Chapter 857: On the Flaming Mountain
The sun was blazing, people were crowded together, and the heat was surging in the air, as if even the ground was about to melt.
Yu Jia stood at the top of the Margaret Court Stadium, looking down from above. The dense crowd was surging back and forth like ants.
According to official statistics, the visitor flow of Melbourne Park reached a new high today, exceeding 100,000 for the first time today after breaking through 80,000 yesterday.
In a horizontal comparison, there were 70,000 people on the first competition day and 64,000 people on the second competition day.
In general, the number of spectators in the first week of the competition hovered around this number, with relatively small fluctuations; however, the second week of the competition officially kicked off today, and while the number of matches decreased, the number of exciting matches worth paying attention to also increased.
Of course, Australian players can be seen continuing to compete in the men's doubles, women's doubles and mixed doubles competitions, which is also an important reason for the increase in spectator attendance.
But everyone knows which match is the most worthy of the home fans' attention today -
In the third match at Margaret Court Arena, Nick Kyrgios faced off against Gawain.
At this moment, looking around, it is clear at a glance: nearby, the entrance to Margaret Court Stadium.
Fans gathered in groups of three or four, holding up signs asking for tickets, standing in the sun for hours, refusing to leave, just to buy a ticket to the game.
Fans coming and going stopped and chatted excitedly with them. Even if they were not trying to sell/exchange tickets, they were willing to stop and discuss for a moment.
However, all the tickets for this game have been sold out. This is the first time that the Margaret Court Stadium has been full this year. It is really hard to get a ticket.
Previously, the stadium's attendance rate had always fluctuated, and spectators holding single-day passes could enter freely as long as the stadium was not full. But now all single-game tickets are sold out, which means that the stadium can no longer be entered.
Now, the cheapest ticket for this game, which originally cost 70 Australian dollars, has soared to 500 Australian dollars on the black market, and is still out of stock.
So, the scene that could only be seen at Rod Laver Arena before was finally staged at Margaret Court Arena.
"Kyrgios vs. Ko, one, only one."
"Save the kids, I really need a ticket to Margaret Court's game."
"Replace the Rod Laver tickets for Margaret Court Stadium, quick!"
The strange slogans, in Chinese, English, and even completely incomprehensible words, are also a beautiful landscape.
In the distance, on the lawn of Melbourne Park.
The bustling crowd spread out, and the front of the giant screen was filled with people. There was not even any space to stand. It was comparable to the scene on the Gold Coast during the annual holiday season. The people sunbathing on the beach had even covered up the original appearance of the beach, which was full of flesh-colored.
On the big screen, the official international signal of the Australian Open is being broadcast live. The audience cannot choose the match, but they can watch the live broadcast up close.
Pretend to be inside the ballpark.
However, compared to watching the game inside the stadium, there are also advantages. First, the live camera can be arranged so that you can see more clearly; second, there are fewer restrictions.
It is precisely because of this that the noise frenzy in Melbourne Park has clearly risen to a higher level, with the cheering battle spreading from inside the stadium to outside the stadium.
"Forward, Australia! Let us sing joyfully, and let this beautiful Australia move forward..."
The sound of the wind brought the noise of a group of Australians singing loudly, and the surging blue was rippling with layers of waves, creating ripples in the field of vision.
At this moment, the vast blue and the surging red are intertwined, you are in me and I am in you, the bright colors collide and blend, rippling under the golden sunlight, spreading out endlessly, as if waves are kissing the toes of Melbourne Park.
Such a scene was probably something no one had expected. Whether it was the Chinese fans who showed up one after another, or the Australian fans who came out in full force, all of them burst out with incredible enthusiasm and energy, cheering and partying to the end in the scorching heat of 38 degrees.
From a distance, it looks like wheat waves blown by the wind, magnificent and gorgeous.
A new day of competition has begun, but there is still some time before the highlight match, but the sparks have already been ignited along the paths of Melbourne Park.
Little by little, layer by layer, piece by piece.
In the blink of an eye, the green ocean bathed in golden sunlight has transformed into a steaming active volcano, with hot magma spreading all over the place.
The carnival is going on! Yu Jia couldn't help but feel excited.
"Yujia, are you here at Margaret Court today? I thought you went to Rod Laver's media center."
A voice came from behind.
Reflexively turning his head to look over, Yu Jia saw a familiar face and greeted him with a smile, "Coach Zhang."
Zhang Sheng.
CCTV sports commentator. Among all the commentators who comment on tennis, everyone has their own characteristics, but Zhang Sheng is the most professional and objective.
Generally speaking, it is very rare to see Zhang Sheng lose control of his passion during a game; at the same time, he is often able to put aside his position of supporting the players and provide commentary and analysis from an objective perspective. His rich knowledge and professional perspective have always been highly recognized by fans.
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Normally, if you watch a live tennis broadcast, you will most likely hear Zhang Sheng providing the commentary. It is even common for him to be the sole commentator at Grand Slam tournaments.
This year at the Australian Open, Zhang Sheng and his gold medal partner Wu Wensheng will be responsible for the commentary.
"…Is the game over?" Yu Jia's eyes showed a hint of surprise.
Zhang Sheng nodded, "Well, lost, the second set '6:0', Sharapova is in good shape this year."
Just now, the second match of the day was held at Rod Laver Arena, between Maria Sharapova and Peng Shuai, which was also the match that the Chinese media paid close attention to.
It is worth mentioning that after the first week of singles events ended, two Chinese players advanced to the second week, while Australia only had Kyrgios left. Such a reversal was unexpected by no one.
Naturally, as the tit-for-tat atmosphere grew, the match received more attention.
However, unexpectedly, the entire game progressed very quickly. In less than an hour, Sharapova advanced strongly, losing only three games in the entire match.
Zhang Sheng inevitably felt a little regretful. He raised the cigarette in his right hand, indicating that he needed a little rest time. "Now we are broadcasting the doubles match of Hisense Stadium, and Wensheng will top it with a single."
Then, Zhang Sheng lit a cigarette, joined Yu Jia, and quietly watched the splendor and grandeur before him.
"It's really spectacular, right? Has Coach Zhang seen this before?" Yu Jia couldn't help but sigh.
Even if you are a professional and have experienced countless storms and witnessed countless historical moments, it does not mean that you have seen everything and always see new things.
This is also the greatest charm of competitive sports. There are always surprises and surprises, breakthroughs and challenges, and records are always being broken and history is being written.
Zhang Sheng shook his head without saying a word, just admiring the scene before him——
In the face of the grandeur and magnificence of reality, language is so pale that one can only experience it quietly with one's heart.
Ninth update.
(End of this chapter)