Sixth point, Cheng Che serves.
He dribbled the ball twice, then looked up. All the noise in the stands fell silent.
Toss the ball, swing the racket.
An ace. 217 km/h. Hit the inside corner.
Six to five. Cheng Che holds the score.
The seventh point, Medvedev serves.
The Russia dribbled the ball twice and took a deep breath.
He tossed the ball and swung his racket.
The first shot went into the area, Cheng Che received the shot, and returned to the middle lane.
Medvedev hit a forehand smash, the ball heading straight for the baseline corner. Cheng Che moved sideways and sliced the ball with a backhand, the ball landing very short, dropping just over the net.
Medvedev rushed up from the baseline and reached out to grab it.
I couldn't reach it.
Seven to five.
Cheng Che won the first set.
The stands erupted.
Cheers erupted from all directions, and the girls holding up signs in various languages jumped up and hugged each other.
In the domestic broadcast studio, Lin Yan's voice carried a clear sense of relaxation after initial tension.
Cheng Che took the first set! He won the tiebreak 7-5! This set lasted nearly an hour, making it his longest single set in this Australian Open. Medvedev's serve was excellent today, causing Cheng Che a lot of trouble. But in crucial moments, Cheng Che's return of serve and baseline defense proved superior.
Zhou Zhou added from the side, "Look at Medvedev's expression, he's not flustered. That's what we need to pay attention to most. This isn't the first time he's lost to Cheng Che; he came prepared."
The screen was flooded with comments.
[We won the first set! We've got this in the bag!]
[The series ended 7-5 in Game 7, it was so close!]
Medvedev's serve was incredibly strong today; he saved two break points with an ace.
Cheng Che's backhand slice was so beautiful, it was a complete shutout.
To be honest, Medvedev was much better than he was in the Magic City game.
[Of course, they're fourth in the world, don't they have any pride?]
[ Cheng Che, keep it up, let's continue in the second set!]
In the second set, Medvedev changed.
He no longer challenged Cheng Che to compromise his principles.
In service games, volley at the net, attack on the return of serve, drop shot, and lob.
They're using every trick in the book.
Cheng Che's rhythm was disrupted.
In the fourth game, Medvedev won three consecutive points in Cheng Che's serve, forcing a break point.
Cheng Che serves, Medvedev receives and immediately attacks, scoring with a forehand cross-court shot.
Breakout.
Medvedev held his serve to take a 5-2 lead.
The stands fell silent. The fans who had been cheering moments before now clenched their hands, their eyes fixed on the pitch.
Cheng Che serve in the eighth game, narrowing the gap to 3-5.
But in Medvedev's service game to win the set, the Russia gave him no chance.
Four serves, three of which resulted in direct points, and one forehand attack.
Six to three.
Medvedev won a set.
On the court, Cheng Che walked to his seat, picked up a towel, and wiped his sweat.
His expression didn't change much, but his fingers clenched the towel.
This was the first set he dropped at this year's Australian Open.
In the domestic broadcast studio, Lin Yan's voice deepened:
Medvedev won the second set 6-3, tying the match at 1-1. This is the result of his tactical adjustments today; his net play and drop shots disrupted Cheng Che's baseline rhythm. Cheng Che needs to regain his rhythm, otherwise this match will be very dangerous.
Zhou Zhou chimed in, " Medvedev's performance today deserves his world number four ranking. He's not here just to make up the numbers."
The trend in the comments section has also started to change.
[????]
[Lost a game???]
Cheng Che form; he made too many mistakes in the second set.
Medvedev's tactics are disgusting; he's making Cheng Che run himself ragged with short balls.
[Don't panic, it's just one game, it's not like we lost.]
[Exactly, Cheng Che swept through with three games in a row, so what if he lost one?]
[You think you can sweep them in three games, being ranked fourth in the world?]
I'm a little panicked; Cheng Che made way more forehand mistakes today than before.
[He's sweating; he hadn't sweated much in the previous matches.]
[ Medvedev's current form gives him a real chance today]
Before the third round began, Cheng Che sat down in his chair and took a sip of water.
He closed his eyes.
[ Total Concentration ] Activated.
I mentally went over all of Medvedev's shot trajectories from the first two sets.
Serving preference, net approach timing, ball placement, and the proportion of forehand cross-court shots.
Then he opened his eyes and stood up.
In the third game, Cheng Che changed.
He no longer strives to kill his opponent with every shot.
He started hitting the ball deeper, closer to the baseline, and with more spin.
Every shot forced Medvedev to run a few more steps, and every shot drained the Russia's energy.
His strategy was clear: he wouldn't compete with you on skill, but on stamina.
Even if Medvedev is in great form today, his physical reserves are limited.
In the second set, he used his net play, drop shots, and aggressive returns of serves, which took a lot of energy.
In the middle of the third set, his movement speed noticeably decreased, and he began to make more forehand errors.
Cheng Che seized the opportunity and broke serve in the sixth game.
He then held serve, leading 5-2. Medvedev held serve in the eighth game, making it 3-5.
In the ninth game, Cheng Che served to win the set, scoring three points directly and one point with a forehand attack from four serves.
Six to three.
Cheng Che won the third set.
In the domestic broadcast studio, Lin Yan's voice rang out again:
Cheng Che won the third set 6-3! He now leads the match 2-1. He only needed 35 minutes in this set, almost half as fast as the first two sets. His strategy was very clear: to wear down Medvedev with sheer physical exertion. The Russia played too aggressively in the second set today, and his stamina couldn't keep up.
Zhou Zhou nodded:
" Cheng Che's stamina is one of his biggest advantages. Look at him after the third set, his breathing was still very steady. Medvedev on the other side was already panting heavily."
The trend of comments on the live stream has changed again.
[They're back! They're back!]
Cheng Che's move is ruthless; he'll run you to your death!
Medvedev played too aggressively in the second set and is now exhausted.
[The stamina monster's crushing victory was so satisfying!]
[Were there still people predicting the game's failure after the first two games? Why don't they step forward and say something?]
I panicked before, I apologize, I shouldn't have questioned it.
[That's tactical awareness; if you can't win, change your tactics.]
[ Cheng Che: You're skilled, I'm physically strong, let's see who dies first]
In the fourth set, Medvedev attempted to speed up his attack and make a final desperate attempt.
But Cheng Che's anticipation of serves was too accurate.
He had completely figured out where the Russia's first serve would land, scoring three points directly from the return and forcing two break points.
He broke serve in the first game.
Medvedev's expression softened for the first time.
He stood behind the baseline, head down, dribbled the ball twice, then looked up at Cheng Che on the other side.
Cheng Che stood in the hair-receiving area, his expression calm.
In the second game, Cheng Che held serve, making it 3-0.
In the fourth game, Medvedev's serve was broken again, making it 5-1.
In the seventh game, Cheng Che served to win the match.
Match point.
Cheng Che serves, Medvedev returns, but the ball goes shallow. Cheng Che hits the ball with a forehand, and it lands in the corner of the baseline.
The match is over.
The score is 3-1.
The scores of the four sets were: 7-6, 3-6, 6-3, 6-1.
The entire event lasted two hours and forty-seven minutes.
In the domestic broadcast studio, Lin Yan's voice rose a notch:
"Match over! Cheng Che advances to the final! This is his first time participating in a Grand Slam main draw, and he's already reached the final! He will face the winner between Zverev and Khachanov in the final. Regardless of his opponent, Cheng Che has already made history for Xia Country men's tennis!"
Zhou Zhou's voice was also somewhat excited:
"From the first set tiebreak to being leveled in the second set, and then to the strong comebacks in the third and fourth sets, this match showed that Cheng Che is not just a player who relies on talent; he has tactics, patience, and the ability to adjust. That's what makes him so formidable."
The live chat exploded.
[Finals!!! Finals!!!]
[Reaching the final in his first Grand Slam tournament, what an incredible feat!]
[The first male tennis player in Xia Country's history!!!]
Medvedev played really well today, but Cheng Che played even better.
[I lost the second game, and I almost thought it was all over.]
This is Grand Slam level competition; it made my heart race!
Cheng Che's final forehand winner was so cool!
Who will be their opponent in the final? Zverev or Khachanov?
[No matter who it is, Cheng Che in this condition can fight.]
From qualifying wildcard to Master Champion, from Master Champion to Grand Slam final
[This is what you call an extraordinary life]
On the court, Medvedev walked to the net and shook hands with Cheng Che.
He looked at Cheng Che and said something.
"I hope you win the championship, and now enjoy your glory."
Cheng Che paused for a moment, then smiled and nodded.
Then he turned around and faced the stands.
In that instant, the entire Centre Court seemed to be set ablaze.
A tremendous roar erupted from all sides of the stands simultaneously.
The girls holding up support signs jumped up from their seats, hugged each other, screamed, and cried.
They called out Cheng Che's name in various languages, their voices mingling together so that it was impossible to make out what they were saying, but the excitement and exhilaration radiated from every single one of their faces.
On the left side of the stands, a blonde, blue-eyed Spain girl held her support sign above her head, tears streaming down her face.
A France girl next to her hugged her, and the two jumped together. Nearby, a Brazil girl was recording with her phone; her hands were shaking so much the image was blurry, but she didn't care, repeatedly saying "thank you."
In the middle of the lower stands, a group of Xia Country students held up the national flag and spoke in unison.
" Cheng Che!!!"
"Finals!!!"
" Cheng Che!!!"
"Finals!!!"
They shouted it twice, and the foreign fans next to them clapped along with the rhythm. Although they couldn't understand Chinese, they could keep up with the beat.
A Japan girl stood at the edge of the stands, holding up a handwritten sign that read " Cheng Che, the best" in Chinese.
Her voice was hoarse from shouting, but she still stood on tiptoe and waved towards the court.
Over at the South Korea girls' side, several girls were hugging each other, one of them crying so hard she couldn't speak.
They flew all the way from Seoul, bought the most expensive tickets, and endured a flight of more than ten hours, just to see him.
Now that he's won, they feel it was all worth it.
In the domestic broadcast studio, Lin Yan watched the girls' reactions on the monitor and paused for a moment.
"Look at the look in their eyes," he said, his voice tinged with emotion. "These people flew in from all over the world to sit here just to watch him play. He won, and they were happier than anyone else. That's the power of an idol, and that's the power of sports."
Zhou Zhou chimed in, " Cheng Che brought more than just results to tennis. He got many people who didn't watch tennis before to start paying attention to the sport. Look at these girls, they might only understand today what a tiebreak is or what a break point is. But they've been sitting here, watching intently for three hours. That's his influence."
The live chat was also flooded with comments.
[The foreign girls in the stands were crying their eyes out, and I cried too.]
[What does the sign that the Spain girl is holding say? Show the camera on her.]
[I saw it. It said " Cheng Che, I love you" in Chinese.]
[Those South Korea girls hugged each other and cried; I understand that feeling.]
Girls all over the world are screaming for him, that's some kind of charm!
[The shouts from the Xia Country students were so impressive, so synchronized, it was like military training!]
I'm tempted to fly to Melbourne; I definitely want to be there for his next match!
[The finals! The finals! See you in the finals!]
Cheng Che stood on the court, looking at the faces that had flown in from all over the world.
He raised his hand and waved it in each of the four directions.
Every time he swung his hand, the stands on the other side would explode.
The girls' screams rose in waves, as if they were going to lift the roof off the stadium.
Then he turned around, picked up his bag, and walked into the players' tunnel.
The commotion behind us didn't stop.
" Cheng Che!!!"
Good luck in the finals!!!
"I love you!!!"
He heard it.
He didn't turn around, but waved to them with his back turned.
In the players' tunnel, Qin Lie was already waiting. He patted Cheng Che on the shoulder, said nothing, but his expression made it clear.
Cheng Che handed him the golf bag, picked up a bottle of water, and took a sip.
"The final is in two days," Qin Lie said. " Zverev and Khachanov play tomorrow."
"Hmm." Cheng Che screwed the bottle cap on. "Whoever it is, just hit them."
Qin Lie looked at him and smiled.
"Let's go back to the hotel."
The two men walked off the field, the cheers behind them still continuing.