Who would still play tennis after being reborn?

Chapter 170 Competition
In response to some speculations and analyses on the internet, tennis technical expert Tom Gulickson conducted a detailed comparison of the technical characteristics of the two players.

"Gu Cheng's strengths lie in his serve and net play. His serve is not only fast and powerful, but also has a variety of spins and landing points, which can effectively suppress his opponents."

His net play is also very precise and his reaction is quick, often delivering a fatal blow to his opponent at the net.

Djokovic's strength lies in his baseline rallies and counter-attacking style.

His baseline shots are extremely consistent, allowing him to maintain a good level of performance during long rallies and find his opponent's mistakes.

His defensive ability is exceptional; he can tenaciously save many seemingly certain points and then seize the opportunity to counterattack.

In this match, whoever can better utilize their strengths is more likely to win.

In his column, sports commentator John McEnroe wrote: "This match between Gu Cheng and Djokovic is not just an ordinary tennis match; it may become a major turning point in the development of tennis."

If Gu Cheng can defeat Djokovic, it will prove to the world that tennis needs innovation and breakthroughs, and that seemingly unbelievable skills can also succeed in professional matches.

If Djokovic can defend his honor, it will once again prove that experience and skill still play a crucial role in tennis.

Regardless of the outcome, this match will be etched in tennis history.

Sports commentator John McEnroe's analysis was posted online and then wildly reposted on global tennis forums.

On the tennis subreddit of Reddit, users used colored tactical boards to break down this comment sentence by sentence.

A mechanical engineer known as "Serving Machine" created a dynamic model: "Based on the serving data mentioned by Gulikson, Gu Cheng's ball toss height is 12 centimeters lower than Djokovic's average, but the racket head speed at the moment of impact is 18 kilometers per hour faster."

This difference results in two completely different serve styles—Gu Cheng's serve is more like a cannonball, while Djokovic's serve is like a precision-guided missile.

This analysis quickly received a like and reply from Gulikson himself, triggering a chain reaction.

Former Wimbledon champion Boris Becker added on Twitter: "Gulikson missed a key statistic: Gu Cheng's volley position is 45 centimeters ahead of the ATP average, which reduces his volley reaction time by 0.3 seconds, but also means that his defensive area is increased by 20%."

If Djokovic's deep baseline shot lands precisely at his feet, Gu Cheng's net advantage will instantly turn into a disadvantage.

These remarks made "intercepting defensive blind spots" a hot search term that day. Some netizens dug up videos of Gu Cheng's 37 net play errors in the second round and found that 29 of them came from the opponent's low passing shots.

John McEnroe's "turning point theory" quickly sparked cross-disciplinary discussions in the academic field after it was published in the sports section of The New York Times.

David Harper, Professor of Sports Sociology at Cambridge University, published a lengthy article: "This match is essentially a contest between two paths of sports evolution—Gu Cheng's 'technological explosion' and Djokovic's 'system perfection'."

When Borg revolutionized tennis in 1976 with his one-handed backhand, he was considered heretical; now McEnroe's judgment is repeating history.

This paper caused a stir in the academic community, and Stanford University even temporarily opened a seminar on "Technological Ethics in Tennis," using this match as a case study in the first session.

Under the topic of "tennis technique," professional coaches have started to create comparison videos.

Former Chinese national tennis team coach Jiang Shan explained in slow motion: "Gulikson's 'fatal blow at the net' actually stems from Gu Cheng's unique grip - his Eastern-style forehand grip is 15 degrees more tilted than the standard posture, which allows the racket face to rotate an additional 30 degrees when volleying."

But Djokovic's 'defense-counter-attack' has a hidden killer move: he suddenly changes his hitting rhythm around the eighth shot of a rally. This timing tactic has even caused Federer trouble.
The video garnered over 500 million likes, and the comment section was flooded with challenge videos imitating the two techniques.

The sports business world reacted more keenly to McEnroe's "turning point theory".

Wall Street analysts pointed out in a research report: "If Gu Cheng wins, the technology iteration cycle of the tennis equipment market will be shortened from 3 years to 18 months, and the valuation of the related industry chain may be increased by $200 billion."

Discussions on social media reveal a clear generational divide.

On Bilibili, under the topic "Gen Z's View on Tennis," young netizens are more likely to agree with McEnroe's innovation theory: "Djokovic's 'steadiness first' style of play should have been eliminated long ago! Look at Gu Cheng's serve highlights, this is the kind of tennis that Gen Z should be watching!"

In the "Old Guns Chat Room" on Hupu, fans born in the 70s countered: "When Nadal subverted tradition with his super topspin in 2008, some people said Federer was finished. But what happened? The essence of tennis is still a battle of wits in the rally."

This debate has even spilled over into the real world, with a "new versus old" match taking place at a tennis court in Beijing, where young people imitate Gu Cheng's serve and middle-aged and older tennis players replicate Djokovic's baseline dance moves.

Tech-savvy netizens delved into the hidden information in Gulikson's comments.

Some people noticed that he deliberately avoided Gu Cheng's backhand weakness: "Gu Cheng's backhand success rate in the first three rounds was only 68%, which is 22 percentage points lower than his forehand. This is exactly the area that Djokovic is best at attacking."

This discovery sparked a data war, with netizens supporting Gu Cheng immediately posting a distribution chart of his serve landing points: "But his backhand serves account for as much as 43%, which is obviously a deliberate attempt to lure the opponent into attacking and then counter with a volley at the net. This is a typical trap tactic."

A more professional tennis coach demonstrated in the live broadcast: "What Gulikson didn't say is that Djokovic has a trick for dealing with players with good serves - deliberately standing further back, making the opponent think that they can easily score, but in fact, he is prolonging the rally and exhausting their energy."

McEnroe's remarks have triggered a chain reaction in the international sports world.

F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton posted on Instagram: "This reminds me of the era when hybrid engines replaced V8s. Some people said that technology would ruin motorsport, but now it seems that innovation is what makes the sport more exciting."

This cross-disciplinary commentary propelled the hashtag #SportsInnovationVSTraditionalism# to the top of the trending topics. Go world champion Ke Jie also joined the discussion: "When AlphaGo appeared, some people said it ruined Go, but now human players' thinking has become more open. Gu Cheng's significance may be similar; he is forcing the entire tennis world to evolve."

Academic journals reacted with even greater rigor. The journal *Sports Biomechanics* urgently reprinted a special issue on "The Technological Revolution in Tennis," with a cover featuring an illustration of Gu Cheng's muscle activation during his serve.

One of the papers pointed out: "The difference in serve spin mentioned by Gulikson actually reflects the difference in training systems between the two generations of athletes - Djokovic's 'systematic training' emphasizes the precision of repetitive movements, while Gu Cheng's 'non-linear training' focuses more on the speed of neural reaction."

In an interview, the magazine's editor-in-chief predicted: "Regardless of the outcome of the matches, there will be a clear divergence of schools of thought in tennis training science over the next five years."

In Melbourne, the influence of expert opinions has permeated the area surrounding the stadium.

Sales of the same serve practice device worn by Gu Cheng surged by 300% at the souvenir shop outside Rod Laver Arena, forcing the shop to urgently restock.

Djokovic's classic backhand training video DVDs were placed in the most prominent position, with Gulikson's comment printed on the packaging: "The art of baseline rallies never goes out of style."

Even more interestingly, local betting companies have launched a new "technical style betting" option, where bets are placed on "serve win percentage above 60%" or "rounds exceeding 30 shots," and participation has even surpassed that of traditional betting on the winner directly.

This influence has also permeated the field of youth tennis training. The registration system of a well-known tennis school in Beijing shows that in the past week, the number of parents inquiring about the "Innovative Technology Class" has increased by 270%, and the course consultants have had to repeatedly explain: "The triple spin serve requires a specific type of muscle, and it is not suitable for all children."

In Serbia, the number of applicants to the Djokovic Tennis Academy has also reached a new high. In an interview, the principal emphasized: "We still insist on basic training because Guliksen is right, the premise of playing to your strengths is that you have no weaknesses."

As the match day approaches, the discussions sparked by expert opinions have intensified.

The Times Sports section dedicated an entire page to a "Timeline of Technological Showdowns," starting from the Open Era in 1968 and tracing the impact of each tennis technological innovation.

The final paragraph reads: "McEnroe's 'turning point' prediction may be coming true—when Gu Cheng's racket and Djokovic's shoes stepped onto the hard court in Melbourne at the same time, this contest has already transcended the outcome itself and become an important landmark in the history of sports evolution."

In the Weibo "final prediction" poll, the originally evenly matched support rates have shown a subtle change - 72% of voters over 35 years old support Djokovic, while 68% of voters under 25 years old bet on Gu Cheng to win.

This generational difference precisely confirms McEnroe's judgment: this game was not only a contest between two people, but also a clash of two sports philosophies, and history will remember this moment full of disagreements yet incredibly exciting.

As the competition date approaches, a tense yet exciting atmosphere permeates the streets and alleys of Melbourne.

Around the Australian Open venue, there were promotional posters for the match everywhere, with huge photos of Gu Cheng and Djokovic being particularly eye-catching.

Tickets were extremely difficult to obtain. As soon as the draw results were announced, tickets for the match were sold out. Many fans were even willing to pay high prices to buy scalped tickets just to witness this epic showdown.

As a result of this quarter-final match, the Australian Open organizers made a fortune; no other match has ever been as popular as this one.

If it weren't for the venue limitations of tennis matches, the Australian Open organizers would have preferred to hold the tournament in a venue that could seat hundreds of thousands of people.

However, this is a very unlikely thing.

You won't find a competition venue like this anywhere else in the world.

Gu Cheng and Djokovic's training sessions have also attracted much attention.

Whenever they appear at the training ground, they are surrounded by a large number of media and fans.

Gu Cheng remained low-key and focused during training. He constantly practiced his serve and various hitting techniques, and also analyzed Djokovic's match videos with his coach to study countermeasures.

Djokovic, on the other hand, displayed the demeanor of a world number one. He was relaxed and at ease during training, frequently communicating with his coach and teammates, and always had a confident smile on his face.

But those who know him well know that he attaches great importance to this match and has been making thorough preparations for it in private.

At the pre-match press conference, both Gu Cheng and Djokovic expressed their anticipation for the match.

With a determined look in his eyes, Gu Cheng said, "Djokovic has always been my idol, and it is an honor to be able to play against him on the court. I will do my best and perform at my best. No matter the result, I will have no regrets."

Djokovic responded with a smile: "Gu Cheng is a very talented young player, and his skills have impressed me."

This match will be very challenging, but I am well prepared and confident that I can perform to my full potential.

These statements from the two players have made fans even more excited for the match.

The night before the match, the whole of Melbourne was immersed in a tense yet exciting atmosphere.

Fans gathered in bars, restaurants, and squares to watch pre-match programming on big screens and discuss the various possibilities of the game.

Meanwhile, Gu Cheng and Djokovic were making their final preparations in their respective hotel rooms. Gu Cheng lay on his bed, reflecting on his journey so far, his heart filled with emotion.

He knew this game would be the most important of his career, and he had to give it his all to fight for his dream.

Djokovic did some simple warm-up exercises in his room, then sat on the sofa, quietly thinking about the tactics and strategies for the match.

He knew that this match was crucial and he had to defend his honor and prove that he was still the king of tennis.

As night falls, Melbourne's sky is illuminated by dazzling lights, and everyone eagerly anticipates the highly anticipated match the following day.

The clash between Gu Cheng and Novak Djokovic, a battle of the new and the old, a showdown of miracles and legends, is about to begin at the Australian Open, and the outcome of this match will captivate the hearts of countless people.

At 6:07 a.m., as the sunrise over Melbourne just climbed over the Yarra River, the metal fence outside Rod Laver Arena was already covered with a large crowd of people.

Emily, a volunteer wearing an orange sweatshirt, is stamping the backs of the hands of fans in line with a marker. The fluorescent stamp, bearing the Australian Open logo, will show the invisible words "Priority Entry" under ultraviolet light—a perk prepared by the organizing committee for die-hard fans who have been queuing overnight.

Her rubber gloves were stained with colorful paint, which she had gotten on them while stamping a fan's face with Gu Cheng's.

“That’s the 127th!” Emily sighed at the number on the registration form, the long line of people behind her already stretching for three blocks.

At the head of the line, Zhou Mingyuan, an elderly Chinese man, was pouring Pu'er tea for his companion from a thermos. He had taken the early morning train from Sydney and had a commemorative badge from the 2008 Australian Open pinned to his canvas bag.

"I was there when Djokovic won his first title here that year."

The old man stroked the young face on the badge, "Now I want to see for myself if anyone can bring him down."

The young man next to him held up a homemade light sign. The words "Gu Cheng" were spelled out in LED lights to form a rotating tennis ball pattern. The battery had already been replaced for the third time.

The broadcast center inside the stadium gets up earlier than the fans.

Next to ESPN's broadcast van, Technical Director Mark was adjusting a 4K ultra-high-definition camera, the lens pointed at a net support frame wrapped with seven colored stripes. "See these colored stripes?"

He demonstrated to the interns, "The red mark at 1.05 meters is Djokovic's favorite backhand hitting spot; the blue mark at 0.8 meters is where Gu Cheng likes to hit his volleys. The AI ​​will track the ball's trajectory in real time and automatically generate a predicted trajectory on the screen."

Thirty meters away in the BBC broadcast booth, commentator Andrew was practicing his opening remarks in front of a mirror. His notebook was filled with strange symbols: "×" represented Gu Cheng's triple spin serve, "○" marked Djokovic's sliding defense, and in the margin was written "The first break point may occur in the 27th minute"—a mystical pattern he had derived from studying the two players' previous matches.

(End of this chapter)