Unbeknownst to Cheng Che, the numbers on the system panel were already fluctuating the moment he stepped into the Philippe Chatrier Stadium.
[ Charisma Trial - Phase One: Global Visibility. Current Progress: Approximately 5,000,000/10,000,000.]
Five million! And it's still rising.
Although the French Open is not the most popular sport in China, it is one of the four Grand Slam tournaments in the world, and its broadcasts cover more than 200 countries and regions.
Cheng Che won all the way to the semifinals. Europe sports newspapers put him on the front page for two consecutive weeks, the United States tennis channel did three special features on him, and the Japan broadcasters even sent a special filming team to follow him.
Those who knew him from the newspapers saw him on the tennis court, and the amount of discussion on social media doubled.
The numbers on the system panel had already jumped to five million before the competition even started, and they were still going up.
With each additional country's broadcast signal switched to him, and with each additional discussion on social media, that number moved up a little.
But Cheng Che didn't look at the panel.
He stood behind the baseline, dribbled the ball twice, and stared at Ruud on the other side.
In the first set, neither player managed to break serve in the first twelve games.
Ruud stood behind the baseline and dribbled the ball twice.
His serves weren't fast, but they landed in tricky spots, always finding a position between the sideline and the middle that made things difficult for Cheng Che.
Cheng Che returned the serve to the middle, and Ruud De hit a forehand topspin shot, the ball landing deep on the baseline with heavy topspin.
Cheng Che took two steps back and blocked the ball with his backhand, but it bounced a little high.
Ruud stepped forward and pulled with his forehand again, opening up the angle even further.
Cheng Che moved sideways and reached the target, but his return shot was shallow.
Ruud moves to the net, volleys with a backhand, and the ball lands in an open space.
"Fifteen to zero."
Lin Yan said something in the broadcast booth:
" Ruud played very cleverly in that point. He kept using spin to pressure Cheng Che back, then looked for opportunities to move to the net. That's typical clay-court style."
Some viewers in the live chat started to worry.
[ Ruud is in pretty good shape today.]
[His forehand topspin was really heavy; Cheng Che's return shot wasn't very good.]
[A clay court expert is a clay court expert; this kind of spin is simply impossible to achieve on hard surfaces.]
Don't panic, the first few rounds are just probing.
In the first twelve games, both players held serve. The score was 6-6, leading to a tiebreaker.
In the tiebreaker, the score went back and forth.
Three to two, three to three, four to three, four to four, five to four, five to five, six to five, six to six, seven to seven, eight to eight.
The stands fell silent.
Fifteen thousand people, completely silent.
Lin Yan's voice was somewhat strained:
"The tiebreaker went to 8-8. Ruud handled crucial points very well today. His forehand topspin on clay was too advantageous, making it difficult for Cheng Che to launch a continuous attack."
Zhou Zhou chimed in from the side:
"That's the clay court experience. Ruud has played in two French Open finals; he knows how to play a tiebreak."
Ninth point, Ruud serves.
After the first shot entered the area, Cheng Che received the pass and returned to the middle lane.
Ruud hit a long cross-court shot with his forehand, Cheng Che to reach it, and then sliced the ball with his backhand, the ball landing very short.
Ruud went online and placed a small ball.
Cheng Che ran from the baseline, stretched out his racket, but couldn't reach it.
Eight to nine.
On the tenth point, Cheng Che serves.
The serve went into the box, Ruud responded with a forehand down the line, pressing the sideline.
Cheng Che ran over and reached the ball, returning a cross-court shot with a backhand. Ruud moved to the net and volleyed with a backhand. The ball hit an open space.
Eight to ten.
Ruud won the first set.
The Philippe Chatrier Stadium fell silent for a moment. Then, applause and cheers erupted from the stands on Ruud's side.
Ruud stood in his own half of the field, clenched his fist, and without shouting, simply took a deep breath.
Cheng Che walked to his seat, picked up a towel, and wiped his face.
His expression was calm.
Lin Yan said in the broadcast booth, " Ruud won the first set. The tiebreaker went to 10-8. This set lasted for almost an hour, and neither player gave the other a break point. Ruud's handling of crucial points is indeed very experienced. His drop shot and forehand down the line are the kind of touch that comes from years of practice on clay."
Zhou Zhou chimed in, " Cheng Che doesn't look flustered. He looked much more tense when he came back from a 0-2 deficit to win the Australian Open final."
Li Na commented from the sidelines, "Losing the first set isn't a bad thing. Ruud has already revealed all his strengths on clay. Let's see how Cheng Che adjusts now."
Some viewers in the live chat were worried, while others remained calm.
[The series went to a 10-8 tie in Game 7, it was so exciting!]
[ Ruud's shot with the small ball was really disgusting; Cheng Che ran himself ragged.]
[They lost the first set, but Cheng Che is still in good form.]
He lost one set at the Australian Open, but then won three consecutive sets.
[Don't rush, let's see how he adjusts in the second round.]
In the second game, Cheng Che changed.
He no longer tries to match Ruud's baseline spin.
Ruud's ball spins, but he spins even more Ruud; he's playing within the opponent's rhythm.
Cheng Che began to speed up, hitting the ball flatter and faster, and placing it deeper into the air.
Ruud's topspin attack needs time to build up power, Cheng Che doesn't give him that time.
In the third game, Cheng Che won three consecutive points in Ruud's serve, forcing a break point.
Ruud serves, Cheng Che receives and immediately attacks, scoring with a forehand cross-court shot.
Breakout!
Lin Yan's voice rang out. " Cheng Che has broken serve! He's sped up. Ruud's forehand topspin needs time, but Cheng Che isn't giving him that time. He's aggressive on every shot, forcing Ruud to attack while moving. Cheng Che's tactics in this set are very clear."
In the fifth game, Ruud attempted a counterattack, forcing two break points into Cheng Che's serve.
But Cheng Che neutralized it with two serves.
One outside corner, one inside corner, Ruud didn't even touch the ball.
In the seventh game, Cheng Che broke serve again.
His forehand cross-court shot broke through Ruud's defense three times in a row. The last time, Ruud didn't even run; he just stood there and watched the ball fly by.
The stands erupted in cheers. Pei Jingshu stood up, holding up her confetti, while Chen Wei clapped beside her.
Ruud stood behind the baseline, head down, and bounced the ball twice. His expression wasn't as composed as in the first set; a furrow appeared between his brows.
In the tenth game, Cheng Che served to win the set.
He scored three points in a row: three serves, two direct points, and one forehand attack.
When the last ball landed, Ruud stood in the receiving area and did not move.
Cheng Che won the game 6-4.
Lin Yan said in the broadcast booth, " Cheng Che only took thirty-five minutes to complete this set, almost half as fast as the first set. He's found a way."
Zhou Zhou chimed in. "Speed up, pressure the backhand, look for opportunities to move to the net. Ruud's clay court experience is being squashed against Cheng Che's speed."
Li Na nodded in agreement. "That's the adaptability of a top player. After losing the first set, he immediately changed his playing style in the second set. Ruud needs to find a new approach now, but he doesn't have many cards left."
The style of the comments section has changed.
[They're back! They're back!]
[This round only took thirty-five minutes; Cheng Che sped up, Ruud simply couldn't keep up.]
[His forehand cross-court shot hit Ruud three times in a row, Ruud didn't run away in the end.]
[Are there still people predicting the game's failure in the first round? Why don't they step forward and say something?]
[What did I tell you? Cheng Che's ability to adjust is top-notch.]
Ruud pulled out all his cards in the first round, but had no new tricks in the second.
The score is tied 1-1; the third set is crucial. Whoever wins the third set wins.
Cheng Che walked back to his seat, picked up a towel, and wiped his sweat. He glanced at the system panel.
Then he turned off the panel, picked up the water bottle, and took a sip.
Now that the probing is complete...
Next, we're about to unleash a massacre!
He tilted his head back and activated his talent [ Total Concentration ]!