As the Indian Wells Masters were in full swing, there was also news in other arenas that could not be ignored: the 38-year-old Spanish veteran Vodasco won the challenge in Monterrey.
This is the second time he has won the Challenge after a gap of 14 years, and it is also the second time he has lifted the championship trophy after eight years after the 2016 Bucharest race.
When you think of Vodasco, what comes to mind? Which game? I am afraid that many people will mention the famous semi-final of the 2009 Australian Open, in a Spanish derby, he forced The final champion Nadal into danger. In the end, he lost in five sets and missed his first Grand Slam final, creating the best record of his career Grand Slam.
Unfortunately, it also became the highlight of his tennis career so far. Today, the world ranking has fallen a hundred miles away, and he can only travel around the world, participating in 7 challenges and low-level tour tournaments this year.
These days, news of Murray's 700 wins abounds, but Murray is a talented player, and he is second only to the Big Three.
Further down the row is the turn of the protagonist of our article, Vodasco. He ranks sixth on the active player wins list. It is currently 557 wins, alongside former U.S. Open champion Cilic, who is competing in the Indian Wells Masters.
As early as 2004, Vodasco won his first tour title, the Valencia Open. 2009 was undoubtedly his peak moment, and he reached the final four of the Australian Open and successfully reached the year-end finals at the end of that year.
In 2010, he also beat Djokovic in the semi-finals to reach the final of the Monte Carlo Masters, only to lose to his compatriot Nadal, again suffering a bitter defeat.
At Wimbledon in 2013, he reached the quarterfinals in one fell swoop, facing the last runner-up and local darling Murray, who was expected to write a script to reach the final four of the Grand Slam again, but was unfortunately reversed by the tenacious British.
At the 2016 Australian Open, he finally achieved revenge after experiencing the "seven-year itch", and eliminated Nadal in the first round, breaking out of the cold.
The 2017 Middle East event was the last glorious moment of Vodasco's career so far. He was first at the Doha Open, with multiple match points in his hands, and was eventually escaped by Djokovic.
In the final of the Dubai tournament, he lost to Murray and won only one runner-up title.
Nowadays, after many years of touching the trophy again, how can people not be overjoyed? Bless Vodasco! (Source: Tennis House Author: Luo ChengQiye)