Two days before the tournament, the draw results for Melbourne Park were released.
In the hotel room, Qin Lie turned his laptop around; a drawing sheet was displayed on the screen. He circled a certain spot with a pen.
"Your first-round opponent is Argentina named Matias Rojas. He's 24 years old, ranked 112th in the world, and came up through the qualifying rounds."
Cheng Che sat on the bed, flipping through the algebra and geometry book in his hand without looking up.
Qin Lie continued, "Left-handed, baseline player, strong forehand spin, weaker backhand. His serve is average, with a low first-serve success rate, but he has good mobility and likes to find opportunities in long rallies."
Cheng Che hummed in agreement.
"Also," Qin Lie paused, "This is his first time reaching the main draw of a Grand Slam. He played all three rounds of qualifying, two of which were five sets, so his physical exertion was considerable."
Cheng Che finally raised his head and glanced at the draw results on the screen.
"Knew."
Qin Lie closed his laptop and said nothing more.
He leaned back in his chair, his expression indifferent.
He watched two qualifying match videos. This guy is indeed quite good at baseline rallies, but his serve is too soft and his backhand has obvious weaknesses.
Beating Cheng Che? Not enough.
Cheng Che closed the book and placed it on the bedside table.
He didn't feel there was anything worth saying.
Ranked 112th in the world, he came up through the qualifying rounds and is still lacking in physical strength.
He has 80 in physical strength and 80 in endurance, Enduring Progress Without Fail, possesses Self-Healing Instinct, and Chosen One of Long-Distance Running with Little Luck.
He couldn't find a reason to lose to an opponent like that.
"Okay," he said, "Then let's play normally."
The Australian Open's pre-tournament press conferences are held at the main press centre in Melbourne Park.
The press conference hall was large, seating over two hundred people. When Cheng Che walked in, the hall was already full of reporters.
Long lenses and cameras were pointed at the podium, and flashbulbs lit up the room.
Cheng Che wore a white sports jacket over dark training clothes, and his hair was neatly styled.
He walked behind the podium, sat down, and said into the microphone, "Hello everyone."
The press conference has begun.
The first question came from an official ATP reporter, asked in English:
" Cheng Che, this is your first time participating in a Grand Slam main draw. From qualifying wildcard to Master Champion, and now standing here, how do you feel?"
Cheng Che replied in English, "I'm very excited. A Grand Slam is every tennis player's dream, and I'm happy to be standing here."
The second question was from an Australian journalist, "You previously said your goal was to win the championship. Is this your true intention, or just to put pressure on your opponents?"
Cheng Che glanced at him, his tone flat. "Your honest thoughts."
A slight commotion arose from below.
The third question comes from a reporter from Xia Country:
"Your first-round opponent is Rojas from Argentina, who came up through the qualifiers. Do you know anything about him?"
"Yes. I'm left-handed, baseline player, and have good movement," Cheng Che said. "But I'm more focused on my own form."
The next few questions are standard: adapting to the venue, adapting to the climate, and preparation status.
Cheng Che answered each question one by one, neither humble nor arrogant, but concise and efficient.
The last question at the press conference came from a France journalist, asked in English:
"You are the youngest seeded player in this tournament and one of the players with the most media attention. Do you think this attention will affect your performance?"
Cheng Che thought for a moment.
"Attention is a good thing," he said. "It shows that people are watching tennis. But once you're on the court, no matter how many spectators there are, it's still just one ball, one string, and one opponent. If you're meant to win, you still have to win."
Cheng Che certainly wanted as much attention as possible; did they really think he was just there to win the championship?
They're here to assert their status!
The press conference has ended.
Qin Lie waited for him at the exit and whispered, "Good answer."
"You asked me to prepare a speech, and I did," Cheng Che said with a smile, "But let's see who's truly capable in action."
Australian Open, first round, day session, Court 2.
The morning sun was already quite strong in the Melbourne Park.
Court No. 2 has no roof, and the blue hard surface gleams in the sunlight.
The stands are open-air and can seat seven or eight thousand people; they are already more than half full.
Cheng Che stood in the players' tunnel, waiting to enter the field.
He was wearing a dark blue jersey with the Xia Country flag pinned to his chest, and carrying a basketball bag.
A caddie led the way, followed by Qin Lie and Chen Wei.
The commentator's voice came over the loudspeaker.
"Next to enter is Cheng Che from Xia Country— "
Cheng Che walked out of the passage.
The sunlight shone on him, making him appear brighter.
The blue hard court and the dark blue jerseys clashed cleanly and crisply.
He looked up and scanned the stands.
A Xia Country flag was fluttering in the stands, held by a young man, with several girls calling his name.
Then [ Stars Surrounding the Moon ] and [ Sapiosexual Boy ] are triggered simultaneously.
The buffs [ Enchantment ] and [ Humanity's Darling ] stack.
In just a few seconds, the atmosphere in the entire stadium changed.
In the stands, those who had been looking at their phones, chatting, or eating hot dogs all looked up.
Their gazes were unconsciously drawn to the young man who walked out of the passage.
The way he walks, the angle at which he looks up, the way he holds his golf bag—everything is perfectly positioned for him.
In the front row of the stands, a middle-aged Australian man paused for a moment, then turned to the person next to him and said, "That kid is so handsome."
The person next to him nodded without saying anything, their eyes still fixed on Cheng Che.
On the other side of the stands, a group of Xia Country students holding up the national flag screamed as soon as they saw Cheng Che emerge.
" Cheng Che!!! Go for it!!!"
" Xia Country Team!!!"
You can do it!!!
Their voices were exceptionally loud in the stands.
Next to this group of international students, Pei Jingshu, wearing a mask and hat, sat in the middle.
The moment she saw Cheng Che enter, she jumped up from her seat.
" Cheng Che!!!"
She shouted loudly, with undisguised pride and excitement.
Jin Zhixiu, who was next to her, was also caught up in the atmosphere and shouted twice.
" Cheng Che! Cheng Che!"
After Pei Jingshu finished speaking, she turned to look at Jin Zhixiu, her eyes sparkling.
Jin Zhixiu felt a little embarrassed by her gaze, but the corners of her mouth still turned up.
In the local Melbourne commentary booth, two commentators are giving their opening remarks.
"The attendance at Court 2 is very high today." A commentator, watching the monitor, said, "The moment Cheng Che entered the court, the applause and cheers from the audience were noticeably a level higher than in other matches. His personal charisma is rare in the tennis world."
The other commentator nodded:
"His social media following already surpasses that of most of the ATP top ten players. This is truly astonishing for a 19-year-old."
On the domestic broadcast side, the commentators are Lin Yan and Zhou Zhou.
Lin Yan watched the scene of Cheng Che the screen, his voice filled with emotion:
" Cheng Che is out. Look at him, relaxed and confident, he doesn't look like someone playing in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time at all."
Zhou Zhou chimed in from the side:
"He's seen it all. College entrance exams, Master tournaments, Open tournaments, variety shows, TV dramas. For him, the Grand Slam courts are just another place to conquer."
Lin Yan glanced at the data on the monitor again:
"There were many flags from Xia Country spectators in the stands, and quite a few international students were there. Cheng Che's identity is no longer just that of a tennis player. He is the most successful young representative of the crossover between China's sports and entertainment industries, and a calling card for our tennis world."
Zhou Zhou added, "And it's the sharpest one on hard courts."
The live chat exploded.
He's out!!!
[That aura is amazing!]
He looks so good in dark blue!
[I could hear the cheers from the crowd, ten times louder than those from across the street.]
[The international students are awesome! They're holding the national flag so high!]
[Who was that girl calling Cheng Che's name? It was so loud, hahaha!]
[The commentator said he's a icon of the tennis world, but I think he's more than just a tennis icon.]
[The face of Xia Country's sports, the face of Xia Country's youth]
[His first Grand Slam appearance was this impressive; he can brag about it for a lifetime.]
Stop bragging, the match is about to start!
[My opponent is Argentina, ranked 112th in the world, so it shouldn't be a problem.]
[ Cheng Che, keep it up! Take it easy and steady!!!]
On the court, Cheng Che had already walked to his seat.
He put down his tennis bag, pulled out a chair, sat down, took out his racket, and checked the strings.
Rojas, from the opposite side, also entered the court. Argentina, tall and thin, with curly hair, and left-handed. He glanced in Cheng Che's direction, his expression serious.
Cheng Che didn't look at him, placed his racket on his lap, and waited for the coin toss.
The sun was shining brightly, and the wind was light.
The match is about to begin.