The screen was flooded with comments.
[219!!! What does that even mean?!]
[ Zverev didn't even move his foot, and the ball had already bounced off the barrier.]
[ Cheng Che looks reassuring today.]
[If he can score this fast in the first point, what will he be like later?]
[Stay calm, stay calm, don't jinx it.]
In the second point, the Germany player took a half step forward when receiving the serve, slightly bent his knees, and lowered his center of gravity.
The moment Cheng Che released the ball, he sprang to his left and blocked it with a backhand.
Cheng Che stepped forward, swung his arm from back to front, flicked his wrist, and sent the ball flying over the net with topspin, landing deep on the baseline.
Zverev moved to cover the area and then lobbed the ball with his backhand.
The two players went back and forth for seven rallies before Cheng Che finally hit a cross-court shot with his forehand. The ball bounced off the ground and flew past Zverev's racket.
Zverev reached out and tried to reach it, but couldn't.
He glanced down at the landing point, then looked up, his gaze darkening.
In the third point, Zverev immediately attacked after receiving the serve, leaning forward and hitting the ball in a straight line with his forehand, which flew close to the sideline.
Cheng Che moved sideways to reach it, then twisted his wrist and executed a wide diagonal backhand loop.
Zverev moved to the net, leaned forward, and intercepted the ball, which landed in the Cheng Che's half of the court.
Cheng Che turned around and took two steps to catch up, but couldn't.
The stands fell silent for a moment.
As Zverev walked back to his receiving position, he glanced down at his racket, his lips twitching slightly as if he were talking to himself.
In the domestic broadcast studio, Lin Yan's voice deepened slightly:
" Zverev was very well prepared today. His receiving stance was almost a meter further forward than in the Magic City match; he was attacking aggressively. His forehand down the line was extremely powerful on that last point."
Zhou Zhou nodded. "This is the intensity of a Grand Slam final. Zverev isn't here to be a mere participant."
Some people in the live chat noticed it too.
Zverev is different today; he's positioned much further forward.
[In the last match, he stood so far back and got completely destroyed by Cheng Che's serve; he learned his lesson this time.]
That interception was well-placed; Cheng Che almost couldn't catch up.
[Don't panic, Cheng Che is still testing the waters.]
In the first game, Cheng Che held serve.
But Zverev scored two points.
The second game, Zverev's serve.
He stood behind the baseline and dribbled the ball twice.
For the first point, he tossed the ball, leaned back, and swung his arm, the ball landing on Cheng Che's backhand side.
Cheng Che received the serve and returned it to the middle. Zverev hit a forehand topspin, the ball hovering near the sideline.
Cheng Che moved sideways to reach it, then scooped it up diagonally with a backhand motion.
Zverev volleyed at the net, leaning forward and slicing the ball horizontally, leaving it in the open space.
Fifteen to zero.
On the second point, Cheng Che received the serve and launched an attack, hitting a straight shot with his forehand.
Zverev blocked with a backhand, and the ball bounced high.
Cheng Che jumped up, his body spread out in the air, and slammed down with a powerful forehand.
Fifteen to fifteen.
This game lasted almost six minutes.
Cheng Che created two break points, but Zverev saved them both with his serve and forehand.
The Germany played tough and decisively on crucial points.
Zverev holds serve. 1-1.
In the following games, both players held serve.
The score went back and forth, but neither side could break the deadlock.
Zverev's expression grew increasingly serious, and his footwork became more cautious, with his stance being subtly adjusted for each serve.
Cheng Che remained largely unchanged, his expression indifferent, holding his serve steadily, but he also struggled to find a breakthrough in Zverev's serve.
Four to four.
The eighth game, Zverev's serve.
In this round, Cheng Che finally found an opportunity.
A backhand down-the-line shot forced the first break point.
The girls in the stands stood up again.
Zverev bounced the ball twice, tossed it, leaned back, and swung his racket.
The ball was positioned in the inside corner. Cheng Che's racket touched the ball, but the ball bounced off at too wide an angle and flew directly out of bounds. The score was 40 to 40.
The second break point. Zverev served another wide corner.
Cheng Che sprang to the left, extending his racket to its limit, but still fell just short. The ball flew past his racket.
Cheng Che stood in the receiving area, watching the ball land, without any reaction.
He turned and walked back to his hair-receiving position, his expression calm.
But the audience in the stands were not calm.
[He saved both opportunities with his serve???]
Zverev's serve was absolutely powerful today!
[Holy crap, those two serves are almost as fast as Cheng Che's!]
[Being third in the world isn't for nothing.]
[ Cheng Che, don't rush, take your time]
Zverev holds serve.
Four to four. The Germany clenched his fist briefly, but the camera caught it.
In the first eight games, no one was able to break serve.
The score between the two players seemed to be fixed, with neither able to widen the gap.
The first set went to a tiebreaker.
The stands fell silent.
The entire Centre Court, filled with 15,000 people, was completely silent.
Everyone's eyes are on the field.
In the tiebreaker, Cheng Che served first.
For the first point, Cheng Che tossed the ball, arched his back, and swung his arm out, the ball landing in the service area.
Zverev received the serve and lobbed a deep ball with his backhand.
Cheng Che when he unleashed a powerful forehand, swinging his arm from back to front, the ball hovering near the sideline.
Zverev ran over and reached the ball, but his return shot was shallow. Cheng Che rushed forward and volleyed with his backhand.
One to zero.
On the second point, Zverev serves. Cheng Che receives the serve and attacks, hitting a forehand down the line.
Zverev moved to the side and blocked the shot with a backhand.
The ball bounced high.
Cheng Che jumped up, his body spread out in the air, and slammed down with a powerful forehand.
Two to zero.
Cheers erupted from the stands.
[Tie 7, 2-0! It's in the bag!]
Cheng Che remained composed in crucial moments.
[Those two break points were saved, and now they've recovered them all in Game 7]
Zverev stood behind the baseline and dribbled the ball twice.
His expression remained unchanged, but his breathing was a little heavier than before.
He lowered his head, stared at the ground for two seconds, and then looked up.
He serves the third point.
Cheng Che received the serve and returned to the middle lane. Zverev then unleashed a powerful cross-court shot.
Cheng Che to reach the ball, then used a backhand slice, resulting in a very short landing point.
Zverev went to the net and placed a small ball.
Cheng Che ran over, leaned forward, stretched his racket to the ground to scoop up the ball, and lobbed it high.
Zverev retreats, then applies a forehand overhead smash.
Two to one.
Fourth point, Cheng Che serves.
Zverev received the serve and launched an attack, hitting a forehand down the line, pressing down on the sideline.
Cheng Che ran over and reached it, then scooped it up diagonally.
Zverev moves to the net and volleys with a backhand. The ball hits an open space.
Two to two.
Zverev clenched his fist, this time with even more force than before.
In the tiebreaker, neither player gave an inch.
The score went back and forth.
The girls in the stands were clenching their hands so tightly their nails were almost digging into their flesh.
In the domestic broadcast studio, Lin Yan's voice was also a little tense. "Tie seven, 5-5. Both of them are in very good form today. Zverev's serve and net volleys have caused Cheng Che a lot of trouble. Now it's a matter of who can hold on in the crucial points."
Zhou Zhou, standing nearby, said, " Cheng Che has always handled crucial points calmly. He has the ability."