Return to 2002: Freestyle Superstar

Chapter 604: Constantly competing between upshifting and downshifting
At the Monte Carlo Masters, Chen Ran is undoubtedly still listed as the top seed.

In short, in all the competitions before the US Open, as long as Chen Ran signed up, he would be the top seed.

Never mind if he played the game as a warm-up.

Chen Ran won the first game with great difficulty.

What was even more confusing to the audience was that Chen Ran's performance in the game was up and down, sometimes good and sometimes bad.

He won the first set easily.

In the second set, after a tough battle, I was narrowly defeated by my opponent.

In the third set, the two sides were tied at 6-6, and then entered the tie-break. Chen Ran won the game 7-1.

This disappointed many people who expected Chen Ran to be eliminated in the first round.

“This feels good…”

Chen Ran increasingly felt that he was able to be like Djokovic after he turned 30, able to change gears at will during a game, constantly upshifting and downshifting.

Therefore, some people gave Djokovic a nickname, the most perfect tennis machine.

It's powerful and impeccable, but it's far from entertaining.

Chen Ran’s tennis is quite entertaining to watch.

But compared with Federer, he lacks the elegance and calmness, and appears more murderous.

Chen Ran knows that if he wants to remain competitive after he turns 30 or even 35, he must adapt his body to the constant upshift and downshift race.

Tennis matches are already very exhausting. If he tries his best in every game, it will be difficult for him to remain competitive after the age of 30.

Just like Hewitt, due to the limitations of his physical talents, he had to go all out in every game, which eventually made his body overwhelmed.

In the second round in Monte Carlo, Chen Ran played very calmly.

The scores of both sets were 6-4, and he broke serve exactly once in each set.

Chen Ran likes this rhythm of the game and really enjoys the feeling of having everything under control.

However, in the third round, he met a clay court master from Latin America.

Although this guy is only ranked 70th in the world, he basically only plays clay court matches all year round and scores points on the clay courts all year round.

Often after the clay court season ends, this guy's ranking rises to around 30th, and then he starts his vacation.

Chen Ran had a very painful time in this match.

Every plate is in a state of anxiety.

Even after entering the seventh game, Chen Ran did not show the same strong performance as before.

Three sets, two tie-breaks.

Chen Ran finally won the game with difficulty 2 to 1.

During the game, the opponent even got two match points.

After the quarterfinals, Chen Ran's odds of winning began to soar.

When the outside world really thought that Chen Ran had ideas about the championship, this guy lost two sets in a row in the quarterfinals to a player from Russia.

Quarterfinals, this was his result at the Monte Carlo Masters.

Coincidentally, his girlfriend, who was also the defending champion of the Stuttgart Porsche Grand Prix, was in mediocre form and unexpectedly stopped in the quarterfinals.

The two of them acted as if they had made an agreement.

In the end, Chen Ran and Ivanovich met in Madrid.

Last year's WTA year-end finals was held in this city. Ivanovic, who had left Chen Ran, was eliminated early in the group stage.

This time, she is back with her boyfriend and hopes to get back to her best form. Since the 2007 season, the Serbian beauty has not made it to the finals and has not even served a plate.

"Honey, are you really accumulating strength for the French Open?"

Ivanovich also noticed Chen Ran's ups and downs, and there have been such rumors in the outside world.

"What do you think?" Chen Ran asked with a smile, looking relaxed.

At this moment, the two had just finished training.

If we only look at the results after the Australian Open, Ivanovic is actually better than Chen Ran. She has reached the semi-finals at least several times, while Chen Ran has only reached the quarter-finals once.

Especially the "Sunshine Double Tournament" where Chen Ran had achieved brilliant results, this year there are only 32 and 16 teams.

This is his worst record in history.

"I think so. Nadal is very difficult to deal with on the clay court. I know you have been analyzing last year's match." Ivanovic analyzed.

Chen Ran nodded and said, "The reason why I lost in the final last year was not only because Nadal's left hand, which magnified his advantage on the clay court, but also because my physical fitness fluctuated at the last crucial moment."

In fact, last year, he was also holding back before the French Open, so his performance was just so-so.

But even so, facing the long and arduous clay court season, it still puts a great test on Chen Ran's physical fitness.

Clay court tournaments are a war of attrition.

"Do you really want to win the annual Grand Slam?" Ivanovich asked excitedly.

Chen Ran replied calmly: "I think this year should be the best opportunity."

"So you're sacrificing those tournaments, which is a bit of a risk, but it's worth it if it works."

"Yes, but I haven't thought about it that far yet. The main issue is the French Open..." Chen Ran paused and continued, "My clay court strength can certainly pose a threat to Rafael, but we actually know each other very well, and he also knows how to play against me."

Nadal, a left-handed player, can use his best topspin ball to attack his backhand again and again.

What can Chen Ran do?
This is not a grassy field, he can be crude and rough.

If one beat doesn't work, then two beats. If two beats still don't work, then three beats should be fine.

But on the clay court, Chen Ran's attacks often ended in failure.

And Nadal's shots clearly show that he wants to keep wasting time with you, constantly draining your energy, waiting for you to make mistakes, and then wearing you out.

This is a naked conspiracy.

No solution!

Nadal in the simulated training ground has varied tactics, but they are not as targeted as Nadal in real life.

After all, intelligent virtual characters are not as smart as real people.

Ivanovic also recalled last year's game and said with a wry smile: "Compared to the one-sided match between me and Henin, your final was much more tragic. It's too difficult when I think about it now."

"Once Rafael steps onto the clay court, she gives people the feeling that she is invincible."

Chen Ran was also aware of this, and what made him even more helpless was.

The method he currently uses to hold back during the game still cannot fool Nadal.

The other party has seen through my thoughts.

The only way is to constantly adjust gears during the game.

In the future, when I compete in the French Open, I will be able to use this method to disrupt my opponent's rhythm.

……

(End of this chapter)