Obviously, the two groups took the lead in the first and second rounds of the year-end finals, but the quality of the competition was unsatisfactory.
It tastes like chewing wax and has nothing to say about it.
Lethargic and lackluster.
Especially compared to the enthusiasm of the fans and audiences, this performance is really disappointing, which also makes reporters start to worry about next year.
However, were there no highlights at all in the group stage?
Not really.
Two consecutive wins does not mean qualifying; two consecutive losses does not mean elimination.
Of course, whether Federer and Djokovic are eliminated, or Ferrer and Raonic counterattack, these two situations are objective but complicated possibilities with very slim chances.
In the four matchups in the final round of the group stage, winning or losing two sets or winning or losing three sets may lead to different results, and other possible chances are undoubtedly greater.
Overall, the qualifying situation of Group A and Group B is exactly the same. The results of the two games in the group may produce sixteen possibilities and lead to different results.
From here, it once again proved that the chaotic pattern of the 2014 season was complete. Even though Djokovic and Federer still had the advantage, the chaos was complete.
Perhaps, people should be more patient, give these players a little more time, especially the young players, and then look forward to their future.
It's a pity that the chaos in the qualifying situation has not been able to trigger more discussions, because the one-sidedness in the group stage has cut off many possible derivatives. The most likely one is that Djokovic and Federer won three consecutive victories, and another duel The winner advances to the semi-finals, it's that simple.
In the final analysis, there is still a lack of suspense.
Then, unexpectedly, it happened again——
For a while, people couldn't tell whether it was the chaos that lasted throughout 2014 that caused the accidents, or whether these accidents made the chaos in 2014 even higher.
On the morning of the fifth match day, Raonic held an emergency press conference:
"Unfortunately, I have to withdraw from the remainder of the year-end finals due to a mild tear in my quadriceps, although it is very regrettable and very sad."
"It was a difficult decision. The fans want to see a great show and now I can't do that."
"I need to say sorry to the fans. I will do my best next year to try to come to the London stage again."
boom!
Boom boom boom!
Breaking news.
In fact, everything has already been foreshadowed. Raonic has been struggling with injuries since the beginning of the Magic City. However, the situation is slightly different from Gao Wen. Facing the opportunity to appear in the year-end finals for the first time in his career, Raonic Nicki and his team decided to go all out and compete with full attendance.
Of course, Raonic did it and became the first person born in the 1990s.
But at the same time, the price paid on the physical level is also painful.
The quadriceps brachii is the strongest muscle group in the human body. It is located on the front of the thigh and occupies almost three-quarters of the front of the thigh. It is the most important muscle to maintain the human body's upright posture and walking posture. It is precisely because of this that Raonic's thigh has been bandaged since the game.
Injuries are very, very bad at any time, because recovery is difficult, and because even if you recover successfully, you are no longer in your original physical condition, and you need to put in more effort if you want to regain your best condition.
When the press conference was held, both Gao Wen and Dimitrov were watching the live broadcast on the TV and were completely stunned——
Obviously, Raonic has been hesitating and struggling. After all, he still doesn't want to make the decision to retire under the most difficult circumstances.
Raonic and his team have been observing the body's reaction to monitor injuries, and went to the hospital in the morning before making a difficult choice. Before the decision was made, the situation was still unclear, so they naturally did not leak any news.
Both Gao Wen and Dimitrov are very worried about Raonic's situation, especially Gao Wen. He himself clearly knows how terrible the injury is.
"Milos, how is your injury?"
"It's just a minor tear at the moment, but in order to avoid it getting worse, I have no choice. I still need to return to Toronto for further examination to know the specific situation."
"Step by step, after experiencing the wind and rain, you can see a broader world."
"I know. Also, good luck in the finals."
Text messages, back and forth, Gao Wen and Dimitrov were not able to be with their friends, at least to give Raonic some support in this way.
Then, Raonic mentioned a very important thing:
Gao Wen, as the first substitute, will soon make his debut at the O2 Arena.
However, this is definitely not the way Gao Wen expected himself to appear on the year-end finals stage; to think about it from another perspective, Gao Wen is stepping onto the court to replace Raonic, and at the same time, he is also stepping onto the court on behalf of the younger generation born after 1990. The heavy responsibility that weighs heavily on our shoulders is different.
"Milos, stand behind me and let's cheer together."
"I'll be watching live. Make a fist!"
Raonic's emergency press conference ended, and the ATP held an official press conference immediately, announcing that Gao Wen would soon appear in the game as the first substitute.
Things suddenly became interesting——
After Raonic, another new blood who rose rapidly in the 2014 season is about to debut, which also means that a third fresh face will appear in this year's year-end finals.
So, how will Gawain's performance be?
Moreover, Gawain's opponent in the first and last group match was Kei Nishikori.
This is not only a rematch of the US Open quarterfinals, but also a duel between two freshmen in the year-end finals, and even more so a confrontation between two Asian players.
"Gawain, go to the O2 Arena..."
The ATP's official press conference is underway, and Sampras, Peart, Tobias and others have already appeared on stage with great fanfare.
"There's no time, hurry up and get in the car."
"Gregor, let's go there together."
Hula la, they came and went in a hurry, and the group of people disappeared without a trace.
According to the schedule, the singles and doubles matches of the year-end finals will be played together. The O2 Arena will arrange four games every day, two singles and two doubles, and they will be played in a staggered manner.
Today, the first game at the O2 Arena is a doubles, the second game is "Kei Nishikori VS Raonic"; the third game is a doubles again, and the last game is a battle of giants "Federer VS Murray".
In other words, Gawain really has no time to delay now——
Generally speaking, in order to prepare for a game, you need to warm up three to four hours in advance before the game, and the warm-up time needs to be adjusted according to the actual situation; at the same time, adjustments need to be made according to the opponent, and pre-match preparations must not be sloppy.
But now everything happened so fast, and before he was prepared, Gawain was about to appear.
The only good thing is that there is still a doubles match. From a time perspective, it should be too late. I don’t know what Gawain’s mental state is.
Sampras turned around and looked over, only to find that they were all in a panic, but Gawain had a firm gaze. He had regained his concentration. It was like a sharp knife coming out of its sheath, and he was exuding an aura of excitement. of edge.
The answer is self-evident.
