The news that Cheng Che defeated Lu Yunxiao caused a sensation online.
But the explosion wasn't solely caused by tennis.
An 18-year-old high school student defeated the country's number one ranked youth tennis player on the tennis court.
This message itself is a topic of discussion.
In addition, he has several labels: top Zhuangyuan, top handsome man, participated in variety shows and live broadcasts, filmed music videos, and trended on social media...
All of these factors combined transformed this victory from sports news into a social topic.
The headline "Top scorer in college entrance Zhuangyuan plays tennis, eliminating the first young tennis player in China" has more reach than any purely sports report.
On Weibo, trending topics kept climbing.
#Cheng Che defeats Lu Yunxiao #
#Cheng Che advances to the semi-finals#
#Top-scoring student in college Zhuangyuan reaches tennis semifinals#
Cheng Che, Future Star#
In the comments section, some people analyzed the game seriously, some simply praised his good looks, and others made sarcastic remarks.
"Someone who's only been training for a few months beat the top-ranked youth player in the country. What does that say? It says the level of tennis in China is too low."
"Winning against Lu Yunxiao doesn't guarantee the championship; there are still tough battles ahead."
"Have you noticed? He hasn't lost a single game since the qualifiers."
Too many people are opening champagne at halftime; they might cause a disaster later.
But such voices were quickly drowned out.
In Cheng Che's fan page, the atmosphere was as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.
"He's in the quarterfinals! He's crushing his opponents all the way!"
"The next opponent won't be easy either, but I think he can win."
"Did you guys watch his match against Lu Yunxiao? In the last few sets, Lu Yunxiao couldn't even touch the ball! It was terrifying!"
"I watched it! I screamed the whole time! It was so cool!"
"Regardless of whether he wins the Champion in the end, he has already proven himself."
"No, I want him to win the Champion."
"Sisters, did you manage to get tickets to the finals? I did!"
"I didn't get one, but I'll watch the live stream!"
Even retired tennis players have offered their commentary.
A veteran who has played in the qualifying rounds of all four Grand Slams posted on social media:
"After watching Cheng Che's match videos, to be honest, his technique still has many rough spots, but there are two things he can't learn through training: anticipation and stamina. Anticipation allows him to always get to his position in advance, and stamina allows him to maintain a high intensity throughout the match. These two things are more terrifying than any technique."
Another retired athlete said:
"I watched his fourth and fifth games against Lu Yunxiao. Lu Yunxiao is a true professional player, but Cheng Che made him play like an amateur. This isn't a difference in skill, it's a difference in talent. Lu Yunxiao's peak has passed, but Cheng Che's peak hasn't even begun yet."
These comments were widely shared.
Cheng Che's name has completely broken out of the tennis circle and into the mainstream.
But Cheng Che Himself didn't care about any of this.
He was in Qin Lie's room, and Qin Lie was sitting opposite him. The two were reviewing their upcoming opponent.
"In the quarterfinals, your opponent is Zhou Huan. He's 23 years old, a defensive player with a huge range of movement. He's somewhat similar to Chen Bai in your third group stage match, but two levels Chen Bai."
Cheng Che nodded.
"Your opponent in the semifinals will be either Wei Ran or Jiang Shuo. Wei Ran is an offensive player with a powerful serve and forehand. Jiang Shuo is a well-rounded player with no obvious weaknesses. Whoever it is, they are stronger than your opponents in the group stage."
Qin Lie put the documents away and looked at Cheng Che: "Are you nervous?"
Cheng Che looked at him and smiled, "What do you think?"
Qin Lie was silent for two seconds, then smiled and said, "Never mind, I won't ask anymore."
He recalled how Cheng Che had fought his way through.
He shut out Lu Yunxiao in the qualifiers, played three different styles of the game and won three different ways in the group stage, and in the first round of the knockout stage, he only managed to win one game out of the last three matches.
This person seems to have never known what nervousness is.
In the quarterfinals, Cheng Che faced off against Zhou Huan.
Six to three, six to two.
The entire match lasted less than an hour and a half.
Commentator Lin Yan remarked after the match:
" Zhou Huan's defense is already excellent, but Cheng Che's anticipation ability is terrifying. Every time Zhou Huan releases the ball, Cheng Che is already moving. It's like playing against someone who can see the future."
In the semifinals, Cheng Che faced Wei Ran.
Six to two, six to four.
Wei Ran's serve and forehand are indeed very aggressive, but Cheng Che's attacking return of serve is even more aggressive.
Every time Wei Ran served, Cheng Che would move to the optimal position in advance and then return the ball with a single shot.
Wei Ran couldn't hit the winning shot and made more and more mistakes.
Commentator Zhou Zhou said:
" Wei Ran played his best game of the year today, but Cheng Che seemed to come from another dimension. He's too strong. This isn't a semi-final; it's a training match."
Cheng Che won.
He advanced to the finals.
The internet was in an uproar.
"It's the finals!! He really made it to the finals!!"
"What did I tell you? He's the Champion!"
"Don't rush, don't rush, the opponent in the final is not weak either."
"He may not be weak, but who can stop Cheng Che as he fights his way up?"
Do you remember what Federer said? If he makes it to the final, Federer will be there!
Holy crap! Is this for real?!
"Posted by Federer's official account! Go check it yourself!"
As soon as this news came out, even many people who don't watch tennis started paying attention to the final.
Federer is going to watch a tennis final between high school students from Xia Country.
This story itself is legendary enough.
On the day of the final.
The center court of the Hang City Sports Center Tennis Center.
This is the largest stadium in the entire venue, with a capacity of 5,000 people.
The stands were packed with people from bottom to top.
There were female fans holding up banners with " Cheng Che " on them, elderly fans dressed in tennis attire, photographers with long lenses and tripods, and several middle-aged men in suits sitting in the VIP section.
There were several empty seats in the center of the VIP section.
In the commentary booth, both Lin Yan and Zhou Zhou sounded a little tense.
"Dear viewers, welcome to the men's singles tennis final of the National Youth Games. Today's match is between Cheng Che and Jiang Shuo."
" Jiang Shuo defeated his opponent in the semifinals, demonstrating excellent form. He possesses well-rounded skills with no obvious weaknesses and is also highly experienced in major competitions. Before the tournament, many believed he was the player most likely to end Cheng Che."
"But Cheng Che fought his way into the finals, winning all eight matches, including five shutouts. His anticipation and stamina are unmatched in this tournament."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a commotion broke out in the stands.
As if drawn by some force, the crowd turned to look at the entrance to the VIP seating area.
A man wearing a baseball cap and a dark jacket walked in.
He was accompanied by a woman and two little girls.
The little girl, holding an ice cream cone, was looking around at the unfamiliar stadium with great interest.
Federer.
He really came.
He walked to the empty seat in the center of the VIP section, let his wife and daughter sit down first, and then sat down himself.
He took off his baseball cap and waved to the surrounding stands.
This scene was captured on the big screen.
The entire center stadium erupted in cheers.
"Aaaaaaaahh...
" Federer! It really is Federer!"
"He brought his wife and kids! Oh my god!"
"Holy crap, oh my god, oh my god, I'm going to cry!"
Federer put his hat back on, smiled at the camera, and then put his finger to his lips in a "shh" gesture.
The two daughters followed suit, putting their fingers to their lips and making a "shh" sound in their childish voices.
A burst of good-natured laughter erupted from the stands.
In the commentary booth, Lin Yan's voice trembled as he said, "Mr. Federer brought his family to the stadium today. He just greeted the audience and asked us not to disturb his children. Let's give a round of applause to this great Champion and his family."
Applause erupted from all directions.
Federer's wife smiled at him, took the ice cream from her daughter, and helped her sit down.
Federer looked at the court, his gaze falling on the direction of the players' tunnel.
Lin Yan took a deep breath and steadied his voice.
Okay, let's get back to today's final match.
"If Cheng Che wins the championship today, he will achieve a perfect record of nine wins from the preliminaries to the finals. This achievement is unprecedented in this competition."
Zhou Zhou continued:
"Moreover, his opponent today, Jiang Shuo, was considered before the match to be the most likely person to end his winning streak."
" Jiang Shuo won his semifinal match in straight sets and is in excellent form. This match will definitely not be easy."
The live chat was flooded with comments.
Federer is really here!!!
[I got a screenshot! He was sitting in the VIP section!]
Holy crap, this is some serious extravagance!
Cheng Che! Show Federer your strength!
[Win the Champion today! Then head to the international stage!]
Both ends of the players' tunnel.
Cheng Che stood at the entrance, waiting to enter.
His eyes were closed, and his breathing was very light.
The cheers from outside drifted in through the passageway, like waves crashing against the rocks.
Qin Lie stood beside him without saying a word.
At the other end of the passage, Jiang Shuo was also standing at the entrance.
He was twenty-four years old, two months younger than Lu Yunxiao, but half a head shorter than Lu Yunxiao.
He closed his eyes, gripped the racket with both hands, and pressed the racket face against his forehead.
His coach whispered beside him, "Don't overthink it. Just play your game."
Jiang Shuo nodded, opened his eyes, and walked towards the end of the passage.
Cheng Che opened his eyes and looked down at his hands.
My palm is very steady and not sweaty.
He twitched his fingers and gripped the racket.
Then he looked up at the brightly lit stadium at the end of the tunnel.
"It's time to go on stage."
In the VIP section, Federer took the ice cream from his daughter and placed it on the cup holder in front of him.
He sat up straight, his gaze fixed on the exit of the players' tunnel.
He was waiting for that young man to appear.