Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 218: Claiming Post-Match Rewards - My Attributes Exploded, the Advantage is in My Hands!
After the press conference, Jiang Hong returned to his hotel.

To be honest, I really expended a lot of energy today; I felt a bit unsteady while walking.

Jiang Hong lay on the physiotherapy bed covered with a white sterile towel, his body trembling slightly after the intense competition.

After the excitement of victory faded, fatigue and soreness began to creep in.

"The trunk temperature is high, and there is a significant amount of lactic acid buildup, especially in the left external oblique muscle," Fu Yunlong concluded after examining the area.

Although this guy is a bit of a goofball, he's actually very professional when it comes to physical therapy.

Jiang Hong simply lay quietly on the bed without saying a word.

Because Jiang Hong was quite familiar with Nalbandian's information, he didn't have Mark Jie stand beside him to give an introduction today.

It was just playing videos of Nalbandian's matches from the past two days.

According to Jiang Hong's memories from his previous life, 2007 seemed to be the peak of Nalbandian's career.

The Madrid Masters and the Paris Masters also appear to be the only two Masters titles each other has ever won.

However, Jiang Hong snatched one from Madrid, and now they've met again in the final of the Paris Masters.

However, Jiang Hong is determined to win this back-to-back championship.

In that case, we'll just have to make do with Nalbandian.

Fu Yunlong picked up the transparent cooling spray and sprayed a layer of white mist onto Jiang Hong's obviously reddened back thigh. Instantly, the skin surface looked as if it had been frosted over, bringing a brief numbing sensation.

Subsequently, Fu Yunlong began to perform deep pressure and myofascial release on Jiang Hong.

"Alright!" Fu Yunlong turned around and said.

"It's over?" Jiang Hong didn't expect it to be over so quickly.

Fu Yunlong, holding a stainless steel fascia knife, turned his head and said with a cruel smile, "No! It's just that the previous project has ended!"

Then he began scraping around Jiang Hong's right scapula and posterior deltoid muscle.

All that could be heard was a rustling sound and Jiang Hong's breathing.

Although it was very painful at first, it became much easier after the scraping.

After about forty minutes, today's physical therapy session was over.

"Alright, get some rest!"

After seeing Fu Yunlong off, only Jiang Hong remained in the room.

"system!"

Jiang Hong immediately called out in his mind.

Instantly, the familiar azure blue panel appeared before my eyes.

[Ding! Congratulations, host, for completing the suggestion. Would you like to claim your reward?]

"receive!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Hong made his choice decisively.

The next second, a treasure chest appeared on the panel.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have gained +1 Advanced Physical Fitness Attribute Point and +2 Advanced Speed ​​Attribute Points!]

"nice one!"

Jiang Hong was pleasantly surprised, as these were all attribute points that could directly improve his combat power.

My current strength is all thanks to my hard work.

"System, give me some points!"

Physical fitness: 92 → 93

Speed: 86 → 88

Jiang Hong felt that his physical fatigue had lessened considerably.

Jiang Hong was initially worried that he might lack the stamina for tomorrow's match.

It seems there's no need to worry about this now.

I stretched, then turned on my computer and logged into Baidu Tieba.

As soon as I entered, I saw a post.

[Let's have a rational discussion. What is Jiang Shen's (Jiang Shen's) status in the tennis world after giving Nadal a bagel today?]

"OP's title is clickbait! This isn't just a free gift, it's a veritable Manchu Han Imperial Feast!"

"I said it before, Madrid was just a trailer, the Paris Masters was the real show!"

"To be honest, I just looked up Nadal's history of being defeated 6-0, and it's quite a few times."

"In 2004, I was bageled by Roddick at the US Open; in 2004, I was bageled by Benneteau at Lyon; in 2005, I was bageled by Gaudio at the Clay Court Open in Argentina; in 2005, I was bageled by Coria at Monte Carlo; in 2006, Federer bageled me at Wimbledon; in 2007, Federer bageled me at Hamburg; and now, I was bageled by Jiang at the Paris Masters."

"Wow, looking at it this way, Nadal has been bageled so many times!"

"A Collection of Bizarre Behaviors in Tennis Today:"
Nadal: I want revenge
Jiang Hong: [Here's a duck egg for you]

Nadal: ???

"Sigh, Jiang Shen's performance today was just average. He couldn't even break Nadal's serve. The young man still needs to keep working hard (doge emoji)."

The netizens are really into using memes.

After reading about Nadal's experience, Jiang Hong stroked his chin and muttered something to himself.

"We've been shut out so many times, one more time won't make a difference, right?"

After admiring the compliments from his fellow forum members, Jiang Hong checked the time.

"An hour has already passed so quickly."

"We have more important business to attend to!"

Jiang Hong's fingers immediately began typing on the keyboard, and soon a new post appeared on the tennis forum.

Thanks to the help of all the cyber coaches, I, Jiang Hong, have successfully defeated Nadal and reached the Paris Masters final. Tomorrow I will face David Nalbandian. Do any of the coaches have any good suggestions?

Jiang Hong then uploaded several more group photos.

As soon as the post was published, Jiang Hong refreshed the page and saw hundreds of replies appearing below the post.

"Huh? The guy who made Nadal get a zero score, and you want me to coach you?"

"That's right, Jiang Shen, do you think I'm some kind of 'busybody'?"

"Jiang Shen, there's already a thick barrier between us. I moved my lips, and all I can say is, 'Awesome!'"

"I'm going to apply for a job at a tennis club later, and I'll write on my resume that I once coached tennis superstar Jiang Hong."

"At the beginning, I never expected that Nalban would make it to the finals!"

"Indeed, Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, and Davydenko were all eliminated early."

"Hey, upstairs, two of the top four in the world this time were eliminated by Jiang Shen."

"Nalbandian is also a volatile player. I thought he could win a Grand Slam, but he didn't even win a Masters title."

Jiang Hong felt a little guilty after seeing this reply.

Nalbandian originally had two Masters titles in his career, but he has now stolen one and is eyeing his second title.

"Before the 2003 Masters Cup, Nalbandian and Federer had a 5-0 record against each other, and at that time I favored Nalbandian."

"But I didn't expect Federer to have achieved such a terrifying record, while Nalbandian doesn't even have a Masters title."

“I’ve been following Nalbandian’s matches closely. His style is characterized by double-handed backhands and powerful shots, a return-of-the-serve machine, and unpredictable play.”

"He really likes to attack the ball when it's on the rise, so hit more body shots and don't let him comfortably turn to the side. Once his center of gravity is off, his backhand power will decrease."

Finally, Jiang Hong spotted a comment among a large number of humorous comments.

[Ding! A suggestion has been detected: In the 2007 Paris Masters final, hit 10 body shots against Nalbandian and score a point. Reward unknown. Would you like to add this to your playlist?]

"Include it!"

Jiang Hong also knew a lot about Nalbandian, and this suggestion was indeed reasonable. Jiang Hong decisively chose to include it.

Then, he continued browsing the posts, looking for useful advice.

After a long time, Jiang Hong finally saw another one.

"Nalbandian really likes to attack from the baseline, so it's best for Jiang Shen not to get bogged down with him, after all, today's match against Nadal has taken a lot of energy out of him."

"He's a tactical mastermind, so don't try to match his tempo. Use slices or light blocks to disrupt Nalbandian's rhythm, force him into 5 unforced errors and score. Reward: Tactics +1. Add to play?"

Nalbandian is a renowned tactical mastermind in the tennis world.

He was even called the Kasparov of tennis, that is, the chess king.

We definitely need to do more tactical preparation to deal with Nalbandian.

"Include it!"

Whether it can be completed or not is not important; let's just include it first.

If you manage to complete it but it's not recorded, wouldn't that be like watching the reward slip away for nothing?
Jiang Hong then swung downwards for a while longer.

"Jiang Shen, I suggest you take a picture of the trophy with your name engraved on the thickest branch and post it on the forum."

[Ding! A new suggestion has been detected. Your name has been engraved on the thickest branch of the Paris Masters championship trophy, and a photo has been uploaded to the forum. Reward: Unknown. Incorporate?]

"Included!"

The Paris Masters trophy is shaped like a tree branch, with each player's name engraved on it, and the champion's name engraved on the thickest branch.

This advice is all about winning the championship!

Jiang Hong searched again, and although there were many suggestions, none of them were reliable or offered any reward.

Jiang Hong exited the forum, stretched, and decided to get some rest.

……

The next day, Djokovic's expression was very strange when he saw Jiang Hong.

"Novak, why are you looking at me like that?" Djokovic's question left Jiang Hong somewhat bewildered.

"You went too far, beating Rafa 6-0 yesterday," Djokovic said shrugged and teased.

To be honest, this score does look rather cruel.

Jiang Hong shrugged and said with a helpless expression.

"Novak, you're wronging me. It's not that I was ruthless, but I was worried that if I threw the game, Nadal would regain his form and come back to defeat me."

"Or rather, Nadal, like you, is trying to control the game and the pace of the match!"

Upon hearing this, Djokovic turned to look at Jiang Hong and nodded.

"You're right, after all, Rafa's strength is indeed too great."

Djokovic did manipulate the odds in the past to increase the excitement of the matches.

However, these are all low-level competitions; we wouldn't dare to manipulate the odds in these high-level competitions.

If something unexpected happens and it gets overturned, that would be embarrassing.

Djokovic glanced at Jiang Hong and suddenly made a sarcastic remark.

"Jiang, I didn't expect you to actually make it to the finals. Are you really going to win the championship?"

He felt conflicted, after all, he had been in the tennis world for several years and had finally won two Masters Cup titles.

Even Federer and Nadal struggled for a while when they first entered the tennis world.

However, Jiang Hong appeared out of nowhere and experienced almost no setbacks.

So far, his worst result on the tour is a runner-up finish.

It's worth noting that many young players are still aiming for the quarterfinals or round of 16 in tour events. When the two of them initially stated their goal was the championship, Djokovic genuinely harbored that ambition.

However, I don't think Jiang Hong can win the championship.

I think it would be good enough if he could make it to the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters.

After all, such a young player has won a prestigious Masters title.

There will definitely be aftereffects of being a champion.

However, he did not expect to be eliminated early, while Jiang Hong entered the finals.

"I've made it to the finals, so of course my goal is the championship." Turning his head, he glanced at Djokovic: "Novak, you didn't have the championship as your goal before this year's US Open final, did you?"

Upon hearing this, Djokovic immediately replied with certainty, "My goal is, of course, the championship!"

Novak Djokovic has mixed feelings about this year's US Open.

After all, he achieved his best result in the US Open.

However, the runner-up position is very different. Being just one step away from the championship, the feeling of missing out is extremely strong.

Moreover, he had already fought to tiebreaks in the first two sets, but was ultimately swept in three straight sets.

This left Djokovic feeling extremely resentful.

Jiang Hong shrugged and said matter-of-factly, "In that case, you should understand my thoughts."

Then, changing the subject, he sighed and said with a regretful expression.

"Novak, I originally thought my opponent in the final would be you, but I didn't expect you to be preparing for the Masters Cup. It's such a pity."

Djokovic could tell that Jiang Hong was being smug.

He immediately reminded him in an annoyed tone, "David is no ordinary nobody. Although he doesn't have a Masters title, his skill level is definitely there."

Jiang Hong knew this, of course. If it weren't for him, this back-to-back game would have belonged to Nalbandian.

However, Jiang Hong was still happy with Djokovic's reminder and nodded.

"Thanks for the reminder. Nalbandian should be my toughest opponent at the Paris Masters."

Djokovic was taken aback. He had only given a reminder; he hadn't expected Jiang Hong to value Nalbandian so much.

"Alright, let's get back to training, I'm very busy," Djokovic urged.

"Okay, okay, okay!"

Then the sounds of serves and shots echoed throughout the court.

Three top-tier sparring partners, endorsed by Jiang Hong – they're effective!
……

After Jiang Hong defeated Nadal by an astonishing score, the news spread around the world.

A Chinese player has surprisingly defeated Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal.

And they even gave the Heavenly King a duck egg!
Jiang Hong's reputation spread rapidly after this battle.

Many fans are eager to see just how good Jiang Hong really is.

Nalbandian is also a veteran player. Although he has never won a Grand Slam or Masters title, his playing style is very attractive.

Therefore, this match can be said to have attracted the attention of tennis fans around the world.

Nalbandian's training grounds had been cordoned off, and as soon as training ended, a barrage of guns and other weapons came swarming in.

"David, what do you think of Jiang Hong saying he's 100% confident of winning the Paris Masters?"

The reporter practically shoved the microphone into Nalbandian's mouth.

Nalbandian glanced at the other person; he knew Jiang Hong somewhat.

He understood that his opponent would make some bold statements before the match to motivate him, and although he was confident, he was not arrogant.

“It’s been seven years since March 2000. Do you know how I got through it without winning a Masters title this year?”

"At the Paris Masters, I will win my first Masters title!"

Players who were once his equals or even inferiors to him have all achieved Grand Slam titles.

And the feeling of not even having won a Masters title.

It hurts, it hurts so much!
Upon hearing this, a reporter standing nearby lit up and immediately asked, "David, Jiang Hong defeated you at the Madrid Masters, and this time at the Paris Masters, Jiang Hong defeated Nadal and Davydenko, continuing his hot streak."

"Can you really get your revenge and lift the championship trophy?"

Nalbandian felt he was in perfect form, even surpassing his previous performance at the Madrid Masters.

He felt he would win his first Masters title.

Upon hearing the reporter's words, his gaze instantly sharpened.

"I do not understand--"

"Why is everyone talking about my loss to Madrid?"

"It's as if this romantic city of Paris is more likely to bring me misfortune than good."

"Two years ago, I participated in the Shanghai Masters Cup as a substitute. Although the opponents were strong, I did not give up. I participated in the competition and was invincible. The audience welcomed me wholeheartedly!"

"It truly enjoyed the best of both worlds, and the vibrant, flourishing scene of all things thriving is still vivid in my mind!"

"Am I doomed to lose here in Paris just two years from now?"

"The Madrid Masters is over."

"I finished the semi-final early, at 6 o'clock to 8 o'clock."

"The advantage is in my hands!"

……

The Paris Masters organizers are absolutely thrilled. They had initially thought that with star players eliminated early, the finals would receive significantly less attention.

But unexpectedly, instead of decreasing, it increased.

Compared to previous Paris Masters tournaments, the event has seen an increase in attention, viewership, and attendance.

Jiang Hong was surrounded by reporters before he even entered the Beixi Stadium.

I hope to be able to give a pre-match interview.

"..."

The reporter asked Jiang Hong a lot of questions about his preparations and tactics, and then came to the last question.

"Jiang, can you become the second player since Safin in 2004 to win the Paris Masters and Madrid Masters back-to-back?"

Faced with this question, Jiang Hong thought for a moment and then answered.

"Winning the championship is of course my goal, and I know that everyone expects me to replicate Safin's performance. I will not let those who have expectations of me down!"

The reporter's eyes lit up as he watched Jiang Hong make his ambitious pronouncements.

They like players like Jiang Hong.

That's what makes it interesting, and that's how their newspapers sell.

Jiang Hong walked into the locker room of the gymnasium.

"Old Jiang, relax. Don't be nervous. I believe in your ability; you can definitely win this championship..."

Jiang Hong was sitting on a stool organizing his things when he heard Li Gong talking incessantly.

"I'm not nervous..." Jiang Hong said innocently, pointing at Li Gong, "But you, stop pacing around here, you're making me dizzy."

Only then did Li Gong force himself to stop.

He was indeed nervous because the Paris Masters was very important.

Winning back-to-back Masters titles is more prestigious than winning two separate Masters titles.

Meanwhile, domestically, the overwhelming coverage by state media, CCTV's pre-match interviews, and the hype fueled by some tabloid reporters contributed to the situation.

[After-effects of winning the championship? Not at all! Two appearances in the Masters finals!]

[Sweeping Nadal aside, now facing Nalbandian again!]

[China's first back-to-back Masters Tournament champions may emerge!]

Whether they follow tennis or not, netizens flocked to join in the fun.

Are Nadal and Nalbandian brothers?

"It's absolutely unbelievable! The Chinese men's tennis team, which was even worse than the national football team, has actually succeeded!"

"Can we please not bring up such unlucky things on such an auspicious day?"

"Actually, apart from Jiang Shen, men's tennis is still worse than the national football team."

"Huh? Really? Jiang Hong is that good? Shouldn't the country increase its investment in tennis?"

"Upstairs, Jiang Shen is a free agent, not a player under the system. He didn't take any money from the country, okay?"

"Tennis is so competitive that it can't be won by throwing money at it in a short period of time!"

"So, Jiang Shen was fighting alone!"

"Jiang Shen is really amazing! I used to think he was just making money by playing matches, but now it seems like it's just a reward for his hard work!"

The hype surrounding the Paris Masters final has reached its peak.

According to unreliable sources, China Media Group mobilized more than 200 media outlets for the Paris Masters final.

Everyone was trying to ride the wave of popularity, and regardless of whether Jiang Hong won or lost, they would all benefit.

However, Jiang Hong's goal is not to be the runner-up.

After all, the runner-up is the biggest loser.

Inside CCTV's broadcasting studio, staff were busily adjusting the equipment.

"Time's up!"

With a sound, all the machines started up, and the broadcast studio fell silent.

"CCTV, CCTV!"

Good morning, viewers!

"You are now watching the men's singles final of the 2007 Paris Masters."

"I'm commentator Zhan Jun!"

Zhan Jun's voice was full of passion.

Zhang Shenghong's excited voice rang out at the same time.

"I am Zhang Sheng!"

"Zhan Jun, I believe that at this moment, Chinese fans watching on TV are just as excited as we are!"

"A great battle that will be recorded in the history of Chinese tennis is about to take place in the center court of the Bercy Arena in Paris."

Zhan Jun spoke again, "He defeated a host of top players such as Davydenko, Robredo, and Nadal, and finally stood on the stage of the Paris Masters final."

"Jiang Hong's opponent today is Argentine star Nalbandian, who won the Shanghai Masters Cup in 2005."

Right now, inside the locker room!
"Brother Jiang, everything's ready!" Mark Jie said, putting down his golf bag.

"it is good!"

Jiang Hong nodded, then picked up his golf bag and pushed open the locker room door.

I entered the dimly lit players' tunnel!
Only a few rays of light shone in from the stadium.

And the passionate music from the stadium could already be heard in his ears.

His once calm heart began to race.

Champion, here I come!
(End of this chapter)