Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 76 The Battle for China's Top Tennis Player (Please continue reading)

The match between Yu Xinyuan and Jiang Hong was scheduled as the first game.

Once inside the stadium, there were quite a few spectators in the stands!
It must be said that the tennis atmosphere in Wuhan is much better than in other cities.

"Go, Xiao Jiang!"

"Xiao Jiang, the pride of our tennis club!"

"Let's revive the glory of Chinese men's tennis, starting now!"

"..."

Just as Jiang Hong was feeling sentimental, he heard cheers from the stands.

Turning around, I saw a group of people holding a banner.

"Jiang Hong's Fan Club on Tennis Bar!"

Jiang Hong was both amused and exasperated by what he saw, and waved his clapper to indicate that he had witnessed it.

Yu Xinyuan, who was on the other side, was completely bewildered by what he saw.

To be honest, he is quite famous among tennis enthusiasts.

But there really aren't any fans this fervent.

Could it be that this guy on the other side hired someone to mess with people's mentality?
However, this thought didn't linger for long, as the competition was about to begin!
Both players stood around the net listening to the referee confirm their identities and explain the rules of the game.

The referee tossed the coin high into the air, where it landed on the ground.

After checking, Jiang Hong successfully won the right to serve!
It seems that luck is on my side.

Both sides stand at the baseline and warm up by serving and rallies.

It has to be said that the first round being an all-Chinese battle between the top two male tennis players is very attractive to tennis enthusiasts.

I'm a little curious about who's stronger!
As the referee announced the start of the match, Jiang Hong served first!

Everyone originally thought this would be a closely contested and fiercely competitive match.

However, the course of the match took an unexpected turn.

Throughout the entire process, Jiang Hong dominated his opponent.

They didn't give Yu Xinyuan many opportunities to attack; he could only passively defend the baseline.

Because Yu Xinyuan also frequently plays doubles matches, his baseline rallies are quite good.

The score is now 5-3!

Jiang Hong had already discerned his opponent's characteristics through the previous few games.

He excels at baseline shots, but lacks power.

Therefore, when Jiang Hong serves with force, the opponent will be at a great disadvantage.

Perhaps the other party also knew that their strength was weak, but not everyone is like Jiang Hong, who has a cheat code.

Improving your strength is not that simple!
In the ninth game, Jiang Hong secured the victory with two aces.

In the end, Jiang Hong hit a cross-court shot that turned into a straight shot, catching Yu Xinyuan off guard, despite his efforts to return the ball.

But ultimately, because the racket wasn't wrapped tightly enough, the ball went out of bounds!
The first set ended 6-3!

During a break, Yu Xinyuan was panting heavily.

Now he finally understood why the coach had been giving him instructions before the game started.

The two sides are simply not on the same level in terms of competitive ability.

After the start of the second set, Yu Xinyuan moved around and received the ball with even more effort than in the first set.

Right now, he has only one thought in his mind.

It wasn't a victory, but rather that the highest-ranked Chinese male tennis player in the ATP rankings wasn't swept out of the tournament.

Even so, Yu Xinyuan was still unable to disrupt Jiang Hong's victory!

Even on the last ball, Jiang Hong didn't hold back.

I directly chose the outside-corner inside-spin serve.

After the tennis ball hit the outer corner of the opponent's second court, the spin of the ball drew a strange arc.

Yu Xinyuan's expression changed, and he quickly changed his hitting technique.

However, because the ball speed was too fast, the hitting action was very rushed!

The ball barely cleared the net!

Swish!
With the soles of his shoes scraping the ground, Jiang Hong quickly went online!
One step, two steps...

Holding the cards with both hands, step on the ground, turn around, and hit the ball!
boom!
The tennis ball flew right past Yu Xinyuan's cheek and landed squarely on the bottom corner of the sideline behind him.

"Crossing!"

Xie Hong's eyes widened, and he clenched his fist and slammed it on the seat.

Although disappointed that Yu Xinyuan lost the match, seeing Jiang Hong's performance also excited him.

He had initially thought he had overestimated Jiang Hong's potential, but now it seems he had underestimated him.

Is there really hope for Chinese men's tennis?

Xie Hong's eyes gleamed with a peculiar light as he murmured something.

He was also an athlete, but back then he only played in official domestic competitions.

When professional esports entered mainland China, he had already retired and become a coach.

Chinese women's tennis is thriving, while men's tennis is stagnant.

How could his heart not be in turmoil?

Xie Hong even felt a little envious of the men's football team.

At least they have people to criticize them.

Being criticized isn't scary; what's truly terrifying is being ignored!
But now, Xie Hong feels he has seen a turning point!

……

The moment the match ended, Jiang Hong's "support team" cheered excitedly.

"Xiao Jiang's changes of direction and serves are just too sharp!"

"Indeed, Xiao Jiang had many problems playing at the beginning, but he's getting better and better now!"

"He's so talented, I even feel that Xiao Jiang could win a tour championship in the future."

"..."

For them, this was a player they watched grow up, step by step becoming the most unforgettable and strongest player in China.

The joy I feel is indescribable!
It's like finding a priceless antique in the world of antiques.

Jiang Hong walked to the net and shook hands with Yu Xinyuan, who was already waiting.

"You're amazing. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly. Good luck in the next round!" Yu Xinyuan took a deep breath and smiled.

He was still very courteous and didn't show any displeasure because of the competition.

"work hard together!"

Jiang Hong nodded, then shook hands with the referee!

However, Jiang Hong was not able to leave directly this time!

According to the rules of the ATP Challenger Series, the winner of each round of the match is required to give an interview, although it is usually short.

"Hello, Jiang Hong!"

Tian Lan, a reporter from HB TV's sports news department, was assigned to interview Jiang Hong.

She originally thought she would be interviewing Yu Xinyuan, but she didn't expect it to be Jiang Hong.

Before the interview, he did some research and knew that Yu Xinyuan is currently the top player in the national team.

But unexpectedly, he was defeated by an 18-year-old.

"Hello there!"

"You defeated Yu Xinyuan from the national team in the first round of today's match. How do you feel?" Tian Lan asked with a professional smile, starting with the first and most common question.

"Of course I'm happy to have won the game!"

"From what I understand, you've only participated in two ITF Hope tournaments and won both, but you've never participated in any junior tournaments. So, many tennis fans are curious about your experience. How long have you been playing tennis?"

"It's been a little over a year. I started playing tennis after I went to university. Before that, I'd only ever seen it on TV!" Jiang Hong told the truth, because it was hard to lie about this. You could just ask around at the university and you'd know the answer!
Besides, isn't it normal for superstars to have extraordinary experiences?
Tian Lan originally thought that Jiang Hong was the kind of person who had been training hard since childhood, but basically never competed.

It's like in a novel where someone only emerges from seclusion to participate in a competition after mastering their divine skills.

Tian Lan's eyes lit up, regardless of whether Jiang Hong was telling the truth or not!

However, this amount of practice time is definitely something that will generate a lot of discussion.

Now all she wants to do is get back to her office and get the press release out.

Tian Lan coughed, preparing to wrap things up.

"So, what round are you aiming for in the Wuhan 75K Challenge?"

"champion!"

Jiang Hong spoke calmly and firmly.

……

　Thank you to reader 20170709……00843 for the 100-point reward.

　　Thank you all for your monthly tickets and for following along. The pace will be faster from now on, except for the final match. I will listen to all your suggestions. Thank you all.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)