Who would still play tennis after being reborn?

Chapter 153 The Ultimate Counterattack Part 1: The Reverse Strike
February in Melbourne is different from that in China. Located at 38.8 degrees south latitude, this coastal city is in the middle of summer, with temperatures ranging from 16 to 26 degrees Celsius, equivalent to early summer temperatures in China. During the day, you can wear light summer clothing, such as short sleeves, but the temperature will be lower in the morning and evening, so you need to pay attention to keeping warm.

The afternoon sun relentlessly poured down on the blue hard surface of Rod Laver Arena. It wasn't exactly scorching, but the temperature of 27 or 28 degrees Celsius was still quite high.

Especially for professional athletes who are sweating and doing high-intensity exercise on the court, the air here is distorted and steaming in the heat wave, and every breath burns their lungs.

Sweat had already soaked through Gu Cheng's dark blue jersey, clinging heavily to his skin, making each swing feel like stirring in a viscous liquid.

Gu Cheng wiped away the sweat that was about to drip into his eyes; it tasted salty and stung.

Across the court, Benneteau and Roger—the French pair ranked second in the world doubles—were like two meticulously tuned war machines, ruthless and efficient, their every move carrying a suffocating sense of oppression.

In the first set, he and his partner Zhang Ming managed to hold on, relying on their well-coordinated net play and baseline dribbling to find gaps in their opponent's impenetrable net defense and manage to win the match.

But the cost was devastating.

At this moment, Zhang Ming slumped on the narrow bench where the players were, his face ashen from blood loss, his chest heaving violently, each breath accompanied by a wheezing sound from deep within his chest.

Zhang Ming's team doctor unscrewed a bottle of chilled sports drink and brought it to his lips. Zhang Ming's fingers convulsed, and he could barely hold the bottle. The icy liquid splashed onto his violently trembling thigh, leaving dark, wet stains.

His gaze as he looked at Gu Cheng on the field was a mixture of extreme exhaustion, undisguised guilt, and a hint of near-despairing bewilderment.

"Hold on... Acheng..." Zhang Ming's voice was so weak it was almost a whisper, and it was instantly swallowed up by the huge commotion in the stands.

Although Gu Cheng won the second game with a completely new and never-before-seen skill, Zhang Ming dared not let his guard down.

Holding serve only puts you in a safe position, but breaking serve is the key to winning the match.

Gu Cheng forced himself to look away, suppressing the heavy worry deep in his heart.

Now, he is the only survivor on this isolated island.

The referee's cold voice boomed through the microphone into the sweltering air: "Game, 2-1, Benneteau and Roger are in the lead."

Benneteau's incredibly tricky backhand down-the-line passing shot sliced ​​through his barely held-up defense with surgical precision, completely extinguishing any hope he had just had from the break.

The numbers on the scoreboard coldly declared: second set, trailing 2-1.

In the audience, the buzzing discussions felt like a tangible pressure, pressing down on Gu Cheng from all sides.

"Gu Cheng's serve is very powerful, and... even if Benneteau and Roger are the second seeds, they will probably have a hard time breaking this serve with triple spin in a short time. But if he can't break serve, the longer the match goes on, the more disadvantageous it will be for him."

"My God, one person fighting two top players? This is practically a suicide performance!" A middle-aged woman wearing oversized sunglasses shook her head, her tone full of disbelief and a hint of cruel schadenfreude.

"Hey, look at that young man's eyes! He hasn't given up yet!" A middle-aged man in a floral shirt, his skin tanned red, leaned over with interest. "I love watching these tough guys! But... it's too difficult. Benneteau's net is an impenetrable wall, and Roger's baseline smashes can blast through his defense. A two-man defense can't be easily breached by one person..."

"It's hopeless," another voice chimed in decisively, with the certainty of a seasoned fan. "With Zhang Ming down, no matter how strong he is in singles, he's just a sitting duck in doubles. Benneteau and Roger are too in sync; they just need to keep moving him around until they wear him down. Just wait and see, barring any unforeseen circumstances, Benneteau and Roger will win this set and change the score."

These words were completely lost on Gu Cheng due to the noise of the scene.

However, even if he heard it, he would act as if he didn't care.

He took a deep breath, the slightly hot air feeling like tiny needles pricking his throat.

The chill of fighting alone spread rapidly from the soles of my feet along my spine. The alarm bells of physical reserves were ringing frantically deep within my body; with each push-off, my calf muscles felt heavy, sore, and trembled slightly.

Bennetteu was as steady as a mountain, his eyes as sharp as a hawk, as if he could see through every inch of space on the field and the signs of every muscle movement of his opponents; Roger, on the other hand, was like a cheetah ready to pounce, his whole body overflowing with excess energy, and the faint smile on his lips carried a kind of cruel pleasure of purely enjoying the crushing process.

They exchanged a brief glance, and without a word, an unspoken understanding was formed—what followed would be a relentless pressure, a continuous mobilization, until Gu Cheng was drained of his last drop of strength and his last shred of will was crushed.

Despair, like cold, sticky asphalt, began to slowly seep from the depths of his heart, attempting to envelop Gu Cheng's nerves.

In this suffocating heaviness, an extremely crazy idea, like a ghostly blue flame suddenly ignited in the deep sea, suddenly surged to the surface of his consciousness—to deprive him of his five senses!
That almost miraculous domain that exists in the popular anime "The Prince of Tennis," and was performed by the "Child of God," Yukimura Seiichi!

Gu Cheng's heart clenched suddenly and then began to pound wildly.

He stared intently at the bright yellow ball in Benneteau's hand. His opponent began to serve, his movements precise, fluid, and powerful.

Gu Cheng forced himself to break free from the constraints of all physical laws, condensing all his mental will into an invisible and intangible shockwave that yearned to penetrate everything, locking onto the composed figure opposite him.

He roared silently in his heart, his will as sharp as a blade: Deprive! Deprive you of your sight! Plunge your world into complete darkness!
Bennetteau's swing was swift and decisive. The racket struck the sweet spot precisely, producing a crisp, short crack. "Snap!" A sharp yellow streak tore through the air, carrying intense topspin, hurtling straight towards Gu Cheng's backhand area.

The trajectory of the tennis ball was crystal clear, powerful, and there was no sign of visual obstruction.

Gu Cheng took a side step and barely managed to block the ball back with his backhand, but the ball's speed and angle were greatly reduced.

Roger had been waiting at the net for a long time, his eyes gleaming with the excitement of a successful hunt.

He didn't even move his feet; he simply executed a smooth, effortless interception with a deft flick of his wrist.

"laugh!"

The ball, with a strange sidespin, traced a near-right angle and landed lightly in the corner of Gu Cheng's forehand service area.

Gu Cheng had just finished his backhand save and hadn't fully regained his balance, so he could only watch helplessly as the ball smashed a clear mark on the sideline and bounced away in vain.

“Out…?” Gu Cheng gasped for breath.

"In!" The linesman's clear voice shattered his illusions.

Bennett walked expressionlessly to the other side of the service area, his eyes still sharp, his steps steady and powerful, as if Gu Cheng's all-out mental attack was just a trivial breeze that brushed across the surface of his consciousness.

Gu Cheng frowned.

"With my current skill level, it would be too difficult to achieve that feeling of being able to return every ball and thus deprive those two of their five senses."

After trying a few balls, Gu Cheng was about to give up.

If it were the body from the Prince of Tennis world, achieving the effect of depriving the five senses wouldn't be too difficult; he could do it with a little effort. But he can't do it now.

First of all, he was able to use those ball skills because of his state of selflessness.

The Selfless Realm consumes a great deal of physical energy. If he uses it for a long time, he can win this match, but... he might have to be a spectator like Zhang Ming in tomorrow's match.

In the fifth game, Benneteau and Roger's strategy was almost brutally clear: constant movement, specifically targeting Gu Cheng's body shots and open shots that forced him to make wide runs. Every precise control of the landing point forced Gu Cheng to perform extreme back-and-forth sprints on the scorching hard court time and time again.

"Bang!" Roger delivered a powerful forehand cross-court shot, which went straight into the deep corner of Gu Cheng's backhand side.

Gu Cheng let out a low roar, his body almost parallel to the ground, and used all his strength to cut and save the person with his backhand.

The ball barely cleared the net, but its height felt like a gentle invitation.

Bennetteu had already been blocking the net like a ghost, without any fancy moves, with a clean and crisp backhand smash!

"Oh!"

The yellow meteor slammed into the gap behind Gu Cheng, and he didn't even have time to turn around.

"30-15!" The referee reported the score.

This is Gu Cheng's serve return game. Sweat drips down Gu Cheng's jawline, leaving a small dark stain on the deep blue court.

His lungs burned, and his legs felt like they were filled with lead, making each step incredibly difficult. He bent over, hands on his knees, breathing heavily, trying to suppress the metallic taste in his throat.

"He's done for." Roger's voice wasn't loud, but it pierced the air in the center of the court clearly, carrying undisguised contempt, and reached Gu Cheng's ears unmistakably.

Bennetteau remained silent, his sharp, eagle-like eyes calmly scrutinizing every subtle tremor in Gu Cheng's body, assessing how long this trapped beast could struggle. That gaze, like a tangible pressure, made Gu Cheng almost breathless.

Bennett and Roger clearly didn't want to give Gu Cheng any more breathing room or time to adjust.

In the following balls, the two players maintained firm control of the game thanks to their strong overall strength and excellent teamwork.

Although Gu Cheng could occasionally score a point or two by returning the ball, his resistance became increasingly sporadic and futile under the opponent's overall offensive, which was like a finely geared machine.

Every time he holds serve, it's like climbing a mountain; every break point puts him on the brink of elimination.

The numbers on the scoreboard jumped coldly.

The score in the second set quickly reached 4-3, but everyone knew this was just the calm before the storm. Gu Cheng's stamina was flashing wildly; his breathing became heavier after each save, and his movements were noticeably sluggish.

The aftereffects of the excessive use of the "selflessness" state are gradually becoming apparent.

The eighth game, Gu Cheng's serve.

Although he won the service game smoothly with his triple spin serve, the advantage brought by the triple spin serve was gradually eroded by Benneteau and Roger.

The match moved to the ninth game, Benneteau's and Roger's service game.

"15-0!" Roger's unreasonable serve return attack down the line directly pierced through Gu Cheng's weak net defense.

Gu Cheng managed to hold onto his serve with great difficulty, but at a huge cost. Sweat completely blurred his vision; he even had to wipe it with his arm to see the ball clearly. Each heartbeat pounded heavily against his eardrums.

Benneteau's high-quality serves and subsequent net pressure kept Gu Cheng on his toes.

Despite Gu Cheng's best efforts and even some incredible through balls, Benneteau and Roger, with their superior consistency and ability to seize crucial points, ultimately managed to keep Gu Cheng firmly under pressure.

With the two players' defense and many of his skills blocked, even Gu Cheng was somewhat helpless against the second seeds, Benneteau and Roger, in the doubles.

The score in the ninth game was 30-0. With just two more points, the score would be 5-4. Even if Gu Cheng could hold his serve, it would mean the match would go to a tiebreaker.

If the series goes to a tiebreaker, it will be a huge test of Gu Cheng's stamina.

“Mr. Moke, the situation on the court seems to be different from what you predicted. Without Zhang Ming on the court, although Gu Cheng can hold his service game with his serve, he is at a clear disadvantage in the receiving game. If this continues, once his physical strength is greatly depleted and his serve has no power, it may be the end of the match.”

When the match became intense and Gu Cheng even seemed to be at a disadvantage, the reporters immediately approached Mo Ke, who had previously confidently stated that Gu Cheng could reach the second round of doubles and might even win the Australian Open doubles title.

Moke was also somewhat helpless at this moment, as the situation on the field was indeed beyond his expectations.

He had watched Gu Cheng's matches and could tell a person's character just by watching their performances.

In his eyes, Gu Cheng was definitely not a professional player who made empty promises. He dared to accept the invitation to play in the Australian Open, and even participate in doubles and junior tournaments. He must have considered that he might have to complete the doubles tournament by himself, and even made plans to defeat his opponents by himself.

Otherwise, they would never have readily agreed to the invitation.

But at this moment, even if Mo Ke was unwilling to admit it, he had to admit that the situation on the field was indeed somewhat unfavorable to Gu Cheng.

Gu Cheng is gradually losing ground.

But as the chairman of the Australian Open organizing committee, how could Moker contradict himself? He gave a mysterious smile and said, "What's the rush? The competition isn't over yet, and nothing is settled."

"So, Mr. Mok is convinced that Gu Cheng will successfully advance to the second round?"

"Yes."

"But under the current circumstances, if Gu Cheng fails to win this game, his chances of winning in the third game will only be lower."

"Will Benneteau and Roger definitely win? I don't think so. As the second seeds in doubles, they are indeed very strong, but judging from the first set, Gu Cheng actually has the advantage."

"And as you've all seen, Gu Cheng is very mysterious. Perhaps after he gets into trouble, he will reveal more of his abilities and strength."

"Mr. Moke, do you think Gu Cheng is still holding back his strength?"

"Yes!"

"How can this be?"

Moke smiled confidently: "Nothing is impossible."

"You only see the current situation, but you don't see..."

Moke looked towards the stadium: "His potential!"

……

Benneteau's third serve was also hit at this moment. Looking at the tennis ball that was rapidly approaching, Gu Cheng sighed in his heart.

These days, why is it so hard to hide your true strength?
"I originally planned to save it for playing against Djokovic, but I didn't expect to have to use it now," Gu Cheng murmured.

The voice was very soft, but it made Zhang Ming, who was sitting on the sidelines with a worried look on his face, pause in surprise.

Specifically designed to counter Djokovic?

Just as Zhang Ming was wondering what it could be, he saw Gu Cheng, who was facing the incoming ball, suddenly reverse his grip on the racket and swing it fiercely at the bouncing tennis ball.

Snapped! !

A crisp sound of the ball hitting the ground rang out, and then the tennis ball flew out.

"Backhand slice?"

Roger, at the net, frowned instinctively when he saw this shot. He didn't dare treat it as a regular slice. Seeing the tennis ball about to fly over the net, he made a quick assessment, moved half a step to the side, and then swung his racket at the incoming ball.

Then, Roger's racket had barely swung halfway.

An astonishing scene unfolded.

The high-speed tennis ball, after passing the net, suddenly plummeted at a vertical angle. Upon hitting the ground, instead of bouncing forward, it collided with the net and slid rapidly along it.

Upon seeing this, Roger froze on the spot.

Bennetteau looked utterly incredulous.

Just then, Gu Cheng suddenly said in a very dramatic way, "One of the ultimate counterattacks, the reverse scale strike!"

(End of this chapter)