What kind of backhand move is this???
How could he possibly return the ball with his body twisted like that?
Tsitsipas was stunned and stood rooted to the spot.
The fourth point came from Tsitsipas's outside serve.
Cheng Che returned the serve with a deep ball down the middle.
Tsitsipas unleashed a powerful forehand cross-court shot.
Cheng Che ran over and drew a straight line with his DSLR camera.
The ball flew over the sideline at Tsitsipas's forehand side.
Thirty to thirty.
Lin Yan's voice began to rise:
"The baseline rallies between the two were extremely intense. Tsitsipas ' forehand is indeed very strong, but Cheng Che Che's backhand slices and down-the-line passes made it very difficult for the Greece."
In the fifth point, Tsitsipas made a desperate serve.
Cheng Che received the serve and launched an attack, then hit a backhand shot with his forehand.
Tsitsipas ran over and blocked the shot with his backhand.
The ball landed in midfield. Cheng Che went up the net and scored with a volley.
Thirty to forty.
In the sixth point, Tsitsipas missed his first serve.
On his second serve, Cheng Che launched a direct attack, unleashing a powerful forehand cross-court shot.
The ball landed inside the sideline. Tsitsipas couldn't reach it.
Cheng Che breaks serve. One to zero.
The live chat exploded.
[Break! My serve was broken in the very first game!]
Cheng Che's serve return is too strong; Tsitsipas's first serve simply can't suppress him.
The Greece should know what pressure is now.
Tsitsipas walked back to the baseline and dribbled the ball twice.
His palms were sweaty, and the handle of the paddle slipped in his hand.
He wiped his hands on his pants and gripped his racket tightly again.
But Tsitsipas did not collapse.
The second game, Cheng Che's serve.
His first shot reached 231 km/h, Tsitsipas missed it.
The second serve was at a speed of 228 km/h. Tsitsipas managed to block it, and the ball flew high into the air.
Cheng Che went online and delivered a powerful, high-pressure attack.
"Thirty to zero."
The third shot reached a speed of 235 km/h. Tsitsipas stood still, watching the ball fly past without moving.
" Cheng Che holds serve. Two to zero."
Lin Yan's voice carried a sense of emotion:
" Cheng Che Che's serve remains unstoppable. Tsitsipas has yet to win a point in Cheng Che's service games."
The comments section started flooding with messages again.
[That serve was terrifying!]
[ Tsitsipas's expression has begun to change]
[But the Greece ' bottom line is definitely firmer than Berrettini's; they're still holding on.]
In the third game, Tsitsipas held serve, making it 1-2.
In the fourth game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 3-1.
In the fifth game, Tsitsipas held serve, making it 2-3.
After the game, Tsitsipas walked back to the bench, picked up his water bottle, and took a swig.
His chest heaved more violently than at the start, and sweat dripped from his chin onto the floor.
He looked down at his hands; his palms were sweaty.
In the sixth game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 4-2.
The score went back and forth, but Tsitsipas struggled in every game.
He couldn't score in Cheng Che's serve, and he struggled to defend in Cheng Che's return game.
His forehand remains sharp, but the gap in movement is beginning to appear.
Every time Cheng Che made a large-angle movement, he needed to run a few more steps.
The seventh game, Tsitsipas's serve.
Cheng Che broke serve again, making it 5-2.
In the eighth game, Cheng Che served to win the set.
He stood behind the baseline and patted the ball.
One shot from the outside, at 234 km/h. Tsitsipas didn't move.
"Fifteen to zero."
For the second point, a serve went straight to the body, and Tsitsipas hastily blocked it, the ball landing in the midfield.
Cheng Che went online and intercepted the attack.
"Thirty to zero."
In the third point, an inside corner was served.
Tsitsipas barely reached the ball, but his return shot was shallow.
Cheng Che unleashed a powerful forehand cross-court shot. The ball landed inside the sideline.
"Forty to zero."
In the fourth point, Cheng Che served a shot from the outside corner. Tsitsipas didn't move.
Cheng Che holds serve. Six to two, Cheng Che wins the first set.
The live chat exploded with excitement.
[Six to two, first set won!]
[ Tsitsipas was completely dominated throughout the game]
[ The Greece's forehand is indeed good, but Cheng Che's serve and baseline game are too stable.]
[If the Greece don't adjust in the second set, it's over.]
The second game begins.
Tsitsipas clearly adjusted his tactics.
He moved his receiving position forward by half a step, no longer passively waiting for Cheng Che's serve, but taking the initiative to attack.
This adjustment worked in the third game.
He forced a break point and then broke Cheng Che's serve with a forehand winner.
Tsitsipas breaks serve. 2-1.
Lin Yan's voice rose:
" The Greece found a breakthrough! He moved ahead of time and made his judgment the moment Cheng Che served! This is the first time he has broken Cheng Che's serve in this match!"
Some viewers in the live chat expressed concern.
[His serve has been broken! Cheng Che stays calm.]
[ Tsitsipas adjusted so quickly, no wonder he's the Australian Open Champion ]
[But Cheng Che will definitely break through, don't panic]
Cheng Che walked back to the baseline and patted the ball.
He said to himself, "Open."
[ Total Concentration activated.]
The world fell silent.
The cheers from the stands, the sound of Tsitsipas bouncing the ball, and even the sound of the wind all receded into the distance.
His vision became extremely clear; every inch of the court and every net cable on the opposite half was within his sight.
Tsitsipas's stance, center of gravity, and the orientation of his racket were all laid out before him like an enlarged blueprint.
He took a deep breath.
Then he tossed the ball and served it to the outside corner.
Tsitsipas anticipated the direction and moved ahead of time.
But Cheng Che's serve landed in a more tricky spot than he had anticipated, bouncing outwards at a greater angle.
Tsitsipas took two steps to the side, extending his racket to its limit, only to touch a wisp of air.
"Fifteen to zero."
For the second point, Cheng Che served an inside shot.
Tsitsipas received the serve and launched an attack, unleashing a powerful cross-court shot with his forehand.
Cheng Che ran over and used his DSLR to hit a backspin shot.
The ball landed in front of the net. Tsitsipas 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 Tsitsipas ' backhand side.
"Thirty to zero."
In the third point, Cheng Che fired a shot straight at him.
Tsitsipas made a hasty block, and the ball landed in midfield.
Cheng Che went online and intercepted the attack.
"Forty to zero."
In the fourth point, Cheng Che served a shot from the outside corner.
Tsitsipas didn't move.
" Cheng Che holds serve. Two to two."
Tsitsipas stood behind the baseline, looking down at his hands.
His hands were shaking.
In the fourth game, Cheng Che positioned himself at the receiving position, lowering his center of gravity even further.
His eyes were fixed only on the ball, the racket, and Tsitsipas's movements.
Tsitsipas ' serves were still tricky, but Cheng Che's returns and attacks were more decisive than before.
He scored four consecutive points, successfully breaking back from behind.
Three to two.
Lin Yan's voice rose again:
" Cheng Che broke back immediately! He didn't give Tsitsipas any chance to breathe! That's the adaptability of a top player!"
In the fifth game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 4-2.
The sixth game, Tsitsipas's serve.
His mentality wavered. He made a double fault, a forehand shot that went out of bounds, and a backhand shot that went into the net.
He bounced the ball twice more than usual before serving, which is a sign of anxiety.
Cheng Che scored four consecutive points, breaking serve again. 5-2.
The comments section went crazy.
[ Tsitsipas has collapsed!]
[After losing four straight sets, the Greece ' mentality collapsed.]
Cheng Che's reaping this wave was too ruthless.
In the seventh game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 5-2.
The eighth game, Tsitsipas's serve.
He gave it his all.
A serve to the inside corner, at a speed of 212 km/h. Cheng Che returned the serve with a deep ball down the middle.
Tsitsipas hit a long cross-court shot with his forehand, and the ball landed inside the sideline.
Cheng Che ran over and drew a straight line with his DSLR camera.
The ball flew over the sideline at Tsitsipas's forehand side.
Tsitsipas took two steps, but couldn't reach it.
"Zero to fifteen."
The second point came from Tsitsipas's outside serve.
Cheng Che received the serve and launched an attack, hitting a backhand shot. Tsitsipas lunged out but couldn't reach it.
"Zero to thirty."
His legs were trembling slightly.
In the third point, Tsitsipas missed his first serve.
On his second serve, Cheng Che launched an attack, hitting a wide cross-court shot with his forehand. The ball landed inside the sideline.
Tsitsipas couldn't reach it.
"Zero to forty."
The fourth point came from Tsitsipas's outside serve.
Cheng Che returned the serve with a body shot. Tsitsipas sidestepped the ball and then hit a forehand down the line.
The ball landed inside the line. Cheng Che used a backhand slice, and the ball landed in front of the net.
Tsitsipas 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 Tsitsipas ' backhand side.
Tsitsipas stood still, watching the ball fly past.
He didn't move. He closed his eyes for a moment.
"Match ended. Six to two, six to two. Cheng Che wins."
Lin Yan stood up from his chair and shouted excitedly:
Cheng Che defeated Greece player Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals! He served 17 aces in the match, with a first serve percentage of 92%. This is the first time in his career that he has reached the quarterfinals of Master tournament!
The screen was filled with comments.
[The quarterfinals!!! He made it to the quarterfinals!!!]
[ Tsitsipas is also 18 years old, this year's Australian Open Champion, who was defeated by Cheng Che in two sets]
Seventeen aces? That's outrageous!
Who will be our next opponent?
[Regardless of who it is, Cheng Che is in good form and can win]
Tsitsipas walked to the net and shook hands with Cheng Che.
"I couldn't return your serve," he said. "I won't lose next time."
Cheng Che looked at him and nodded.
"We'll talk about it next time."
Tsitsipas released his grip and turned to leave.
Cheng Che returned to the locker room and sat down in a chair.
He opened the system panel.
[ Charisma Trial - Stage 4: Win the favor of 500,000 people. Completed!]
He stared at the words for two seconds, then a smile curved his lips.
Then Qin Lie pushed the door open and came in, holding information about the quarterfinal opponents.
"Next round, it's a Russia. Ranked fifth in the world. This year's US Open runner-up."
Cheng Che took the documents and flipped through two pages.
Medvedev, standing at 1.98 meters tall, possesses top-tier serve and baseline game. He played five sets against Djokovic in this year's US Open final.
His playing style is more comprehensive and he has more experience than Tsitsipas.
Moreover, he is twenty-six years old this year, right at the peak of his life.
Cheng Che carefully put the documents away and placed them in his bag.
He didn't speak, but the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
This is the real tough battle.
Qin Lie nodded.
The two left the locker room and walked down the corridor towards the parking lot.
At the end of the corridor, the young stagehand stood in the same old spot again.
He saw Cheng Che walking over, but this time he didn't shout encouragement.
He simply gave Cheng Che a thumbs up.
Cheng Che nodded at him.
Then he pushed open the door and went out.