Before the game, the Czech Republic, which was drawn at home, undoubtedly aroused a lot of heated discussions on how to choose the venue——
Red clay? Hard court?
In the Czech Republic, there are countless clay courts, and many famous clay court players have been born in history; but for now, the Czech team is still good at hard courts.
The problem is that Gawain is also a master of hard courts and has won all two hard court Grand Slams of the year. If the Czech Republic chooses clay because they are afraid of Gawain, this is a completely reasonable tactical choice. Many professionals and media reporters
Many people believe that the Czech Republic should choose clay soil to make up for its weaknesses.
But to be honest, even on clay, Gao Wen is still a thorny problem. After all, Roland Garros defeating Nadal, the king of clay, is definitely not a fluke.
After much deliberation, the Czech Republic chose to stick to themselves. Based on the technical and tactical styles of Vesely and Rosol, they finally chose hard courts——
It’s all about yourself.
China has China's concerns, and the Czech Republic has its concerns. Anyway, in the end, both sides must go all out, and the real results will be seen on the court.
Whether it’s a mule or a horse, you still need to walk to know it, and the same goes for choosing a hard surface.
Amid much attention and heated discussion, the Davis Cup has finally officially begun.
On Saturday, there will be two singles and one doubles matches.
The first game, singles——
Rossol, the second singles player from the Czech Republic, faced off against Gao Wen, the first singles player from China.
This is the first tournament after Gao Wen defended his US Open title. The hustle and bustle of New York was just five days ago, but it seems like a world away. He has stepped onto the court again and started his journey again. Victory and defeat are things of the past, and everything has changed.
We must start anew and embark on new challenges and new journeys.
"6:1", "6:1", "6:1".
Straight sets, swept.
There is no doubt that victory... belongs to Gawain.
Although there were no surprises in the result of the game, and Gao Wen was the more favored side, no one expected the process or the score.
Crush!
Throughout the game, Rosol was almost unable to organize an effective confrontation. He stood in front of Gawain like a newborn, with no ability to fight back.
In the end, the game only lasted 93 minutes, and Gao Wen won the victory neatly, giving China a good start.
It was boiling!
Perhaps, this year is indeed the best opportunity for China to achieve a breakthrough in the Davis Cup?
But soon, the cruelty of reality brought the excitement of the fanatical tennis fans back to the ground. The reason why the Czech Republic is the third seed in the Davis Cup is not without reason. Even if they lost to Australia in the first round of the world group, without Berdych
Next, the score is also "2:3", and there is no doubt about the strength.
The second game, singles.
Czech Republic's first singles Veseli played against China's second singles Zhang Ze.
"6:4", "7:5", "3:6", "6:4".
Veseli, who has been in poor condition recently, did feel mediocre and unexpectedly lost a set; but Zhang Ze was also plagued by injuries, and his state fluctuated significantly during the game. Even though he tried his best, he still failed to seize the situation at the critical moment.
In the end, Vesely won four sets and equalized the score for the Czech Republic.
The entire match lasted three hours and twenty-seven minutes, and both players burned themselves without reservation.
The third game, doubles.
The two teams of the Czech Republic and China are the first collision between old and new teams. It is full of surprises and variables, and it is also the most suspenseful match.
Both sides know that this is the battle of Tianwang Mountain, and it may even be the key to victory or defeat. Once they win this battle, the balance of victory will tilt towards them.
Moreover, doubles matches are inherently less difficult to upset and accidents are prone to occur. In addition, both sides are brand new partners. During the running-in and collision, anything is possible. Whoever can create sparks first may win.
The situation is very tense.
"7:6(3)", the Czech team took the first set, and the tightness of the whole situation can be seen from the score, but in the end the Czech team was still superior.
"6:2", the Chinese team regained a set. At this time, they could sense the consequences of the fierce battle in the first set. Stepanek's physical decline became a weakness.
"6:3", the Czech team once again exceeded the score. In the close encounter, Stepanek showed his maturity and experience and firmly controlled the situation.
"7:5", the Chinese combination once again equalized the score. The most amazing thing was to save one, incredibly reversing the disadvantage and igniting a glimmer of hope.
As expected, the competition in this doubles match was unprecedentedly fierce, with back-and-forth confrontations. In the end, a deciding set was needed to decide the point.
..."6:2".
In the final set, victory belonged to the Czech Republic.
Just like Stepanek's physical problems in the third set, Li Zhe, who almost suffered cramps in the fourth set, became a breakthrough in the deciding set. Zhang Zhizhen's experience and ability could not make up for the gap, and he was unable to hold on in the final set.
The score, on the contrary, the suspense was killed early.
Sorry, very, very sorry.
But strictly speaking, it's not surprising.
In the team competition, in the end, it still depends on the overall strength and foundation. In the table tennis team competition, the third singles often shows the foundation of a team. This is the same reason. The overall foundation of the Czech Republic is still higher than that of China. After encountering some twists and turns,
, and still won the doubles victory.
——"2:1".
When the first day of competition ended, the Czech Republic had a huge lead and were only one step away from successfully relegating themselves to the World Group play-offs.
On Sunday, there will be two singles matches.
Since this is a knockout round, once one side has secured victory, there is no need for the fifth singles match. The reality is so cruel.
Obviously, the Czech Republic has also anticipated such a situation. Their ingenuity can be seen from the schedule. They should briefly read "The Art of War".
The fourth game, "Rosol VS Zhang Ze".
Game 5, "Veseli VS Gawain".
In other words, if Rosol defeats Zhang Ze, the Czech Republic will be able to ensure the final victory "3:1", and there will be no need to continue the final singles match.
Moreover, the Czech Republic arranged the match between Rosol and Zhang Ze in the first game to avoid the same situation as yesterday. Gao Wen took the lead and inspired the team with his unparalleled performance, thereby stimulating Zhang Ze's full potential and winning the championship in subsequent games.
Give 120% performance, create surprises, and subvert the situation.
High, really high!
The Czech Republic's goal is very simple. They need to put Gao Wen on the bench and end the game before Gao Wen steps onto the court. It's that simple.
When Zhang Ze stepped onto the court, he also realized that he not only needed to fight for himself, but also for Gao Wen and the team. Only by defeating his opponent could he win the opportunity for Gao Wen to play, otherwise
, everything will end here, there is no other possibility.
Tremendous stress.
"Focus!"
This was the only thing Gawain said to him before he came on stage. Zhang Ze still remembers that Gawain's eyes were so bright, revealing a touch of perseverance.
There was no chicken soup for the soul, no passionate slogans, nothing at all. Gawain just told him: focus.
The belief in his words weighed heavily on his chest, and then Zhang Zhe straightened his waist little by little, opened his shoulders, and loosened his clenched fists.