Chapter 884: Long-awaited
"Hey, Gawain!" Nadal came over with a smile on his face, carrying his equipment bag, and greeted Gawain with a fist bump. "How about it, are you ready?"
"Haha, I can't wait. Don't worry, I will definitely not show mercy."
"ha."
"The one who performs better wins!"
"Of course! I'll do my best!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Nadal saw Gawain raise his right hand high, spread out his palm, and gestured face to face. He was stunned for a moment, and then a smile rose up slightly.
They high-fived, bumped fists, and then clenched fists to cheer each other on. Before they knew it, they were bathed in the golden sunshine of Doha again.
Looking back, Nadal and Gawain both began to prepare for their appearance in their own way.
Nadal put down his equipment bag, held the racket in his left hand, and then jumped high into the air in a frog posture, fully mobilizing his body.
Gawain looked forward, his mind blank, quietly feeling the surge in the air, as if he could touch the pulse of the stadium.
Then--
"Gawain, get ready to go on stage." The staff reminded.
Gao Wen carried his equipment bag and started walking.
The most special thing about Rod Laver Arena is that it has a championship channel:
On both sides of the passage are rectangular blue light boxes, which list the men's and women's singles champions of all open tournaments since 1968.
Name, then year of winning: Rod Laver: 1969.
Marat Safin: 2005.
Roger Federer: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010.
Novak Djokovic: 2008, 2011, 2012, 2013.
Rafael Nadal: 2009.
Serena Williams: 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010.
Steffi Graf: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1994.
Victoria Azarenka: 2012, 2013.
And so on and so forth.
It is dazzling and dazzling, but it is a wall of honor, recording the glory of the Australian Open over the past century.
As I moved forward, the air became hotter, the light became brighter, and the sound became louder. My heart began to surge involuntarily, and my eardrums seemed to be able to capture the sound of my blood burning and boiling. My high morale and fighting spirit also rose, and my heart was surging.
The entrance is right in front of you.
However, Gawain paused for a moment, raised his head, and saw the classic quote on the door lintel:
"The most vulnerable moment in a tennis match is when you have a match point."
Gao Wen had heard the rumor of this saying a long time ago. This was a new addition to the Rod Laver Arena after it was renovated. It speaks out the most classic and core key to the game of tennis.
However, although he had already been in Melbourne Park for half a month and this year's Australian Open had already started for more than a week, Gao Wen had only seen it with his own eyes until now.
The smile on the corner of his mouth rose slightly, and after pausing for a moment, he took a step forward, walking bravely towards the entrance surrounded by a halo in front of him.
Wow!
The world is noisy, with boos and cheers, whistles and curses, hatred and love all mixed together.
The deafening sound turned into a rolling heat wave, engulfing Gawain with its fangs and claws. It was as if he could actually feel the burning sparks in the air. Faces that were either hideous, excited, distorted, or agitated collided with each other, filling the air with swirling smoke that almost burned his skin.
Gawain, did not back down.
Not only that, but they became more confident and determined, which made the storm even more violent.
Against Nadal.
This is the goal that Gao Wen has been looking forward to and working hard for since the Australian Open draw list was released this year, and every game is bringing him closer to this day.
At any time, being able to compete with the Big Four is enough to make Gao Wen excited.
Among the Big Four, the one that Gawain admires and likes the most is undoubtedly Nadal.
Federer is a genius. His batting touch is praised as unparalleled in the world. His smooth attack and elegant and calm style are all pleasing to the eye.
Djokovic is a genius. He is considered a natural hitting machine. His flexible wrapping ability and athleticism can handle any shot. As long as he stands at the baseline, it seems that he will never drop the ball.
Murray is also a genius. He is born with the ability to control the space on the court and calculate the layout of the lines. It is not difficult for him to read the game.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
Only Nadal.
Of course, Nadal is also a "genius". His body and physical fitness are undoubtedly the best among the best, but just as people call him "Bull", his talent comes more from the physical level rather than artistic inspiration.
The never-give-up spirit, the diligent attitude towards the game, and the tenacity to fight to the last minute no matter what happens, this is people's most profound and vivid impression of Nadal.
Therefore, people have always used words such as diligence, hard work, tenacity, and perseverance to describe Nadal, and "Spanish God of War" is a compliment from the fans.
People believe that if Nadal's uncle had not allowed his naturally right-handed nephew to switch to holding the racket with his left hand, Nadal's tennis career might have been useless; if Nadal did not have a strong body to support him, his career would have been ruined ten years ago.
He is not a genius, he is just hardworking.
People always worship genius because it is a gift from the Creator, which makes people jealous and yearn for it; but very few people reward diligence because it seems that there is nothing special about it and everyone can do it.
However, Gao Wen just likes this diligence.
Because he knew that a genius might be one in ten thousand or even one in a hundred thousand, a rare genius, and he was obviously not a genius.
He is just an ordinary person who realizes his dream step by step through his own efforts, hard work and persistence.
Just as he said in an interview at the US Open, he never thought that he made history. He firmly believed that he was just the first ordinary person to accomplish this goal. Since he could do it, then millions of ordinary people could do it too. This is the most moving part of dreams.
What's more, Nadal is actually a genius, but his diligence has obscured the brilliance of his talent, so that people always discuss his hard work and struggle, and temporarily forget his talent.
It is also because of this that Gao Wen likes to watch Nadal's games. Every game always brings him inspiration and enlightenment, but it would be even better if he could play face to face.
Every opportunity to play against Nadal is a precious opportunity for Gawain: he comes not to learn, but to win.
He longs to fight, he longs to battle, he longs to challenge and burn. So, what other game can compare to facing the "God of War" Nadal? Since losing to Nadal in the capital last year, Gao Wen has been waiting for this day, not for revenge, but to fight again and test his growth and progress.
We have been running and fighting all the way, and now, the long-awaited battle has finally begun!
Perhaps, one day in the future, Gao Wen still hopes to challenge Nadal on the clay court, but now, he will take the lead in challenging Nadal on the hard court where he is more proficient.
Gao Wen, I can't wait!
(End of this chapter)