Who would still play tennis after being reborn?

Chapter 126 Zero Bidding

"Andreas, don't try to fight at the net with Cheng. He's much better at the net than you."

"If you don't use your ball skills, your strength, stamina, and even speed are your weaknesses, and you are better than him in these areas. You should use your strengths to attack his weaknesses."

"Playing at the net will only make him more comfortable to play against."

When Andreas was on the field for a rest, his coach Hans immediately got up.

Aside from prodigies like Gu Cheng, most professional players who are eligible to participate in the Bellevue Cup have coaches.

Those with money might even hire a nutritionist.

Even after Hans learned that Andreas's opponent was Gu Cheng, he had already given up all hope for Andreas.

But after watching the match and learning that Gu Cheng didn't intend to use his ball skills, his mind immediately started to work.

If he doesn't rely on his ball skills, Andreas is not without a chance.

Hans strode to the sidelines and whispered to Andreas, who was drinking water, "Listen to me, this is your last chance to beat CHENG."

Andreas looked up, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes: "Coach Hans, I know, but as you can see, even without using ball skills, CHENG's technique is far better than mine."

"I told you, don't try to match his net play. CHENG is a net-play player; his understanding of net play is too advanced. If you try to match his net play, you're no match for him," Hans said seriously.

Andreas said, "Coach Hans, it's not that I wanted to compete with him in net play, but rather that CHENG's net play speed was too fast. By the time I reacted, it was too late."

"Maybe," Hans frowned. "But don't overthink it. Remember our strategy. Don't let his net play lead you astray. Drag the game into your rhythm."

Andreas nodded. Although he knew that Gu Cheng's skills far surpassed his own, he still had a chance in this match if the opponent really gave up those exquisite tactics.

After the start of the second set, Andreas clearly changed his tactics.

He stopped trying to engage Gu Cheng at the net and instead used his strength and speed advantage to keep hitting the ball to the corners, forcing Gu Cheng to run.

Gu Cheng stood at the bottom line, a slight smile playing on his lips.

It seems that Andreas' coach has been doing some things off the court. At least he has figured out that when it comes to net play, Andreas, with his strength, will only be dominated by him.

In the stands, some professional players also noticed the change in the situation.

"CHENG definitely played differently today," a young professional player frowned. "But he didn't seem flustered, even a bit... composed?"

The old coach squinted at the situation on the court: "Even without skill, his strength is no less than that of any professional player. If he can improve his basic skills, the situation might be different when he plays in ATP tournaments and encounters those top professional players. It won't be like that one-point match a few days ago, where it only took five or six minutes to win by one point."

"Of course, top professional players like Federer probably won't just sit idly by."

"The competition hasn't even started yet, and there's still a long time to go, but both sides are already preparing for the upcoming major competition."

"But Andreas is very fast. Isn't he afraid of being worn down?"

The old coach gently shook his head: "It's not that he's not afraid, it's that he doesn't care at all. Gu Cheng has never won games based on strength and stamina."

The score on the field changed subtly.

3-1, Andreas took the first point of the second set, but Gu Cheng still firmly controlled the rhythm of the match.

Even so, the audience erupted in uproar.

"My God! Andreas won this game!"

"What exactly happened to CHENG? Did he underestimate his opponent?"

Hans stood on the sidelines with a slight smile on his face.

But shortly after the start of the fifth game, Gu Cheng suddenly sped up the pace.

He still didn't use complicated net play techniques, nor did he frequently approach the net, but every shot was precise and calm, as if he could anticipate Andreas's intentions.

Within just four or five minutes, Andreas felt his strength rapidly waning and his steps becoming heavy.

"How...how could he still be so relaxed?" Andreas gasped for breath, looking at Gu Cheng, who remained calm, with disbelief on his face.

Perhaps due to a significant emotional fluctuation, Andreas' return shot was clearly affected, but the result was surprisingly good.

A return shot that touched the net disrupted Gu Cheng's rhythm. Helpless, Gu Cheng had to move forward to hit the ball, but because he had too little time to react and not enough time to prepare his racket, he could only lightly tap the ball that had just crossed the net with his racket.

The volley at the net wasn't very fast, and Andreas rushed up to receive it. However, he didn't have time to prepare his backswing, and the battle between the two at the net began instantly.

Gu Cheng hit the ball directly to the left.

Because Andreas was also at the net, he intercepted a slow volley.

This kind of rapid net play is dazzling to watch.

The ball speed wasn't fast, but the frequency of the two players' swings was extremely high, giving the illusion of watching a table tennis match.

"Faced with this kind of short ball at the net, both Gu Cheng and Andreas chose to use a zero-backswing approach," Hu Li commented at the opportune moment.

"The core of net play is reaction speed. By shortening the backswing time, you can catch your opponent off guard and leave them no time to prepare."

"With these short balls, if you make a big swing, you won't even touch the ball."

"Simplifying the movements is for a better counterattack."

While Huli was explaining the simplified zero-backswing motion at the net, Gu Cheng suddenly lobbed a ball from the backcourt at the net, forcing Andreas to retreat and hit the ball.

However, this backward-moving shot not only resulted in a low-quality return, but also gave Gu Cheng ample time to react.

Gu Cheng's typical mid-court change of direction sent the tennis ball flying to one side.

After moving Andreas around, he continued to move closer to the net, and by the time Andreas was ready, the tennis ball had just flown over the net.

Gu Cheng stepped forward and delivered a precise smash to score another point, bringing the score to 15-0.

Ten minutes later, the score was changed again to 6:1.

With two 6-1 scores, Gu Cheng advanced to the next round without using any special skills.

Hans stood there, speechless for a long time.

Andreas walked off the court dejectedly, and Hans patted him on the shoulder: "If you lose, you lose. If you can't play in the Australian Open, then wait for the other three Grand Slams."

Andreas gave a wry smile: "What kind of person is he, really?"

Hans looked at Gu Cheng, who had already turned and left the field, his tone calm but tinged with seriousness:
"He's the kind of person who, even if he gives up half or even ninety percent of his strength, can still make you fight with all your might and still not see his back."

……

The temperature at the Bellevue Cup was dropping, and the stadium was empty and quiet under the lights.

In the locker room, Gu Cheng was sitting quietly in the corner, tying his shoelaces.

"Won?"

Yu Haoyang arrived at the locker room.

"Ah."

"A clean sheet?"

"No, that's not true. Andreas is very strong. It's difficult for him to shut out an opponent without using his skills," Gu Cheng said, shaking his head.

Yu Haoyang was not surprised. After all, the Bellevue Cup is an ITF Junior Level 1 tournament, and those who are qualified to participate in the Bellevue Cup are basically top 400 players, so their strength is beyond question.

"What about you?"

"I won, but by a small margin. I won the first set 6-3 and the second set 6-4. That guy was too fast. Even with my one-footed shuffling, I could only manage a draw. If it weren't for my half-volley that allowed me to get to the net, I might have lost today."

"Just a warm-up."

Gu Cheng muttered to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"The real challenge has only just begun."

(End of this chapter)