition of Dimitrov who "hypothetically can beat Murray", the competition will immediately narrow, and Gawain will be completely eliminated.
Even if Gao Wen wins the championship in Paris, the championship points will still not be enough for him to enter the top eight, which also means that the door to the year-end finals is closed.
Crisis is everywhere.
This feeling is like walking on a tightrope at high altitude, with strong winds coming from all directions constantly disrupting the situation. Even if you try your best, there is no guarantee of a smooth passage.
It can be said that life is hanging by a thread.
Tobias said that he was tired and didn't want to love again.
On the contrary, the person involved becomes more relaxed and does not feel any tension at all.
Originally, Gao Wen practiced with Thiem in Paris, but after Thiem lost to Wawrinka in the second round, he immediately set off back to Vienna to prepare to join the army.
So, Gawain practiced with Dimitrov. Coincidentally, Gawain played against Murray in Valencia last week and had a clear understanding of Murray's current situation. His feedback could help Dimitrov prepare better.
Dimitrov was also a little nervous.
The reporters waiting outside the practice field entrance were really annoying, and the tense feeling of the upcoming battle also had some negative effects.
"… Winter is coming soon, but there are still so many mosquitoes. As expected, mosquitoes are the most annoying in winter. They break my defense right away."
As he came towards him, Dimitrov could see the faint smile on Gawain's lips, and after a little thought, he immediately understood who Gawain was talking about.
Isn't it? Those reporters are like mosquitoes, buzzing and pestering.
"How do you deal with them? They want to put the microphone in their mouths. I think my teeth may be bleeding."
"I guess they mistook the microphone for an ice cream cone. I thought the French didn't like cones."
“Haha, very vivid.”
"Actually, they are not that difficult to deal with. I just told them that I am grateful for their close attention. In this way, if I lose, I can justifiably shirk the responsibility because they interfered with my training, causing me to be in poor condition, so I lost to Thomas."
Dimitrov: ...
Seeing Dimitrov's mouth open in astonishment, Gawain said seriously, "Be careful, mosquitoes may get in."
Dimitrov quickly shut his mouth. "Gawain, did you really say that to them?"
"Of course, as soon as I finished speaking, they looked as if they had seen a ghost. They were stunned, and I was able to get in very smoothly."
Dimitrov thought about it, then slowly gave Gawain a thumbs up.
In fact, Gao Wen did complain about the reporter like this, but that was not all. He politely added another sentence later.
"I mean, I don't have time to focus on other things now. The only thing I can and need to focus on is the next game."
"Believe me, Thomas is a very, very good player, and I don't think I have the energy to think about anything else."
But the result was the same. The reporters were stunned, the shock and astonishment in their eyes did not dissipate, and then they obediently watched Gao Wen enter the training ground, and no one harassed Gao Wen anymore.
Gawain, it wasn't just a polite compliment, he meant it.
When Berdych was interviewed by reporters, he was full of praise for Gao Wen. He thought Gao Wen had completed an incredible game in Flushing Meadows. He did not think Gao Wen was a "dark horse" because the maturity and wisdom Gao Wen showed in the game were indeed worthy of the championship trophy.
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“I need to give it my all.”
Gao Wen knew that he no longer had any secrets.
It's not just players with relatively lower world rankings who are launching strong challenges and attacks, eager to defeat him and prove themselves. After all, Gawain is not yet one of the Big Four, and does not have the strength accumulated by Wawrinka over many years on the tour. Among the top players, he looks like a soft persimmon.
Moreover, players ranked in the top 20 and top 10 in the world have also begun to pay attention to him, from Nadal to Simon to Murray, including Berdych in Paris this time, these masters have already faced up to Gawain's existence, which also means that the possibility of "winning by surprise" is decreasing, and they are slowly entering the stage of real strength showdown.
What does this mean?
After winning the Grand Slam, Gao Wen was ready to take on new challenges, but the difficulty was directly upgraded just as the challenge began.
This also made Gao Wen more eager to try.
To some extent, this is more attractive than the challenge of the year-end finals. After all, going to London was originally intended to face more top players, and now in Paris we are about to face the players of the year-end finals. The intensity of the confrontation may even be higher. How can we not be excited?
A head-on battle with close combat always makes people's blood boil.
nervous?
Why should we be nervous? Such an exciting and stimulating moment should be grasped and enjoyed, which is one of the essences of competitive sports.
Gawain patted Dimitrov on the shoulder and said with a smile.
"Next time you face a reporter, you can try it. Believe me, these mosquitoes are annoying, but not that scary."
"And now, we'd better start practicing. I need to work on my forehand. How about it, are you ready?"
Dimitrov was still a little nervous, but his mood became cheerful because of Gawain's enthusiasm and excitement. After taking a long breath, he trotted into the court. It was time to start training.
(End of this chapter)