Chapter 279: The Wolf Is Coming (I)
Compared to the deafening cheers that rang out from time to time on the pitch, Arthur Ash's spacious and luxurious players' rest room was a little deserted at this time. However, this kind of environment is exactly what the current world No. 1, the king of red clay, natto, is most loved and accustomed to.
Although the first semi-final was still in full swing and there was at least an hour left before the expected playing time, Natto still came to the players' lounge early to make his pre-match preparations.
This is his third Grand Slam semi-final since his comeback at the start of the year, and he has reached the final on the first two occasions with one win and one loss. As long as he wins this year's US Open, he and his old rival Cow will once again achieve the feat of dividing up the four Grand Slams of the year.
Thinking of his opponent in the semifinals, Natto had to admit that he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief at the moment when he learned that Del Potro had beaten the cow in an upset. Because compared to the cows, who have lost four in a row, Del Potro is obviously the easier one to deal with.
After the men's singles semi-finals were announced, the outside world almost overwhelmingly believed that Natto would lift the US Open championship trophy for the third time. Because the other three players who are left can't seem to stop the world No. 1 from moving forward. On the whole, the biggest threat to him is really the upcoming Del Potro. And the two dark horses in the lower half, no matter who enters the finals, seem to be just giving natto heads.
Although I think there is a high probability that I can add another grand slam, humility has always been natto's style. Regardless of the strength of the opponent, natto will not be taken lightly. Just like in preparation for today's semi-finals, Natto has made a thorough game plan with the coaching staff.
Although there is still some time before the game is played, Natto is still ready to do some pre-match warm-up exercises in the players' lounge according to his usual habits. Turning the treadmill to a suitable speed, Natto began to warm up for jogging, while also turning on the LCD TV on the opposite wall.
At this time, the semi-final between Pancich and Busta was being broadcast live on TV. Natto doesn't usually go out of his way to watch an opponent's game, but now that I happened to run into it, it's better than nothing.
For this semi-final in the lower half, Natto didn't actually have much feeling in his heart. Busta and Pancic, whoever they are, are really not the favourites to win the title. The fact that the names of these two people can appear in the list of the top four has actually surprised Natto.
Pan Xiqi, in particular, was a Chinese player he had never heard of before. If it weren't for the fact that the verbal cannon with Querrey had been so influential in the United States, he wouldn't have even noticed such a person in the quarterfinals.
However, this alone still failed to impress the world No. 1 on Pansiqi. What really made Natto aware of Pansiqi's existence was the cow's evaluation of Pansiqi. Even his old rival cow felt that Pansiqi had the strength to make it to the finals, which had to make Natto a little curious about Pansiqi.
However, because the two are separated in the upper and lower halves, they can only meet in the finals, so Natto did not go out of his way to watch the video of Panci's game before. Now, Natto is the perfect time to take a good look at the true strength of Pansiqi, a newcomer who has recently made a name for himself in the tennis world.
At this time, the game had come to the end of the second set, and looking at the score displayed in the upper left corner, Panci actually took the lead in winning the first set, and the second set was already 5:1 ahead. Looking at this stance, it seems that it is only a matter of time before the second set is won.
This situation is obviously much beyond natto's expectations. Although I don't know much about Pansiqi, Natto still knows a lot about Busta, a compatriot player.
As the most impactful new generation of players in Spain, Natto is naturally very willing to promote his juniors. In the Davis Cup, they were even doubles partners, and together they charged for the Spanish team. As for the potential shown by Busta, natto is also very optimistic.
"Busta, one day you will also be in the top ten in the world." As early as two years ago, the discerning natto was already full of confidence to encourage this junior.
The reason why Natto is so optimistic about Busta is that he inherits the good tradition of Spanish players and has a solid and comprehensive baseline technique. This, combined with his excellent serve, can make him almost invincible against average players. Even if natto faces Busta, it will take a lot of effort to win.
But now, looking at the score on the field, Busta seems to have no backhand power when he is beaten by Pansizi. Surprised, Natto immediately began to watch the closing match of the second set between the two sides.
This game was Busta's serve, and even if Busta had lost two consecutive service games, even if he held this game, it could only delay Pansizi's pace of winning the second set. However, looking at Pansiqi's posture, it seems that he is not willing to leave even one more game of opportunity to his opponent.
In the face of Busta's ferocious one-shot flat shot, Pancich actually resorted to a forward-facing serve-and-rush tactic against Anderson. In this way, the defensive pressure after Busta's serve is extremely huge. Often, just after serving, the opponent's return has already hit the foot.
"Such a fierce serve, I really didn't expect this Chinese player to have such a fierce style of play!" After Pansiqi directly killed Busta with a chic one-handed backhand hair extension, Natto, who was still on the treadmill, couldn't help but gasp.
As one of the top return players in the world, Natto's return technique can be said to be superb. However, his return is known for his consistency, ensuring a success rate while not leaving too many opportunities for his opponent to attack.
But Pansiqi has a different style, completely trying to kill the opponent directly in the service link. Moreover, this kind of return is still directly aimed at the opponent's strongest serve, and the deterrent power that can be achieved once it succeeds is obvious.
In the previous service game, Busta was beaten by Pansiqi's super high success rate of receiving and stealing, and he didn't know how to deal with it. Now Busta is even a little afraid of the service game that he should have dominated. Because he found that no matter how much he changed his service tactics, the opponent always had a way to get the ball back in the most threatening way.
After two consecutive service kills by Pansiqi, Busta finally took the match into a long-form tie with a strengthened version of his topspin serve. However, it was this multi-shot round that gave Natto, who was already very surprised, a new understanding of Pansiqi's true strength. Still struggling with the latest chapter you can't find? Amway One or search for Hot/Degree/Net/Article "Remember to remove "/"Otherwise you won't be able to search", here is a young lady to help you find books and accompany you to chat!