[ Total Concentration ] is now enabled.
The world fell silent.
Becker stood on the opposite side and slammed the ball to the ground three times.
His movements were steady and rhythmic.
He checked Cheng Che's video; an 18-year-old high school student from Xia Country, playing in his first international competition, winning all seven matches.
But he didn't take it too seriously. He had a stereotype of Asia players having limited explosive power on hard courts.
He tossed the ball and swung his racket.
One shot from the outside, at a speed of 210 kilometers per hour.
The ball lands right on the service court sideline, bounces, and then curves outwards.
Cheng Che moved two steps to the side and then struck out with his forehand.
The ball returned to Becker's backhand side, at a fairly unfavorable angle.
Without hesitation, Becker turned sideways and unleashed a straight forehand.
The ball flew past Cheng Che's forehand sideline and landed a few centimeters inside the baseline. Cheng Che couldn't reach it.
"Fifteen to zero."
Becker nodded.
This is a good start.
He turned and walked back to the service line, feeling a little more relaxed.
What he didn't know was that Cheng Che had only used 60% of his strength in that forehand strike.
He was watching, observing just how fast Becker's forehand straight shot was and how tricky its landing point was.
He is collecting data.
In the domestic live stream room, a barrage of comments scrolled by.
Becker's forehand is pretty good.
[No rush, Cheng Che is gathering information.]
[It's only the first game; he'll adjust later.]
[Look at Cheng Che's expression; he doesn't seem to care at all.]
In the following frames, Becker played his best game of the tournament.
He scored consecutive points with his forehand straight shot, maintaining a first serve percentage of over 70%.
In Cheng Che's service games, he forced two break points in the third and fifth games.
But Cheng Che neutralized the attack with two aces and a volley at the net.
The score went back and forth.
Three to three, four to four, five to five. After each game, Becker was breathing more and more heavily.
Cheng Che stood behind the baseline, his breathing remaining steady.
The viewers in the live chat started to tense up.
[The first set lasted so long; Becker is definitely in good form today.]
He was playing so aggressively, putting all his effort into every shot.
Cheng Che's expression remained unchanged; he should still have energy left.
Look at Becker's legs, they're shaking.
[If we win this game, the first set will be Cheng Che's.]
In the eleventh game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 6-5.
The twelfth game, Becker's serve.
This is the most crucial game of the first set. If Becker holds serve, the match will go to a tiebreak.
If he loses this service game, the first set will be over.
Becker stood behind the baseline and took a deep breath.
He gave it his all.
A serve to the inside corner, at a speed of 218 km/h. Cheng Che returned the serve with a deep ball down the middle.
Becker hit a long cross-court shot with his forehand, and Cheng Che ran over and sliced a backspin ball with his backhand.
Becker goes online and scores a volley.
"Fifteen to zero."
For the second point, Becker served to the outside corner, Cheng Che received the serve and attacked.
Becker blocked with a backhand shot, and the ball landed in front of the net.
Cheng Che rushed up and lobbed the ball high.
Becker retreated to the backcourt and unleashed a winning shot with his forehand.
"Thirty to zero."
[ Becker takes two points in a row, this game is a bit dangerous.]
[ Cheng Che, stay calm, don't rush.]
His playing style is too risky; every shot is a gamble.
[A high-risk, high-reward tactic, but you can't win every ball.]
On the third point, Cheng Che received the serve and immediately hit a backhand straight shot, the ball landing on the sideline.
Becker lunged forward, but couldn't reach it.
Thirty to fifteen.
In the fourth point, Becker missed his first serve.
On his second serve, Cheng Che launched an attack, hitting a backhand shot. Becker ran over and barely managed to block the ball back.
Cheng Che went online and intercepted the attack, scoring a point.
Thirty to thirty.
[They've tied!]
Becker's second serve is his weakness.
Cheng Che's ability to seize opportunities is too strong.
In the fifth point, Becker made a desperate shot, hitting a speed of 222 km/h.
Cheng Che returned the serve with a body shot.
Becker sidestepped, then unleashed a forehand down the line. The ball landed inside the line.
Cheng Che backhanded the ball, which landed in front of the net. Becker rushed up and lobbed the ball high.
Cheng Che retreated to the backcourt and unleashed a powerful cross-court shot with his forehand.
The ball landed in the corner of Becker's backhand side.
"Thirty to forty. Break point, also the setback."
Becker stood behind the baseline, watching the ball roll away.
He looked down at his hands; his palms were sweaty. He looked up at Cheng Che opposite him.
The boy's expression remained unchanged.
He stood there, his center of gravity slightly lowered, his eyes fixed on Becker's hand.
Becker took a deep breath.
He tossed the ball and swung his racket.
His first serve missed. His second serve was a body shot.
Cheng Che stepped aside to let him pass, and drew his DSLR camera straight.
The ball flew just past the sideline.
Becker lunged forward, extending his racket to its maximum extent.
The fingertip touched the ball, and the ball bounced up and flew into the sky.
Cheng Che rushed up from the baseline, jumped up, and delivered a powerful spike.
The ball hit Becker behind him and bounced three meters high.
Becker did not move.
He stood there, watching the ball fly over his head, then looked down and smiled helplessly.
"Six to five. Cheng Che wins the first set."
The viewers in the live chat breathed a sigh of relief.
[Six to five! The first set is won!]
Was Becker's final smile a sign of resignation?
[You could see his legs were trembling as he walked back to the bench.]
[He couldn't hold on in the second set. Cheng Che was about to start reaping the rewards.]
[ Cheng Che's high-pressure spike was incredible; his knees almost touched the net.]
Becker walked back to the lounge chair, picked up the water bottle, and took a sip.
His coach squatted down beside him, whispering something.
Becker nodded, but his chest heaved more violently than before. His arms were aching.
He played too aggressively in the first set.
Every point was fought for, every shot was played with full force.
He played for nearly fifty minutes, longer than the first set of any previous match.
Cheng Che sat opposite him, a towel draped over his head. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady.
He glanced down at his racket; the feel was 85. Then he looked at Becker across from him.
Becker was still panting. His legs were trembling slightly.
Cheng Che thought to himself, "I won't last much longer in the second round."
The second game begins.
The first game, Becker's serve.
His serve speed dropped by almost ten kilometers per hour compared to the first set.
The first-serve success rate is also declining.
In the first point, Becker missed his first serve.
On his second serve, Cheng Che launched a direct attack, unleashing a powerful forehand cross-court shot.
Becker ran over and blocked the ball back. Cheng Che went to the net and volleyed the ball into the net for a point.
"Zero to fifteen."
For the second point, Becker served to the outside corner, Cheng Che returned the serve with a deep ball down the middle.
Becker hit a forehand shot, Cheng Che countered with a backhand slice, and the ball landed in front of the net.
Becker rushed up and lobbed the ball high. Cheng Che jumped up and smashed it with a powerful overhead smash.
"Zero to thirty."
For the third point, Becker made a desperate serve.
Cheng Che returned the serve with a body shot.
Becker sidestepped, then unleashed a forehand down the line. The ball went out of bounds.
"Zero to forty."
In the fourth point, Becker missed his first serve.
On his second serve, Cheng Che launched a preemptive attack, hitting a backhand shot that Becker couldn't reach.
Cheng Che breaks serve. One to zero.
The live chat exploded with excitement.
[1-0, break serve!]
[ Becker's serve speed dropped by almost ten kilometers per hour.]
He played too aggressively in the first set, and now his stamina is failing.
Cheng Che barely broke a sweat.
That's the difference.
Becker walked back to the lounge chair, picked up the water bottle, and took a sip.
His coach was saying something to him, but he wasn't listening.
He thought to himself: If I don't win the first set, I might lose the second.
In the following games, Cheng Che gave Becker no further chances.
His serve was rock solid, and he broke Becker's serve twice.
Five to one!
The comments section was already celebrating.
[Five to one, it's a sure thing.]
Becker has given up.
[It's not that he didn't want to fight, it's that he really couldn't run anymore.]
[ Cheng Che didn't go all out today, did he? He wasn't even out of breath after the fight.]
This Champion is highly prestigious. He defeated a player ranked 70th in the ATP rankings.
The seventh game, Becker's serve.
Cheng Che forced two match points.
Becker saved the first one with a forehand winner.
On the second match point, Cheng Che received the serve and launched an attack, hitting a backhand down the line.
Becker lunged forward, extending his racket to its maximum extent. He missed. The ball landed inside the sideline, bounced, and flew out of the barrier.
Becker stood there, watching the ball fly past, then looked down at his hands.
"Match ended. Six to five, six to one. Cheng Che wins."
The entire room fell silent for a moment, then erupted.
Lin Yan stood up from his chair, his headphone cord twitched, but he ignored it.
" Cheng Che defeated Germany player Lucas Becker 6-5, 6-1 to Champion the Tokyo Open! In his first international tournament, he won all seven matches in straight sets. He did it."
Zhou Zhou's voice carried a sense of relief:
"I've played professionally for ten years and seen many talented players. But an 18-year-old player winning his first international tournament without dropping a single set is something I can't recall ever seeing. He's not a dark horse; he's the Champion."
Becker walked to the net and shook hands with Cheng Che.
He gripped Cheng Che's hand tightly, looked into Cheng Che's eyes, and said something.
"You're much stronger than I imagined. I've played Federer and Nadal before, but the pressure you exerted on me today was different. Your serve made me feel like I was standing in a storm."
Cheng Che nodded. "You played very well."
Becker gave a wry smile and released his grip. In the post-match interview, a reporter asked him how far he thought Cheng Che could go. Becker paused for a few seconds, then said, "He can win in Magic City. I mean, he can beat those Top 20 players."
When this statement reached China, it caused an uproar online.
The screen was filled with comments.
[ Champion!!!]
[Seven wins out of seven, not a single set lost!]
[ Becker says he can beat the Top 20! That's an endorsement from his opponents!]
Federer tweeted! Look!
"Welcome to the tour! This phrase carries immense weight!"
[At eighteen, he played his first international tournament, Federer personally welcomed him to the professional tennis world.]
I cried. I really cried.
But what really changed things was another piece of news.
Federer's official account posted an update.
It consisted of only one sentence and one picture.
Welcome to the tour, Cheng.
The accompanying photo shows Cheng Che holding a cup.
He held the silver trophy above his head, the sunlight shining on his face, making him look as clean as a painting.
The comment section was instantly flooded with messages.
Federer personally welcomed him to the professional tennis world!!!
Who has this kind of status???
[ Djokovic doesn't have it, Nadal doesn't have it, Murray doesn't have it. Cheng Che does.]
[ Federer still remembers him! He said at the last awards ceremony, "I hope to see you on the international stage," and now Cheng Che has actually come!]
This isn't just polite talk; it's recognition.
[At eighteen, playing my first international tournament, Federer personally posted about it. I cried.]
In the locker room, Cheng Che sat in a chair. There was a message from Yan Ruanning on his phone.
[ Yan Ruanning: Congratulations on Champion.]
Then she sent a screenshot.
It's a post in the super topic, the title of which is:
" Cheng Che won the championship; Yan Ruanning has excellent judgment."
The post was about shipping a couple, saying that if Yan Ruanning could win the Champion, she would be "the most successful woman in the entertainment industry".
[ Yan Ruanning: They're right.]
Cheng Che stared at the message for two seconds, then replied with a single word.
Cheng Che: Hmm.
He put his phone away, slung his tennis bag over his shoulder, and walked out of the locker room.