The final of the Magic City Masters garnered significant attention on the Xia Country internet.
The live broadcast on the sports channel is only one part of it.
On Douyin, there are more than a dozen live streaming rooms broadcasting simultaneously, with each room having more than 100,000 viewers.
Topics related to this match occupied half of the top ten trending topics on Weibo.
There's also a dedicated audio livestream room for discussing tennis, which reached number one on the platform's category chart in less than half an hour.
In these live stream rooms, all sorts of experts, from white pieces to black pieces and mixed pieces, gather together.
Some people are analyzing Cheng Che's serving technique, some are reminiscing about his path to the finals, some are arguing with his haters, and some are simply there to watch the spectacle.
An entertainment blogger with millions of followers remarked in his live stream:
"To be honest, Cheng Che's popularity surpasses that of most A-list celebrities I've ever seen. And he doesn't have a management company, hasn't hired any online trolls; he's remained popular solely based on his looks and basketball skills. In my ten years in the industry, I've never seen a case like this."
Someone commented in the live chat.
Guess why? Because he's really strong!
Several people from entertainment companies were also discussing it privately.
Some people suspect that Cheng Che is a "Ziwei Star" (a powerful figure associated with the Chinese zodiac), some say that there must be a mastermind behind him, and others have dug up all his trending search records from the " Midsummer Reply " MV to the present, making it seem more and more unreal.
"Is this person born with a knack for trending on social media?"
"He trends on social media far too often, and it's never for negative reasons, which is outrageous."
"The key is that he doesn't have a team. Think about it, how can someone without a team become so popular? What kind of luck is that?"
What they didn't know was that behind this, besides Cheng Che's own strength and charisma, there was also the continuous support of the [ Ten-Million-Tier Popularity Card ] and the [ Barrier Breaker ].
In particular, [ Barrier Breaker ] allows Cheng Che's works and matches to naturally transcend social circles and reach a large number of people who originally did not pay attention to tennis or even Cheng Che.
Those middle-aged and elderly viewers knew that this young man was good at studying, good-looking, and brought glory to the country; he was practically their "dream son or grandson."
They may not understand tennis, but they are willing to watch Cheng Che.
When the first game ended, the number of viewers in the main live stream room surged to the top across the entire platform.
The live chat exploded with excitement.
[Six to one! The world's third-ranked team was completely crushed!]
[Speak up, white pieces! Speak up, black pieces! Where are those people who said Zverev was just half asleep?]
[Hilarious, the world's third-ranked player got beaten down to amateur level]
[ Zverev: Am I playing tennis? I'm playing Cheng Che!]
[Don't stir up trouble, just enjoy the game.]
[The haters spent ages trying to come up with something like "The opposing team wouldn't dare win on Xia Country's home turf," I'm dying of laughter.]
[You think your opponent won't dare win at Xia Country? Then let Zverev win a game!]
[Hater: I don't care, I'm just sour]
Cheng Che, of course, knew nothing about these things.
He sat on a lounge chair, took a sip of water, and draped a towel over his head.
He glanced at Zverev across from him.
Zverev sat on his rest chair, while his coach squatted down beside him, saying something.
He listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
His eyes looked different than in the first game.
Midway through the first set, there was an indescribable blankness in his eyes, like an overloaded machine, unable to process too much information.
But at this moment, his gaze refocused.
Cheng Che said to himself.
It seems things won't be so easy to win from here on out.
Under the overwhelming aura of the [ Champion ], this guy actually managed to adjust his mindset.
No wonder he's played in three Grand Slam finals.
At the start of the second set, Zverev changed his tactics.
He moved his receiving position forward by almost a meter, no longer passively waiting behind the baseline, but actively moving forward to attack.
This adjustment is risky because Cheng Che's serve is extremely fast, and standing too far forward makes him vulnerable to being hit by the ball.
But Zverev took the gamble.
The first game, Cheng Che's serve.
Cheng Che served an outside shot, and Zverev met it with a powerful forehand cross-court shot.
The ball landed inside the sideline, Cheng Che ran two steps but couldn't reach it.
"Zero to fifteen."
Lin Yan's voice carried a hint of surprise:
" Zverev changed his serve return strategy! He moved forward almost a meter and took the initiative to attack! This shot directly penetrated Cheng Che's forehand!"
Some viewers in the live chat were getting nervous.
Zverev has moved up! He's in front now!
[This tactic was risky, but it worked.]
Cheng Che needs to be careful; the world's third-ranked player isn't someone to be trifled with.
In the second point, Cheng Che fired an inside shot at 235 km/h.
Zverev stepped forward again and launched another forehand attack.
The ball landed on Cheng Che's backhand side, Cheng Che sliced a backspin shot with his backhand.
The ball landed in front of the net. Zverev 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 Zverev's backhand corner.
Zverev took two steps and then hit a backhand straight shot.
The ball flew past Cheng Che's forehand sideline. Cheng Che couldn't reach it.
"Zero to thirty."
Lin Yan's voice rose:
Zverev has scored two points in a row! He has completely changed the rhythm of his serve return! Cheng Che needs to readjust!
Cheng Che stood behind the baseline and dribbled the ball.
He didn't panic.
He was observing Zverev's position.
I moved forward a meter, focusing on forehand attacks and mostly blocking with my backhand.
This means that if he serves the ball to Zverev's backhand, the quality of his opponent's attack will decrease.
Moreover, Zverev's positioning so far forward means he has given up the space to retreat and defend.
As long as Cheng Che's serve lands deep enough, even if Zverev touches the ball, his return shot won't be of high quality.
He tossed the ball and swung his racket.
One shot from the inside corner, at a speed of 238 km/h.
Zverev stepped forward and blocked the shot with his backhand.
The ball landed in midfield, but without power.
Cheng Che went online and intercepted the attack.
The ball hit Zverev behind him.
"Fifteen to thirty."
Lin Yan's voice carried a hint of understanding:
" Cheng Che adjusted quickly! He stopped serving to the outside corner and switched to serving to the inside corner, forcing Zverev to return with his backhand. Zverev's backhand attack ability is obviously not as good as his forehand, and this return was of very low quality. Cheng Che seized the opportunity to volley it from the net."
The comments section took a turn for the worse.
Cheng Che adjusted too quickly!
Zverev's initial joy was quickly shattered after just two points.
[This is the reading ability of a top-tier athlete]
In the fourth point, Cheng Che fired a shot straight at him.
Zverev sidestepped and unleashed a forehand down the line.
The ball is inside the line.
Cheng Che hit a backhand shot down the line, and the ball flew over the sideline at Zverev's forehand side.
Zverev took two steps, but couldn't reach it.
Thirty to thirty.
In the fifth minute, Cheng Che fired a shot from the outside corner at a speed of 236 km/h.
Zverev moved forward and launched a forehand attack.
The ball landed on Cheng Che's forehand side. Cheng Che ran over and hit a backhand shot with his forehand.
The ball flew over the sideline at Zverev's backhand side.
Zverev couldn't reach it.
"Forty to thirty."
Sixth point, Cheng Che serves an inside shot.
Zverev blocked with a backhand, and the ball landed in front of the net.
Cheng Che rushed forward and intercepted with a forehand.
The ball hit Zverev behind him.
Cheng Che holds serve. One to zero.
Lin Yan's voice was filled with emotion. "Cheng Che withstood Zverev's attack in his own serve game. After losing the first two points, he quickly adjusted his serving strategy, using inside corners and chasing balls to suppress Zverev's backhand. This ability to adjust is the sign of a top player."
Someone commented in the live chat.
[ Zverev: I made adjustments. Cheng Che: Me too. Zverev:...]
The second game, Zverev's serve.
He stood behind the baseline and dribbled the ball twice.
His first serve was 212 kilometers per hour. Cheng Che received the serve and launched an attack, hitting a wide cross-court shot with his forehand.
The ball landed on the sideline of Zverev's forehand side, bounced up, and flew towards the paddle.
Zverev took two steps, but couldn't reach it.
"Zero to fifteen."
Zverev looked down at his feet.
He served an inside serve, Cheng Che returned a deep ball down the middle.
Zverev hits a forehand down the line, the ball landing inside the line.
Cheng Che hit a backhand shot down the line, and the ball flew over the sideline at Zverev's forehand side.
"Zero to thirty."
Zverev stood behind the baseline, his chest heaving.
He served an outside shot, and the ball speed was slower than before.
Cheng Che launched a direct attack, striking with a forehand backhand.
Zverev lunged forward, but couldn't reach it.
"Zero to forty."
In the fourth point, Zverev made a desperate attempt.
Cheng Che returned the serve with a body shot.
Zverev sidestepped, then unleashed a forehand down the line. The ball landed inside the line.
Cheng Che slashed the ball with a backhand, and it landed in front of the net.
Zverev 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 Zverev's backhand side.
Zverev stood still, watching the ball fly past.
He didn't move.
Cheng Che breaks serve. Two to zero.
Lin Yan's voice rang out from the chair:
" Cheng Che broke serve in the second game! Zverev's serve is still not back to normal, with a first serve percentage of only 48%. On the other hand, Cheng Che's return of serve percentage is as high as 73%."
A barrage of comments flooded the screen.
[It's 2-0 now, Zverev's form is really off.]
Cheng Che is too steady; no matter how Zverev adjusts, it's useless.
[It's really tragic that the world's third-ranked player was beaten like this.]
In the third game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 3-0.
In the fourth set, Zverev held serve, making it 3-1.
In the fifth game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 4-1.
In the sixth set, Zverev held serve, making it 4-2.
In the seventh game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 5-2.
The eighth game, Zverev's serve.
Cheng Che forced two match points.
Zverev 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.
Zverev lunged forward, extending his racket to its maximum extent.
I didn't encounter it.
"Match ended. Cheng Che wins with a score of 6-1, 6-2."
Lin Yan stood up from his chair, his voice filled with barely suppressed excitement:
Cheng Che defeated world number three Zverev 6-1, 6-2 to Champion Magic City Masters! He only dropped one set in seven matches, going from a wildcard qualifier to the Champion's podium – he made history!
The screen was filled with comments.
[ Champion!!! He won the championship!!!]
From qualifiers to the Champion, seven matches, only one set lost!!!
[ Zverev is third in the world, Khachanov is fourth, Medvedev is fifth, and he beat them all!!!]
This isn't a dark horse; it's a new king ascending the throne!!!
The moment the referee's voice came over the loudspeaker, it felt like the roof of Hall 1 had been ripped off.
Cheers surged from every corner of the stands, converging into a massive wave of sound that crashed against the stadium.
Some people stood up and screamed, some held up their banners above their heads and shook them frantically, and some even threw their hats into the air in excitement.
In the front row of the stands, a girl in a white short-sleeved shirt was jumping and skipping with her companion next to her. Tears streamed down her face, and the name she was calling was drowned out by the cheers, but the shape of her mouth was clearly visible.
" Cheng Che--! Cheng Che--! Cheng Che--!"
The entire audience was chanting the same name.
Cheng Che withdrew his gaze and walked to the net.
Zverev was already there waiting.
His face didn't show much expression, but his eyes were much calmer than at the end of the first set.
"You played very well," Zverev said. "I have nothing to say, see you at the Grand Slam."
Cheng Che nodded. "You're good too."
Zverev released his grip and turned to leave. His steps were steady, and he did not bow his head.
Cheng Che returned to the locker room and sat down in a chair.
He put his racket down and leaned back in his chair.
Faint cheers came from outside the door, as if through a layer of water.
Qin Lie pushed the door open and came in, holding his phone in his hand, unable to suppress his smile.
"You're now in the top 50 in the world!" Qin Lie exclaimed excitedly, "Currently ranked 47th."
Cheng Che nodded.
He leaned back in his chair and let out a long sigh.
Qin Lie put away his phone, then smiled and said, "Let's go, let's pick up your Champion trophy again!"