Who would still play tennis after being reborn?

Chapter 152 Self-created Technique: Triple Spin Serve

"I think Ming-ge would also like to participate in the doubles competition, right?"

After a moment of silence, Zhang Ming said, "I would like to, but rather than participating in this doubles match myself, I hope you can go further."

Gu Cheng agreed to participate in the main draw of the Australian Open with the intention of winning all the honors at the tournament.

If Zhang Ming felt guilty for causing Gu Cheng to leave early, he would definitely not feel good about it.

There will be plenty of time to play in competitions later.

But all the honors at the Australian Open are not something you can win at any time.

Moreover, top professional players like Federer are already quite old, and no one knows when they will retire.

Honestly, if we wait until these players retire and then win a few more Grand Slam titles, it won't really mean much to Gu Cheng.

Gu Cheng understood.

"Then leave it to me from now on!"

Gu Cheng had no intention of forcing Zhang Ming to stay. If Zhang Ming was in top form, he could still provide some assistance on the field.

But clearly, there are no "what ifs" in this world.

Zhang Ming, whose physical strength was nearing its limit, not only couldn't offer any help on the court, but instead became the target of the opponent's attack and a clear breakthrough point.

"I'll just watch from the sidelines."

Zhang Ming responded with a smile, his voice eerily calm. According to the rules, Gu Cheng could finish the competition alone.

All he has to do next is to be a spectator on the sidelines, just like Yu Haoyang.

Without him, Gu Cheng might have performed even better.

Although fighting two opponents at once is a bit difficult, Zhang Ming had actually thought about it. Bennetteu and Roger also had many limitations when facing Gu Cheng.

Try to avoid hitting topspin shots, and also be wary of Gu Cheng using his shrinking-ground technique and Tezuka's Domain—these are practically magical ball skills.

Compared to Gu Cheng, Benneteau and Roger clearly have much more to pay attention to.

Zhang Ming stepped forward and gave Gu Cheng a high five. Then, to everyone's surprise, he walked out of the court and sat down on a bench next to where his and Gu Cheng's rackets and towels were placed, looking like a spectator, which silenced the entire court.

Then, the entire audience erupted in uproar.

Bennett looked incredulously at Zhang Ming, who was sitting on the bench gesturing for the match to continue, and suddenly realized a danger.

When doubles becomes singles, Gu Cheng will have more freedom on the court. He won't need to consider Zhang Ming, who might be used as a weak point, nor will he need to worry about his and Roger's upcoming tactics.

Benneteau glanced back at Roger, and at that moment, Roger's gaze toward Benneteau was also filled with an odd expression.

Clearly, Roger hadn't expected Zhang Ming to choose this method to gain more advantages for Gu Cheng in such an important doubles match.

"This could be a suicidal tactic. Gu Cheng is facing the second seed in doubles. Even for Gu Cheng, it's hard to say whether he can perform as well as he does in the ITF Junior Championships when he's playing against two opponents." Commentator Hu Li's voice trembled.

"Even so, given Zhang Ming's lack of stamina, they still chose to use this method, especially Zhang, who was betting his career to create an opportunity for Gu Cheng to break through on a single point."

As he said this, Hu Li couldn't help but show a hint of worry on his face.

If Gu Cheng wins the first round of the doubles match, that would be fine. After the match, Zhang Ming would at most be jokingly referred to by netizens and Gu Cheng's fans as a "court postman".

Everyone can understand Zhang Ming's decision.

After all, he couldn't really offer Gu Cheng much help on the field, so it was better for him to just be a spectator than to be used as a weak point.

However, all of this is based on the premise that Gu Cheng successfully enters the second round of doubles by defeating two opponents. If Gu Cheng loses the match...

After the match, Zhang Ming will face the wrath of netizens and Gu Cheng's fans, and this wrath cannot be easily extinguished simply by Gu Cheng standing up for Zhang Ming.

To put it bluntly, this will really affect Zhang Ming's future career.

As Zhang Ming withdrew from the scene and became a spectator, a discussion arose online.

“I knew from the first set that Zhang Ming, who had exhausted too much energy in the first round of the singles, would definitely become the breakthrough point for Benneteau and Roger. Sure enough, I guessed right. However, Zhang Ming was also very decisive and simply became a spectator. It will be difficult for Benneteau and Roger to deal with him from now on.”

"However, this will also test Gu Shen's physical fitness. Once his skills fail to break the deadlock... I dare not even think about what will happen next."

"The point raised upstairs makes some sense, but with Tannhäuser's serve in hand, Gu Shen can at least hold his serve."

"The key is that Tannhäuser's serve puts too much strain on his arm. Even Gu Shen can't play for long. After the doubles tournament, he still has junior tournaments to play. Even if the opponents in the junior tournaments are weak, he still has to expend some energy, right?"

"I've always believed in Gu Shen's strength. He must still be holding back. Only pressure can force Gu Shen to use his stronger skills, right?"

"To be honest, I'm really looking forward to Gu Shen using Ashura Shinto because of the immense pressure in such a match."

"If that were to happen, the world might undergo a series of changes because of the emergence of the Ashura God Path. After all... that can no longer be considered a ball skill."

What ball skills can be as explosive as a bomb?
If a ball knocks down a wall or a water tower, what's the difference between that and the external release of spiritual power or internal energy in fantasy martial arts novels?
The key point is that this is not an exaggeration at all.

However, many people still think it's unlikely.

But for die-hard fans of The Prince of Tennis, this is not an impossible thing.

Click!Click!
Australian Open organizing committee chairman Moke rushed to the venue after hearing the results of the first round of doubles matches between Gu Cheng and Zhang Ming against Benneteau and Roger, and his arrival attracted the attention of the press corps.

"Mr. Moke, Gu Cheng won the first match with a technique that is almost only seen in regional competitions: instant paralysis. Was the result unexpected to you?"

"That's not true."

Mo Ke seemed prepared for the reporters' questions and handled them with great ease: "In fact, after Mr. Gu Cheng accepted my invitation, I knew he was well-prepared. You can't treat him like a normal person."

"Or rather, just because a normal person can't do something doesn't mean he can't do it either; these are two different things."

"As for Gu Cheng winning the first game, in my opinion, it's not surprising. He has the ability to do so."

"Could you talk about Zhang Ming's decision to watch from the sidelines during the second match? Gu Cheng is planning to take on two opponents in doubles against the second seed. What do you think about this? Can he win? Or will this be a doubles match without any surprises?"

Upon hearing this, Moke frowned.

"To be honest, I was a little surprised that Zhang Ming would choose to be a spectator under these circumstances, but it was also reasonable. After all, Benneteau and Roger had already made him their breakthrough point, and their tactical approach was indeed correct."

"Under these circumstances, Zhang Ming's decision might be the right one, and handing the match over to Gu Cheng might be better." "As for whether Gu Cheng can handle Benneteau and Roger alone, that depends on his performance. After all, Gu Cheng often does this in previous ITF junior tournaments, so I believe he is confident."

"You mean that Gu Cheng can perform very well even when facing two opponents alone, and might even win the match? Is that right?"

"Yes, Gu Cheng is a very mysterious player. So far, no player has been able to go all out against him. Even in the one-point match a while ago, Mr. Federer did not force Gu Cheng to go all out. So I think that after Zhang Ming leaves the court, we may be able to see a monster in his prime."

"The only thing to consider is whether Gu Cheng can make it to the finals under such high-intensity competition."

"But I still believe that since he dared to agree, he must have his own plans."

"Perhaps he really can go all the way and even win all the honors at the Australian Open?"

"This is not impossible."

Mok's speech left the reporters with their microphones raised in the audience looking at each other in surprise. After a moment, they snapped photos of Mok, seemingly wanting to capture the moment.

This scene of the interview was broadcast live around the world.

"Mr. Moke thinks so highly of Gu Cheng?"

"Isn't that a bit of an overstatement? I admit Gu Cheng is very strong, but he shouldn't be strong enough to take on two opponents at once, especially since his opponents are the second seed in doubles, right?"

"Unless Gu Cheng really did tell Mo Ke what he said, that he was still holding back, and what follows is his final form?"

……

There was a lot of discussion online, with many people expressing skepticism about Mok's interview.

But in the country, the situation is quite different.

"If I weren't so sure that Gu Cheng was one of us, I would have suspected that he was an Australian citizen. Otherwise, why would Moke be praising Gu Cheng like this?"

"Perhaps Gu Shen really is holding back? Otherwise, why would he agree to let Mo Ke participate in the Australian Open main draw?"

"If you don't have the skills, you can't do porcelain work."

"Mr. Moke has a great eye for people. I look forward to Gu Shen dominating the next match."

……

Tennis News Flash: Zhang Ming withdrew from the Australian Open doubles first round. When talking about Gu Cheng, Mr. Mo Ke expressed great confidence in him, suggesting that Gu Cheng may become the first professional player to win the Australian Open doubles title while playing alone.

"Referee, let the match begin!!"

When the referee confirmed that Gu Cheng would be competing alone, the wind speed in Melbourne Park suddenly increased, causing the advertising flags on the sidelines to flutter loudly.

Bennetteau noticed that Gu Cheng moved his left-hand racket outside the baseline with unusual slowness, and sunlight filtered through the gaps between his fingers, casting spiderweb-like shadows on the ground.

What is he doing?
Roger instinctively gripped his racket tighter, only to find his palms were covered in cold sweat.

Gu Cheng's first serve caused everyone's pupils to contract—the ball split into three afterimages the instant it left the racket, with topspin, backspin, and flat shot existing simultaneously, like the superposition of quantum states.

impossible……

Benneteau's racket swing suddenly froze halfway through, and he felt a strange burning sensation in his arm muscles, as if he were performing three different power movements at the same time.

The moment the tennis ball hit the ground, his tactile nerves received contradictory signals: it felt both as soft as hitting water and as hard as hitting metal.

Is it tactile confusion?
Moke, standing in the stands, pushed up his glasses. The ball had just produced three different spins in an instant. The key point was that he had no recollection of that serve; it didn't seem to be from the anime "The Prince of Tennis."

"Holy shit, shit!"

"That serve just now didn't seem like something out of The Prince of Tennis!"

"Triple spin? Does the Prince of Tennis anime have a serve like that?"

"No, can a serve really have triple spin?"

"Is this serve a technique that Gu Shen created himself?"

"Beneteu and Roger are completely stunned! They originally thought that after Zhang Ming left the court, they would have an advantage in a two-on-one situation, especially since Tannhäuser's serve was not frequently available. They even thought they could break Gu Cheng's serve. But now... Gu Cheng has used a new technique, and this technique is not from The Prince of Tennis. They can't even find a way to counter it."

"I finally believe what Mr. Moke said. Gu Cheng is truly a prodigy. He is an amazing player. His serve is like magic, with triple spin and a combination of three forces. Even if you receive it, it is difficult to return. I've been thinking about it, and this serve is somewhat unsolvable!"

"If this serve was created by Gu Shen himself, then could it be that Gu Shen created other ball skills as well?"

"It's terrifying to think about!"

……

In the second set of the second game of the first round of the Australian Open doubles, in the bottom half of the draw, the score reached 40-0! Gu Cheng shattered Benneteau and Roger's hopes with a triple spin serve, successfully taking the point.

Next, Gu Cheng replicated his serve from before.

"Beneteu, calm down, even the most powerful serve can be broken!"

"There must be one!"

Watching the tennis ball bounce off the ground with a strange spin, Benneteau rushed up and swung his racket. The moment the racket touched the tennis ball, the entire racket face seemed to be compressed by some force, and the entire racket collapsed downwards.

As Benneteau prepared to swing his racket, the tennis ball bounced directly to one side.

"Game, 1-1, a draw!"

When Gu Cheng scored two points in a row with a brand new serving technique, Benneteu was devastated, as the situation seemed to be developing in a direction he could not have predicted.

But the outcome gradually became clear.

That is, this match might really see an upset. Gu Cheng, a newcomer who has only been in the professional arena for three or four months, will be eliminated in the first round of the doubles match by him and Roger, who are the second seeds.

Courtside.

The worry on Zhang Ming's face disappeared quickly.

I knew it; you've been hiding your true intentions better than anyone else.

He hadn't forgotten that, in addition to this triple spin serve, Gu Cheng also possessed a self-created mirror serve.

(End of this chapter)