Who would still play tennis after being reborn?

Chapter 113 First Encounter with Federer

The SAKL OPEN semifinals have concluded, and the doubles finals in the afternoon were basically stress-free for Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang.

However, the situation is a little different this time in the doubles competition.

As previously stated, Yu Haoyang only needed to be a tool on the court, a stand-up player. However, Yu Haoyang proposed that he would play the doubles final alone, and Gu Cheng only needed to take the shot during the alternating serve, or step up when he couldn't hold on any longer.

Gu Cheng originally wanted to talk about the singles final, since Yu Haoyang had used all his energy in the doubles final, so the singles final the next day was basically a forfeit.

However, Gu Cheng was quickly rendered speechless by Yu Haoyang's retort: ​​"It's as if I could cut you down by tomorrow with my full strength."

"If I could, I'd be too lazy to move."

"Since it's all a shutout anyway, does physical fitness make a big difference?"

“I’ve made up my mind. After the doubles competition, I will ask the organizers to forfeit the finals. We won’t go through the formalities. You can just take the championship, and we’ll win the doubles championship. This time, we can at least make it into the top 200, and you can make it into the top 400. Then we can prepare for the Bellevue Cup.”

Gu Cheng was helpless, but he had to admit that what this guy said really made a lot of sense.

Even if he wanted to, he couldn't give up the singles final.

Yu Haoyang's ITF Junior Circuit ranking points are more than enough to participate in the Bellevue Cup, but he can't. If he doesn't win the championship, even if his ITF Junior Circuit ranking points break into the top 400, he will easily be squeezed out.

Those who don't make it into the top 400 are not eligible to register for the Bellevue Cup.

Yu Haoyang probably thought of this as well, so he simply vented his frustration on his doubles opponent.

Their opponents in the doubles final were two 16-year-old boys from Sweden. As professional players who grew up in Sweden, a country with a strong tennis culture, the two were very strong.

Even though Yu Haoyang has improved a lot in this period, he could only win the first four games when he was facing two opponents and went all out. Moreover, he only won the third game because Gu Cheng took turns serving. Otherwise, he would have been doing well if he had won three games at most.

It can't compare to the street tennis I played back then.

However, considering that one side is a professional player and the other is just an amateur player, this result is not hard to accept.

After all, when fighting two opponents, one's physical strength is depleted very quickly.

Even though Yu Haoyang had exceptional internet skills, he was struggling to keep up with the two attackers from both sides.

However, while Yu Haoyang was just standing around on the field, Gu Cheng began to take over the rest of the game.

In the doubles final, under the BO5 format, the score remained 3-0, a score that was not unexpected.

With the conclusion of the SAKL OPEN Junior Singles and Doubles Finals, Gu Cheng's ITF Junior Circuit ranking points reached 190, successfully advancing to 356th place.

Yu Haoyang has also made great progress in the ITF Junior Circuit rankings this time, and is now very close to the top 200.

"209, junior, playing doubles with you is so awesome."

Yu Haoyang laughed triumphantly. Before this, he had never imagined that his ITF Junior Circuit ranking would be so close to the top 200 in such a short time.

Less than two months.

Yes, in less than two months, his ranking jumped from outside the top 500 to 209.

Now, all he needs is another 40 or 50 points in the Bellevue Cup, and breaking into the top 200 is a sure thing.

The Bellevue Cup is a Tier 1 tournament, so theoretically it should be full of top players, unlike Tier 4 tournaments like the SAKL OPEN Junior Tournament.

Ke Yuhaoyang was full of confidence.

Even if he is eliminated in the first round of the singles at the Bellevue Cup, he can still win a championship in the doubles with Gu Cheng.

The Bellevue Cup doubles champion can get 420 points in one go. Even if he needs to add up his six best results and divide by four, Hao Yang's ITF Junior Circuit ranking points can increase by nearly 6.

Based on this calculation, his ITF Junior Circuit ranking score would be above 430.

As things stand, with an ITF Junior Circuit ranking of 430, he's already around 170th in the world. Even if others catch up, he's unlikely to be pushed out of the top 200, which is definitely enough for him to play in the Australian Open Junior Championships.

As for Gu Cheng, Yu Haoyang also drafted a plan: after winning the singles and doubles championships at the Bellevue Cup, Gu Cheng's ITF Junior Circuit ranking points could reach over 700.

Top 100.

Yes, it's the top 100.

In the ITF Junior Circuit rankings, the person currently ranked 80th is only slightly over 700th. This means that after Gu Cheng participates in three ITF Junior Circuits, his Junior World Ranking will directly break into the top 100.

If he can win the Australian Open Junior Championship, he will become number one in the world.

Without exception, number one in the world.

Unless his opponents are among the top-ranked players, Gu Cheng has a high chance of rising to number one in the ITF Junior Circuit rankings after participating in the Australian Open Junior Championship.

"Actually, the senior's own efforts also played a part." Gu Cheng smiled slightly.

He wasn't just talking; he had witnessed Yu Haoyang's hard work during this period. In just over a month, his skills had more than doubled compared to before. This wasn't something that could be achieved by simply standing on the court as a tool.

Even if Yu Haoyang doesn't team up with Gu Cheng for doubles, he has a high chance of winning the singles title if he participates in ITF junior tournaments where Gu Cheng isn't involved. Even if he can't qualify for the Australian Open junior tournament, he can still compete in the other junior Grand Slam tournaments.

Yu Haoyang chuckled: "It mainly depends on you."

"But to be honest, with my abilities, Lao Zhou will probably be astonished when I return to China."

Gu Cheng smiled noncommittally.

In just two months, Yu Haoyang's skills have improved so much. If Lao Zhou hadn't paid attention to Yu Haoyang beforehand, he would have given him a huge surprise after returning to China.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say it was jaw-dropping.

“By the way, there are no matches for the next week or so. We can’t just stay cooped up in the hotel every day. How about we go out for a walk?” Yu Haoyang suggested.

Gu Cheng had no objection: "Sure, I'm fine with anything. Has senior decided where to go?"

Gu Cheng knew that Yu Haoyang liked to do all sorts of planning before going out, and that Yu Haoyang had probably already decided where to go before asking this question.

Sure enough, just as Gu Cheng finished speaking, Yu Haoyang said, "How about going to the Stockholm City Tennis Club tomorrow morning? It's the largest tennis club in Sweden and one of the world's oldest tennis clubs, with an extremely long history."

"I've heard that professional players often frequent that area, and even Roger Federer goes there to practice. I don't know if it's true or not, but someone has seen him there before."

"Whether we can meet top-ranked professional players there is not important; it's good to experience the atmosphere and tennis culture there."

Hearing this, Gu Cheng became a little interested. He wouldn't mind if it was just about going out to see the scenery, since he hadn't seen all the sights in China and wasn't particularly interested in sightseeing.

He really wanted to check out the Stockholm City Tennis Club that Yu Haoyang had mentioned.

The rich tennis culture in Sweden is largely due to the Stockholm City Tennis Club.

In fact, forty or fifty years ago, the Stockholm City Tennis Club, together with the local tennis association, hosted the first indoor tennis open tournament.

The Stockholm Open is the world's oldest ATP indoor tournament and the only ATP Tour event held in a real tennis arena. Except for 1989-1994, when it was held at the Universal Arena, it has always been held at the Royal Tennis Hall in Kungliga.

This is now the Stockholm City Tennis Club.

There must be many reasons why a tennis club that has existed for over a century has not closed down or disappeared with the passage of time.

……

The next morning.

Yu Haoyang got up very early for the second time. After having breakfast at the hotel, the two took a taxi to the Stockholm Municipal Tennis Club.

The Stockholm City Tennis Club is more than just a club; due to its historical significance, it's also a popular tourist destination. For tennis enthusiasts, a trip to Sweden and Stockholm isn't complete without visiting the Stockholm City Tennis Club.

The two bought tickets at the entrance and entered the Stockholm City Tennis Club without any problems.

Perhaps because it was the weekend, the two found the venue already quite crowded when they entered, and almost everyone was heading in the same direction. "Are there really that many people?"

"Is this really just a tennis club?"

Yu Haoyang looked at each other in bewilderment. If he hadn't already known, he would have thought he had come to a very popular 5A-level scenic spot in China, and on a holiday at that.

Of course, the number of people isn't that exaggerated, but there are indeed quite a few.

"It seems like everyone's going to the Kungliga Tennishallen Royal Tennis Center. Shall we go check it out too?" Yu Haoyang turned to look at Gu Cheng.

Gu Cheng thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, let's go to the Kungliga Tennishallen first."

According to their original itinerary, the Kungliga Tennishallen Royal Tennis Arena was actually the last stop. Changing the itinerary would mean going back the same way.

However, the situation before them told them that something must have happened at the Kungliga Tennishallen Royal Tennis Center, otherwise so many people wouldn't have rushed there all at once.

"Could there be a match at the Kungliga Tennishallen Royal Tennis Arena today?" Yu Haoyang thought of the most likely possibility.

"But I checked last night, and there are no matches at the Royal Tennis Arena in Kungliga Tennishallen today!"

Yu Haoyang was somewhat frustrated, as the situation before him was somewhat unexpected.

He originally intended to stop pedestrians to ask, but everyone was in such a hurry that no one stopped.

Even when someone stopped, they spoke Swedish, which the two couldn't understand at all.

Left with no other choice, the two had to follow the crowd toward the Kungliga Tennishallen Royal Tennis Center.

More than ten minutes later, the two finally arrived at the Kungliga Tennishallen Royal Tennis Center.

"As expected of the Kungliga Tennishallen Royal Tennis Arena, no wonder it dares to say it has existed for over a hundred years. The decorations are quite classic." Yu Haoyang was somewhat surprised by the court in front of him.

But as soon as she finished speaking, she turned around and found that Gu Cheng's gaze was fixed on the indoor hard court located in the center of the stadium.

Meanwhile, everyone else was in the same situation.

Yu Haoyang glanced curiously at the court and noticed a middle-aged man in his thirties wearing tennis clothes at one end of the court.

"The King of Tennis, Federer?"

Yu Haoyang could hardly believe what he was seeing. After rubbing his eyes hard and realizing that he wasn't seeing things, he was completely shocked.

"Holy crap! It really is Federer."

"No wonder there are so many people in the stadium today, it turns out Federer is here. Well, he hasn't had any matches lately, what else can he do but go back to his country to rest for a while until the Australian Open starts?"

Yu Haoyang was somewhat excited.

From the moment he decided to pursue a professional tennis career, Roger Federer has been his idol. He watches every video of Federer's matches and studies Federer's techniques and understanding of tennis frame by frame.

It can be said that before Gu Cheng appeared, his role model was always Fei Tianwang.

You can imagine how Yu Haoyang felt to finally see his childhood idol up close.

Not to mention Yu Haoyang, even Gu Cheng felt a flutter in his heart.

Roger Federer, the Swiss tennis legend, has profoundly influenced the sport of tennis with his elegant playing style, superb technique, and extraordinary professional achievements, winning the hearts of countless fans worldwide.

Similarly, he is also a well-rounded athlete.

Whether it's baseline shots, serves, or net play, his skills can be described as excellent or even outstanding, especially his one-handed backhand, which was once considered one of the most beautiful shots in tennis history.

His serves are precise and varied, and his net play is equally excellent, which allows him to remain highly competitive on all types of courts.

Whether on clay, grass, or hard courts, Federer has demonstrated an amazing adaptability and tactical wisdom.

He achieved five consecutive Wimbledon titles and a career Grand Slam in the 2003-09 season. From 2017 to 2019, he completed 20 Grand Slam titles and reached the milestone of 100 titles in just three years.

Calling him a legend in the tennis world is no exaggeration.

Unfortunately, due to age and declining physical condition, he had to retire.

However, this is something every athlete has to go through; no one can escape retirement due to age or injury.

In some ways, Federer is lucky; at least he didn't retire due to injuries.

Even at the end of his career, when his legendary career came to an end, his influence in the tennis world remained unchanged.

"Junior, why is Federer here today?" Yu Haoyang's voice, full of doubt, came from beside me.

Gu Cheng rolled his eyes: "Senior, you forgot, you made the strategy guide."

Yu Haoyang smiled awkwardly: "I was just too surprised. But to be honest, we're incredibly lucky. We came here on a whim and unexpectedly ran into Fei Tianwang. It's a pity that Cao Hui didn't want to come, but we can take a picture and send it to him."

As he spoke, Yu Haoyang took out his phone, took a picture, and sent it to Cao Hui.

Soon, the phone rang.

Cao Hui: "Holy crap, Roger Federer? Where? The Royal Tennis Center, Kungliga?"

Yu Haoyang: "Yes."

Cao Hui: "Damn it, what the hell am I supposed to sleep for! I... wait, I'm coming right away!"

Looking at the message Cao Hui sent on his phone, Yu Haoyang could even imagine Cao Hui's expression at that moment; he probably slapped him.

If Cao Hui hadn't preferred to sleep in late, he would probably be at the Kungliga Tennishallen Royal Tennis Center right now.

"Hopefully, Federer will stay here a little longer. Otherwise, Cao Hui will come and then leave, and he'll be devastated." Yu Haoyang sighed, but his smile never faded. He probably couldn't help but laugh just thinking about Cao Hui's expression at that moment.

Just as the two were laughing that Cao Hui might not make it, Federer's gentle and magnetic voice suddenly came from the center of the court: "Actually, I just wanted to come here to play a practice match with an old friend, but I didn't expect so many friends to come. It seems that the practice match is not going to happen."

"However, at the invitation of the arena owner, I plan to randomly select three people from the audience to play three coaching games."

"wow~"

As Federer's voice faded, a burst of excited screams erupted from the crowd, and even Yu Haoyang couldn't help but shout along with them.

"Ah Cheng, you're so cool! Federer wants to pick someone to play against right here."

"Pick me, pick me!"

"You absolutely have to choose me!!"

Yu Haoyang was so excited that he was almost incoherent, but after shouting a couple of times, he suddenly changed his mind and turned to look at Gu Cheng, who had a calm expression on his face.

A strange feeling suddenly arose in my mind.

What if we choose Acheng?

Well... the match is going to be very exciting!

What sparks will fly when the world's top three professional players, including the tennis superstar Wen Mei with five consecutive titles and a career Grand Slam, face off against the "Grand Slam King" Gu Cheng, who possesses amazing tennis skills?
I'm really looking forward to it.

Although there were many people at the scene, the probability of being selected by Gu Cheng was extremely low, but as long as it wasn't zero, there was still a chance.

"Acheng, I really hope I can choose you later." Yu Haoyang turned his head, his face solemn.

Gu Cheng was stunned.

I?
(End of this chapter)