In the following days, Cheng Che won a series of victories.
In the second round, his opponent was Australia, ranked 183rd in the world.
Lin Yan stood in the commentary booth, looking at the scoreboard, his tone calm, as if he were reading a report on a topic for which the outcome was already known.
" Cheng Che maintained his excellent form today. He secured a crucial break in the sixth game of the first set and then firmly held his advantage, winning 6-3. In the second set, his opponent attempted a comeback, but Cheng Che broke serve twice in the fourth and eighth games to finish the match 6-2. Throughout the entire match, he did not give his opponent any break points."
The screen was flooded with comments saying "Sure."
[The opposing team didn't get a single break point throughout the entire game, that's just too bad]
[Stay calm, there's something even stronger coming.]
[He seems to improve a little with every game he plays]
In the third round, his opponent is Spain, ranked 156th in the world.
Lin Yan's voice was an octave higher than in the previous match.
"This Spain player's clay-court style is inherently limited on hard courts, but Cheng Che Che's handling of the game today was still commendable. He didn't engage in excessive baseline battles with his opponent, but instead frequently moved to the net, using volleys and overhead smashes to shorten rallies. This tactical flexibility is very rare for an 18-year-old player. 6-4, 6-3, Cheng Che advances to the quarterfinals."
His net play is too strong.
[At eighteen years old, this level of reading ability in a competition is terrifying.]
[We've reached the quarterfinals!]
In the quarterfinals, my opponent is Russia, ranked 124th in the world.
Lin Yan remained silent for a long while before speaking, his voice filled with a hesitation that came from being stunned.
"This match was the most intense Cheng Che has faced so far. The first set went to a tiebreak, which Cheng Che won decisively, taking a 7-0 lead. In the second set, his opponent's mentality was clearly affected, Cheng Che seized the opportunity to break serve repeatedly, winning 6-2. His serve was in excellent form today, reaching a top speed of 234 kilometers per hour, breaking his own personal record in this tournament."
[A shutout in a 7-7 game! Is that even possible for a human?]
[He seems to improve a little with every game he plays]
[With this kind of form, the finals are practically guaranteed]
Su Miaoyin sat in the stands, clutching the small red flag in her hand.
When the score was 7-0 in Game 7, a Xia Country exchange student next to her stood up excitedly, and she was drawn to stand up as well, calling out Cheng Che's name.
After shouting, she paused for a moment, then sat back down, her ears feeling a little hot.
In the semifinals, his opponent was a Czech player, ranked 89th in the world.
This is the strongest opponent Cheng Che has faced so far, and also the dark horse who eliminated the fourth seed in this tournament.
Before the competition, Lin Yan flipped through the materials, his voice very low, as if he were suppressing something.
"This Czech player is in great form throughout the tournament, having eliminated the fourth seed in the previous round. He has a strong baseline game, and is particularly adept at using high balls to keep his opponents behind the baseline."
In the first set, Cheng Che broke serve twice, in the fifth and seventh games, to take a 6-2 lead.
Lin Yan's voice began to rise in pitch.
" Cheng Che Che's break point efficiency is too high. The Czech player's defense is already in place, but his ability to seize opportunities is just too strong."
In the second set, the Czech player adjusted his receiving position and broke Cheng Che's serve in the third game.
Lin Yan's voice suddenly rose in volume.
"This is Cheng Che Che's first break of serve in this tournament! The Czech player has found a breakthrough!"
The live chat was flooded with worried comments.
[First time getting broken, stay calm, stay calm]
Don't panic, don't panic, he can get back together with you.
[Believe in him]
In the stands, Su Miaoyin tightened her grip on the red flag.
She subconsciously leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Cheng Che's face.
Then Cheng Che broke back in the fourth game.
Lin Yan's voice rang out again.
" Cheng Che broke back immediately! He didn't give his opponent any chance to breathe! That's the adaptability of a top player!"
Su Miaoyin let out a long breath and leaned back in her chair.
In the sixth game, Cheng Che broke serve again.
Lin Yan could no longer sit still; he leaned forward and braced his hands on the commentary table.
"Another break! Cheng Che has extended his lead to 4-2! The slight advantage the Czech player had just built up has been wiped out in an instant!"
In the eighth game, Cheng Che served to win the match.
He scored four points in a row.
On the final point, the Czech player's return shot went into the net.
Lin Yan stood up from his chair.
He stood up so quickly that his headphone cord tugged, but he didn't pay attention to it.
His voice was cracked, as if it were being squeezed directly from his chest.
"Match over! Six to two, six to four! Cheng Che advances to the finals!"
He stood there, watching the monitor, took a couple of breaths, and then slowly sat down.
He straightened the headphones; the sound was still shaky.
"This is Cheng Che Che's first time participating in an international tournament. He won all five of his matches in the qualifying rounds and the main draw, finishing in straight sets without dropping a single set. From the qualifying rounds to the final, he played seven matches and won all seven. Not a single match went to a deciding set."
The screen was filled with comments.
[Finals!!! He made it to the finals in his first international tournament!!!]
[Seven wins out of seven, not a single set lost!!!]
[His opponent was ranked 89th, and he also won in straight sets.]
What is his current skill level?
[At least in the top 30, possibly higher]
Players at the Magic City Masters should take note.
The Czech player walked to the net and shook hands with Cheng Che.
He gripped his hand tightly, his fingers clenched firmly, and looked into Cheng Che's eyes as he spoke.
You make me feel like I'm punching a wall.
Cheng Che nodded. "You played very well."
The Czech athlete gave a wry smile, let go of his hand, and turned to leave.
His back was straight, but his steps were slow.
On the Chinese internet, discussions about Cheng Che have become ubiquitous.
Lin Yan's commentary was edited into a short video and went viral on various platforms.
The number of domestic viewers for the Tokyo Open reached a record high during Cheng Che's semi-final match, nearly three times the number of viewers for last year's final.
The number of comments on the live stream broke the platform's record for tennis-related live streams.
At Wilson's Japan branch, Tanaka stared at the sales data on the computer screen, his hands trembling.
After the news of Cheng Che's advancement to the finals spread, online sales of the Blade V10 nearly doubled within two hours.
In Japan tennis equipment stores, many young people came in and asked, "Do you have the racket that Cheng Che uses?"
Tanaka picked up his phone and sent a message to Manager Wang: "Manager Wang, Cheng Che has made it to the finals. Sales in Japan have also exploded."
Manager Wang replied very quickly:
"I know. Headquarters has already called to praise them. Keep a close eye on the final; win or lose, Wilson has made a fortune this time."
In her dormitory at Beijing Normal University, Su Qingyue sat on her bed, her phone screen displaying the live broadcast of the semi-finals.
Her two roommates came over, one lying on the edge of the bed and the other sitting in a chair.
"Oh my god, he's so handsome when he plays tennis!" said my roommate, who was perched on the edge of her bed. "I used to only think he was handsome, I never imagined he was so good at tennis."
"I've decided to become a fan of his." My roommate, sitting in a chair, pulled out her phone. "How do I access his supertopic? Can you teach me?"
Su Qingyue smiled and opened the super topic page for her.
Then she lowered her head and touched the four-leaf clover pendant on her chest with her fingers.
Her roommate saw it and came over to ask, " Qingyue, your pendant is really pretty. Who gave it to you?"
Su Qingyue tucked the pendant back into her collar, her tone gentle. "A friend."
In Guo Xin's dormitory in Capital City.
He was shouting at the top of his lungs, staring directly at his phone screen.
"Awesome!!! Seven wins out of seven!!! Not a single loss!!!"
His roommate rolled over in bed and glanced at him.
"Are you serious?"
"As for him!" Guo Xin's eyes widened. "This is my brother! My deskmate for three years in high school! I played games with him! He helped me rank up! He's made it to the finals now! The finals of an international tournament! Do you know what that means?!"
His roommate looked at him as if he were a madman.
Ignoring everything else, Guo Xin picked up his phone and sent WeChat to Cheng Che.
[ Guo Xin: Awesome!!!]
[ Guo Xin: No, it's awesome!!! Seven games! Not a single loss!]
Spring City, Clearwater Bay Residential Complex.
Jiang Xue sat on the sofa; the TV was on, but she wasn't watching it.
She held her phone; the screen displayed a news article about the Tokyo Open, with Cheng Che's name in the headline.
" Old Cheng," she called out, "Your son won again."
Cheng Jianguo came out of the kitchen, took the phone, and glanced at it.
His expression was calm, but his hand holding the phone was trembling slightly.
"There's one more game," he said.
Tokyo, Ariake Tennis Forest Park. Cheng Che returned to the locker room and sat down on a chair.
He looked down at his hands.
My palms were dry, without any sweat. My fingers were long and slender, with clean knuckles.
He turned his hand over and over again, looking at it for a while.
He smiled and put the racket away.
A message popped up on the system panel.
[ Stamina Trial: Third Stage: Champion First. Champion an international competition. Current progress: 7 wins. Finals not yet completed.]
He turned off the panel.
There's one more game.
Centre Court, Final Day.
Su Miaoyin sat in the third row of the audience.
She arrived early today; the stands weren't full yet.
She was wearing a white long-sleeved thin shirt, her hair was down, and she was clutching the small red flag in her hand.
She looked up at the exit of the players' tunnel.
Cheng Che hasn't come out yet.