Chapter 32 Chapter 28 Decisive Battle at the Australian Open

After Thomas left, his job was temporarily replaced by Jiang Shan. At this stage, Jiang Shan was very busy. He was supposed to be responsible for many trivial matters in my life, but now he has to shoulder the responsibility of coaching, so he became even more silent. The first game that Jiang Shan arranged for me was the world's top tour held in Sydney in 2011.I'm used to these kinds of games.Traditionally, after the pre-competition activities, the athletes go to eat something, take a rest, and then prepare for the competition. But I don't want to eat. I leaned on the sofa, physically and mentally exhausted.It's a tough time for our small team and I don't have the right coach.My wound was aching, and I couldn't see the point of continuing to play. The thought that had flashed through my mind so many times popped up again, and I felt very tired.

This is not because of the heavy training tasks that day, but the effect of mental pressure. I feel that this journey is very hard and tiring, and I really want to rest. For a long time, this kind of mental pressure mixed with anxiety and helplessness has made me very painful. When I achieved results, I felt that I could still support it. don't go. I said to Jiang Shan: "I don't want to fight anymore, I really don't want to fight anymore. Every opponent is so strong, I'm too tired, I can't hold on anymore." Jiang Shan is also very tired, which can be seen from his haggard face, as usual, he persuaded me: "No matter what you choose, I will support you, but I don't want you to regret it later, after all, we have come Here it is, how about we try it?"

At that time, I was too lazy to answer him and went to prepare for the game on my own. Maybe God didn’t want me to bid farewell to the tennis world too early, or maybe my opponent just happened to have some kind of injury. I won that match effortlessly, so easily that even I felt deeply uneasy. How could this be?Is there something wrong? It was really a good season for me. I was in good physical condition, and my leg injury didn't bother me. I played round after round, and it was surprisingly smooth!The more I played, the more confident I became. When I defeated Clijsters in the final to win the championship, I suddenly remembered the depression before the game, but at this time, it seemed that no difficulty could overwhelm me anymore.

I couldn't help but secretly muttered: In fact, this journey is not hard! Jiang Shan commented on me: You are a person who is easily influenced by the outside world. Happiness and pain come and go quickly. As long as your body is in good condition and the external environment is stable, you can perform at a better level. I think he might be right. In Sydney, I won the tour championship for the first time, and it was also the first time for a Chinese to win a high-level tour event, which made me a little excited.From my comeback in 2004 to the present, I have been moving forward step by step and making solid progress, which makes me very gratified.

The success of winning the championship in Sydney made me feel good in the next 2011 Australian Open. Coming to the Australian Open again, my mood is as clear as the sky in Melbourne. The Australian Open is the first of the four Grand Slam tournaments to be played each year, and is usually held in Melbourne during the last two weeks of January each year.At this time, the northern hemisphere is covered with ice and snow and the cold wind is howling, while Melbourne in the southern hemisphere is scorching summer.I like the Australian Open very much. In midsummer, the sun is strong and the sky is blue. This is my impression of the Australian Open.

Sometimes the temperature can soar to more than 30 degrees, even close to 40 degrees, which is undoubtedly a big obstacle for the competition.Some players hate the high temperature. The high temperature makes them sweat and can't think. From time to time, there will be heatstroke spectators being dragged down in the auditorium. Playing under such conditions is not like enjoying it. But I like it.The summer at the Australian Open reminds me of my childhood, those days when I ran on the scorching gray sand in bare feet wearing "pull back" sneakers, and the mercury thermometers on the street vendors' stalls sometimes burst suddenly because the temperature has far exceeded 40 degrees Celsius .

I am from Wuhan, and we Wuhan people are not afraid of anything, especially ghost weather. In addition to the weather, I am also happy that the Australian audience attaches great importance to court etiquette. When watching sports games, some basic etiquettes are the same, for example, try not to use flash when taking pictures, try not to walk around and make noise when athletes are playing games; keep mobile phones and other mobile communication devices on mute when watching games, etc.Some sports, such as "noble sports" such as snooker and tennis, have stricter requirements on the order of the field, and after a long period of development, the audience also recognizes and consciously abides by these requirements.

In the 2011 Australian Open, the match I participated in was arranged on the center court, which is a very large venue and the auditorium can accommodate 15,000 people.There is 5 minutes of activity time before each game. Two players are active on the field, and the commentator introduces the information of the players.During these 5 minutes, you will hear all kinds of voices from the stands, but once the referee says "Time", the scene is immediately silent, and you can almost feel that the audience even slowed down their breathing on purpose. You can hear a needle drop to the ground.The Australian Open has a history of more than 100 years since its inception. The audience is very familiar with and respects the rules of the tennis game, and everyone will take the initiative to maintain order in the court.When the players are playing, if the point is not finished, no one will make a loud noise. Everyone restrains their inner excitement and watches the game quietly, so as not to disturb the players on the field.Australia is an immigrant country, its citizens come from all over the world, people can get together because of tennis, and follow the rules together, which really touches me.

In this Australian Open, I made it to the quarter-finals calmly, without encountering too many obstacles. As usual, public opinion follows me everywhere, and my "breakup" with Thomas is frequently mentioned, but this no longer constitutes an obstacle for me to move forward.I "grew up," as Thomas hoped. In the semi-finals, the player I will face is Wozniacki of Denmark. Woz is the number one seed in the tournament. Her defense is very good. good. I played three sets with Woz that day. Woz was very stable and tenacious, but I was no longer a frizzy girl. In the end, I reversed the situation with a score of 3:6/7:5/6:3 , got a ticket to the final.

After the game, the host of the Australian TV station asked me: "Today is your wedding anniversary, isn't it?" This question really stumped me. I don't quite remember the exact date of our wedding. I think it was the 29th. I told the host: "I remember it was two days later." After I went back and compared it with Jiang Shan, I realized that I had made a mistake.But I think two people have a good relationship, as long as they know each other in their hearts, it doesn't have to be expressed in the form of anniversaries. I don't know if the Australian people think so.

The reporter asked me what supported me to reverse the game, and I said "bonus" by the way.Everyone laughed.In fact, this is also the truth. Tennis is my job. I get rewarded after I pay. I am very calm. What is there to be embarrassed about?Who doesn't get paid for their work? From the first game of the Australian Open in 2011, my press conference was held in the largest press conference hall. This is also a kind of treatment, probably because my year-end ranking in 2010 entered the top ten. .When I qualified for the final, the foreign media were extremely excited, after all, this is the first time a Chinese has entered the final of a Grand Slam tournament.Everyone has a feeling of excitement—in the pond of international tennis, there are finally new fish. I feel my heart beating gently, eager to win. There are two changing rooms on the center court at Melbourne Park, I usually go to the smaller one because there are fewer people and it is quieter. I come here regularly every year, and it feels like this small locker room is like a friend.The two staff in charge of managing the locker room often help me open and lock the cabinets. The one with short blonde hair is named Linda. She is a middle-aged woman in her 40s. She is very enthusiastic and cheerful. Every time she sees me, she will warmly follow me. I say hello and I like her a lot too.It felt like she was an old friend who was always there for me. I won the Sydney Tournament, and she saw it on TV early in the morning. When I arrived in Melbourne, she told me very proudly: "I have already left the locker for you." Only when you really hit the final, you will lead the ball boy when you play. The opponent in the final was old friend Clijsters, and we chatted for a while in the tunnel before the game.She's a great player and has been playing really well this season. Xiao Ke's desire for victory is no less than mine - she reached the final of the Australian Open 7 years ago, but she has never had a chance to win the cup. Grand Slam trophy. I knew it was going to be an uphill battle, but I didn't expect it to be that difficult.The match went on for over two hours, and I won the first set, but Clijsters, who was firing on all cylinders, was just perfect, and she fought back fiercely to take the second set. When the decider came on, my worst fears happened: Clijsters eventually came back and won the match, thanks to her impatience and lack of confidence.I got the runner-up. Standing on the podium, I wanted to say a few words to Jiang Shan. I am a person who does not know how to socialize, and I always feel that it is very awkward to say "thank you to the country and leaders". I can only speak to Jiang Shan. I just feel natural and relaxed.When the master of ceremonies handed me the microphone, I asked everyone, "Did you see that guy in the yellow T-shirt? He's my husband. I always make fun of him." All the audience's attention turned to Jiang Shan, and the camera lens was aimed at him immediately. I slowly said what was in my heart: "My husband, no matter whether you are fat or thin, handsome or ugly, I will always follow you and love you forever." After returning to the locker room, Linda and another staff member came to see me. It happened to be Linda’s birthday. She invited me to have a drink with them. Linda said to me: “We are very proud of you, although you Lost, but you're still great." After playing the Australian Open, we planned to return to China. The next day, we all set off to apply for visas together.Applying for a visa in Australia is faster than applying for a visa in China. You don’t need to bring any invitation form, you just need to bring two passports. As soon as I handed over the payment slip, the staff immediately recognized me: "Hi! I know who you are! I will call you around two o'clock, and you can pick it up then." After delivering the passports, we stopped by a certain luxury jewelry store. A clerk recognized me. She said that what I said was so touching that she cried in front of the TV. Finally she said Wish me and Jiang Shan happiness. Perhaps these are the most common things among human beings. After lunch, we went back to the hotel. At around two o'clock in the afternoon, we received a call saying that the visa application was completed and we were asked to pick it up.After getting the visa, we went back to the hotel and checked out the room, and then went directly to the airport to buy a ticket to return home. A British friend said that their culture seems to prefer failed heroes.Maybe they think that these people have to face more setbacks, and these people have to endure double tests in body and mind, but it is actually not easy. Therefore, many great works in British culture love to describe heroes in tragedies.She said, this is different from your culture, the Chinese always like winners. I think she said this to comfort me. There is no tennis player who does not pay attention to winning or losing. The meaning of our existence is to constantly improve our skills and pursue victory through continuous training. Although the Australian Open did not win the championship this time, the runner-up is also the best result achieved by an Asian in the history of the Grand Slam.The host said I was a "Chinese hero".I think it is too serious, I am not a hero, nor can I represent the Chinese people.I'm just a Chinese player, trying to do my job well. Many friends comforted me with words such as "the runner-up is already very good", "you have already made history", and the kind comfort of friends made me feel calmer a lot.I am already very happy to win the runner-up, but it also arouses my desire for the championship.When I buried myself in the cabin seat by myself and covered my face with a hat, I knew that the emotion surging in me was not joy, but the desire for a Grand Slam title. It's only one step away!After two weeks and six victories to enter the Grand Slam final, no matter whether I won the championship or the runner-up, I feel that it is not easy.But when I won the French Open title, I realized that the difference between the champion and the runner-up is unimaginable. I was a kid who didn't have a happy childhood, I didn't have winter and summer vacations, I didn't have time to watch TV dramas or cartoons, I spent all my spare time on the court, but it wasn't my choice, I only played because of my father Wish I did; As a teenager, I played because my coaches and my team needed me to, I was constantly fighting for my hometown, for national honor; During my retirement, I was on a college campus rethinking my In my life, I decided to be a free person. I am no longer influenced by the interests of others and the public opinion around me. I have contributed the first 22 years of my life. Now, I only do what I really want to do. What I most want to do for myself is: Win a Grand Slam trophy.