When the phone vibrated, Eric Robinson had just finished washing and left the bathroom. His tight and sore muscles relaxed, and he was ready to take a good rest. When he saw the caller ID, Robinson didn't want to answer the phone——
It's break time now, and all work calls are refused to be answered.
However, the phone vibrated tirelessly. After hanging up for the first time, it paused and then vibrated again. It seemed that he would continue to call until Robinson answered the phone or the phone ran out of battery.
Robinson was a little impatient, but finally picked up the phone.
"Reese, it's already midnight here. Don't you know there is something called jet lag on earth?"
The North American season has temporarily come to an end with the start of the U.S. Tennis Open, and the NCAA is in the offseason. As a scout for Nike, Robinson has no way to be idle, so he went to Europe to continue his work. Now he is in Marseille.
Look for potential prospects at local tennis schools.
"If you are asking about Daniil Medvedev's situation, then it will take some time for me. I have only watched two training matches so far..."
"Eric, no, I don't care about Medvedev. What I want to ask is, Gao Wen, do you really think Gao Wen is a talent that can be cultivated?"
Gawain?
Robinson was stunned for a moment, and then became furious.
"I told you at the time, that kid is a very, very potential prospect. We should not see his physical fitness or technical level, but his playing style."
"He is a very intelligent player. He knows how the game should be played and can grasp the context of the game. He can improve his condition at critical moments and give full play to his abilities. This trait is enough for him to play in the game.
He has occupied a place among the top twenty in the world."
"I advised you at that time, but you didn't pay any attention to it. Is it too late now? Adidas must have taken the lead, you guys!"
With a crackle, Robinson scolded angrily.
Rhys Bennett, who was on the other end of the phone, was obviously Robinson's immediate boss, but at this time he was scolded by his old friend until he was speechless.
"Eric, calm down, calm down!"
"Are you serious? He is really among the top twenty in the world?"
Robinson snorted and ignored Bennett's question.
Bennett also knew the temper of his old friend, "Eric, Adidas has not signed Gao Wen yet, but the competition will soon become fierce."
"In the first round of the just-concluded US Open, Gao Wen defeated Isner in an upset."
"Next, no matter whether we win or lose in the second round, we can be sure that Gao Wen will take risks very quickly in the Asian market, but we need to determine what is Gao Wen's potential? Is luck accounting for the majority of this upset, or is it luck?
Strength takes up most of it.”
Gurgling.
Gurgling.
Robinson's thoughts were surging. He didn't pay attention to the US Tennis Open at all. He didn't expect that Gao Wen would bring such a huge surprise.
Gawain actually defeated Isner?
It seems that Nike should be very, very surprised. Suddenly, Gao Wen suddenly came out and made history. It was like thunder on the ground and killed everyone by surprise.
If the double U.S. Championship and three Challenger Championship trophies are still not enough, then the upset victory in the first round of the U.S. Tennis Open already has room for maneuver——
Although Gao Wen was downplayed at the press conference, for marketing, this was the moment when history was created, the moment when records were written. There is no doubt that Gao Wen's commercial value soared on a rocket in an instant.
Of course, if you only win one round and lose in the second round, then the commercial value will inevitably be affected, and the upper limit will be visible to the naked eye; but for the Chinese market, this is enough, because the number of male tennis players is
The void has really been missing for too long.
If you look back carefully, for a full ten years since the women's doubles won the gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, China's men's tennis has never been able to create more value in the commercial field. Brands including Nike and Adidas, in fact,
They were all a little anxious.
Now, Gawain has appeared out of nowhere, and they have no reason to miss it.
Bennett was truly shocked, and only then did he realize how important Robinson's suggestions and advice were three months ago.
However, for a large company like Nike, they need to race against time and every second counts; at the same time, they also need to carefully consider the deviation of a little more or a little less may be millions of dollars.
So Bennett anxiously contacted Robinson, who needed first-hand information.
Robinson understands.
Not to mention Bennett, even Robinson was stunned and did not react at the first time. He believed that Gao Wen would achieve results sooner or later. This could be seen from the growth rate in the United States Championship, but Robinson did not expect that.
Gawain's transformation was faster than he imagined.
He defeated Isner in his Grand Slam debut. You must know that Isner's world ranking has been stable in the top ten in the first half of the year. He is definitely not a casual unseeded player.
No wonder Nike is worried.
Therefore, Robinson did not rush to answer, but thought about it seriously.
"Reese, I'm serious."
"Although I can't guarantee whether Gao Wen will be among the top ten in the world after entering the professional arena, and how many championship trophies he will be able to win; but what I can be sure of is -
Gawain has the makings to be a top player."
There are really too many factors that influence competitive sports. No one can guarantee the future of a player, but some players do have certain characteristics that give them the ability to stand out. As for whether they can stand out, they still need to pass the competition.
Polished and tempered.
Bennett could tell that Robinson meant it.
"I see."
"I will report all this information back to them, and then I will see what their decision is. It is up to them to decide whether to make a decision immediately or wait and see the performance in the second round."
Between the words, Bennett rarely revealed some sincerity, and then paused.
"Eric, good job."
The phone was hung up just like that.
Robinson's hair was still wet with water droplets. He stood there and recalled it carefully. The smile at the corner of his mouth rose slightly. Without any special movement, he turned around and walked back to the bathroom, where he began to wipe his hair with a bath towel.
In this room, the undercurrent is surging, and the surface is calm. It seems that no movement can be seen, and one can only faintly detect the frequent movements behind the scenes.
On that side, one stone stirred up a thousand waves, and all the major media outlets around the world were blown away. A roaring tsunami was sweeping the world with Flushing as the center.
Because, when the second game came to an end, the most unpopular title was still as secure as ever——
"Wild card player Gao Wen upset the 13th seed John Isner", which was also selected as the first upset since the start of the US Open in 2014.