"Zhang Guan grabbed the foreign card quota that should have belonged to me! This year should be the same as in previous years. There are three foreign card quotas in the men's singles program for Australian local players, but in the end, Australian players only got two of them. The other one was given to Zhang Guan!"
"I don't know what method Zhang Guan used to get the wild card quota, but I'm pretty sure that it's not fair! Zhang Guan is a track and field athlete. He hasn't played any professional tennis games before. For the record, without a little ATP point, maybe he will not even serve. He is completely a layman. What qualifications does he have to get a Grand Slam wild card? It is a waste to give him a wild card quota!"
"The ATP professional tennis player's certificate? Didn't you check where the certificate came from? It was just a prize for a charity event! It simply cannot prove that he is a professional tennis player!"
"The sponsor foreign card is compliant, I certainly know that! If this sponsor foreign card is issued to professional tennis players, I have nothing to say, but now this foreign card is issued to a layman, which is unacceptable. Yes, I don't have a top sponsor, but I am a tennis player. I love tennis. I started to practice tennis when I was a kid. I practiced day and night, and I think that if you work hard, you will be rewarded! But, I didn't expect that this time I lost to a person with a sponsor! Sponsored foreign card? In my opinion, it is no different from spending money on buying a foreign card!"
This interview with Chris Guccione appeared in the media in Melbourne on the second day. Through Zhang Guan's participation in the Australian Open, this report was quickly heated up, and Guccione completely turned himself on. Being in the position of a weak man has also won the sympathy of many people. At the same time, Guccione's status as an Australian native player has also given him a lot of extra points.
A local radio station in Melbourne also conducted a street survey, asking some people's views on the matter.
"I think Guccione made a lot of sense. It is indeed an unfair thing to give an Australian Open foreign card quota to a track and field athlete!" Said, one interviewee.
"Zhang Guan is indeed a big-name player, but he is not a tennis player after all! The sponsor can get the wild card for the money? I'm really surprised! I sympathize with Guccione, and I also resent the Australian Open Organizing Committee's behavior." Another interviewee said.
"Zhang Guan? What else is he going to do, run faster? I don't even know if he will play tennis! I think he will be eliminated in the first round!" This interviewee was not optimistic about Zhang Guan.
"That Chinese man robbed our Australian players! God! Is this still the Australian Open? Tell me when Zhang Guan's game will start, yes, I'm going to watch his game and I'll give it to him as his boss! I want to see how he is eliminated!" This interviewee was very excited and dissatisfied with Zhang Guan.
At the same time, some sports commentators in Australia also spoke,
"The Australian Open now is not worthy of being a Grand Slam level tournament. This event is full of decay and money. An athlete who has never participated in a professional tennis game just because he has the world's top reputation and first-class sponsors, he can get the Australian Open qualification, which is an insult to this event! Zhang Guan appeared in the Australian Open, maybe it can attract more viewers to watch the Australian Open. Maybe it can improve the ratings of the TV broadcast, but this effect is probably only short term! I think Zhang Guan will be swept out in the first round! He can't win a set, maybe he can win a game, it is already good luck! Dear spectators, you are about to see a game counted in history, a game counted in history as a joke!"
...
On the training ground, Michael Joyce waved his hands helplessly and said to Sharapova not far away, "Maria, it looks like I will live up to your expectations this time! I have never seen a tennis player with such a perfect crown, technically, serve, receive, forehand, backhand, front ball, volleyball, high-pressure ball, and pace movement. He is very good at it and I can't find any weakness at all! There is also the treatment of the ball, even the king Sampras is nothing like this! Seriously, I have nothing to teach him. To put it bluntly, he was born for tennis!"
Michael Joyce is Sharapova's current coach, as well as a sparring, private doctor, and psychotherapist. It can be said that he is Sharapova's full-time nanny. He was once a professional player, he retired and became a tennis coach. The coach is also Sharapova's biggest contributor to the 2006 US Open championship and the 2008 Australian Open championship.
Zhang Guan is about to participate in this Australian Open match, but he does not have his coach. So Sharapova asked Joyce. By the way, as Zhang Guan's coach, Joyce also readily agreed to come down.
Coach Joyce originally thought that it should not be difficult to teach a newcomer, but in a few days, Coach Joyce found that he has nothing to guide Zhang Guan, physical fitness, technology, experience, what Zhang Guan showed is all perfect.
Sharapova shrugged helplessly. Zhang Guan's performance was also beyond her expectation. She even felt that Zhang Guan might get this year's Australian Open championship!
"I can't watch Zhang Guan practice again! The blow is too big! People used to say that I was a genius tennis girl, but compared with Zhang Guan, I seemed to be stupid, not even scum!" Sharapova was very unwilling. She pouted and said to Joyce, "So let's get out of here today! Would you like to eat together?"
Joyce shook his head and refused very consciously, "Forget it, I will not be a light bulb between you! Oh, yes, there seem to be a lot of reporters outside today, all for Zhang Guan, for a while. Pay attention when you leave!"
...
When Zhang Guan and Sharapova walked out of the training center, they did see a large group of reporters. The reporter also saw them and immediately surrounded them.
"Zhang Guan, Chris Guccione said that you have robbed his wild card quota, what do you think of this?" A reporter asked.
Zhang Guan was prepared. He said, "Competitive sports, of course, players with higher strength should get the chance to play. My strength is much higher than Guccione, so I take this wild card for granted!"
"But you have never played a professional tennis game!" A reporter said.
"So you don't know how strong I am!" Zhang Guan said immediately.
"You seem to be very confident in your strength, but now everyone thinks that you will be swept out in the first round!" A reporter said sarcastically.
"'Think' doesn't mean 'fact', does it?" Zhang Guan asked back, and then continued, "I only have one goal to participate in this Australian Open, and that is the Australian Open championship! This Australian Open championship!"