Who would still play tennis after being reborn?

Chapter 160 The Brazilian Doubles Team with a Wonderful Idea

The singles matches in the youth tournament pose little threat to Gu Cheng.

Or rather, there is no threat.

At least in the first few rounds, yes.

Among the singles players in the junior tournament, the only opponent who could make Gu Cheng take the competition even slightly seriously was the second seed, 14-year-old Uruguayan prodigy Halle, but he and Halle were in different draws.

One is in Division 1 and the other is in Division 4. Even if everything goes smoothly, the earliest they can meet is in the quarterfinals or even the semifinals.

In the short term, Gu Cheng's singles opponents are not particularly strong.

Of course, Gu Cheng didn't dare to be careless.

A junior professional player who can break into the top ten of the ITF Junior Circuit rankings is definitely no weaker than a professional player in the world's top 100 or even top 70 or 80.

Some are even stronger.

Gu Cheng had seen professional players ranked in the top 100 in the world and knew how strong they were.

If you really think they're weaklings, Gu Cheng might not be at risk of making a mess of things, but he definitely won't have an easy time either.

As Gu Cheng packed up his racket and walked out of the center court, the setting sun at Melbourne Park was painting the west stands amber.

He changed out of his sweat-soaked jersey and put on a dark blue sports jacket, his hair still glistening with fine water droplets, which felt cool in the evening breeze.

As I passed by the adjacent No. 1 stadium, the area outside the fence was already packed with fans watching the game, and the electronic screen displayed the match information: "Yu Haoyang vs. Sam Jones (UK)".

He squeezed to the front row and his gaze fell on Yu Haoyang, who was near the baseline.

The boy, a few years older than him, stood behind the service line, his left hand habitually smoothing the stray hairs on his forehead, his eyes carrying a sharp edge completely different from Gu Cheng's.

British player Jones is a typical grass-court player with a fast serve-and-volley rhythm. At this moment, he is using a slice serve to force Yu Haoyang's backhand.

"Jones' serve placement relies too much on the outside corner. He used the same line three times in the third game. Haoyang's backhand slice defense is very solid, but this stalemate will consume too much energy. He needs to seize the opportunity of his opponent's second serve and attack with his forehand straight line like he did in training last week."

After watching the game for only a short while, Gu Cheng gained some understanding of the situation.

Whether Yu Haoyang can defeat his opponent remains to be seen.

Although he hasn't seen enough of Sam Jones and doesn't know much about him, Yu Haoyang, whose strength has improved significantly recently, still has some advantages.

Suddenly, Yu Haoyang lowered his center of gravity, and his racket sliced ​​diagonally across the bottom of the tennis ball like a dagger. A low, flat backspin ball grazed the net and flew straight into Jones' backhand opening.

The British teenager rushed to save the ball, his racket face brushing against the surface, and the ball flew weakly towards the midfield. Yu Haoyang didn't hesitate at all, rushing to the net in one stride, flicking his wrist slightly, and volleying the ball like a bullet towards Jones' feet.

"Beautiful! Haoyang's timing for that net volley was perfect!" A familiar shout in Chinese came from behind. Gu Cheng turned around and saw Cao Hui standing in the crowd with his tennis bag on his back, his face glowing with excitement.

"Hui Zi, did you just finish?" Gu Cheng stepped aside to let him squeeze in.

"Yes, we won 2-0. Our opponent got cramps and retired in the second set." Cao Hui wiped his sweat and looked at the court. "Haoyang played a bit dull in this game. Jones' defense was too exhausting."

At this point, Yu Haoyang probably couldn't hear what Cao Hui was saying, otherwise he would definitely have thought to himself, "This guy's defense is like chewing gum, he pushes in very deep with every shot."

"If that volley had been a little lower, it would have been a point. We were a bit too hasty." At that moment, Yu Haoyang suddenly glanced into the distance and saw Gu Cheng and Cao Hui standing together. His pupils contracted: "Their match is over? That was fast!"

He could understand that Gu Cheng could end the match quickly, but he hadn't expected Cao Hui to defeat his opponent so quickly as well.

Worried that the stalemate would last too long, Yu Haoyang's expression suddenly turned extremely serious. He needed to end this service game quickly; he couldn't let the other player think he was only good at rallies.

As Gu Cheng predicted, Jones made a mistake on his serve in the fourth game, and Yu Haoyang seized the second break point, scoring with a tricky forehand down-the-line shot.

When the referee announced "6-4, 7-5, Yu Haoyang wins," Gu Cheng noticed the wristband wrapped around the boy's wrist as he swung his racket and roared – it was a commemorative gift from the coach after they won the final together at last year's Youth Olympic Games team event.

"Let's go grab something to eat in the players' restaurant. We have a tough doubles match tonight." Cao Hui patted Gu Cheng on the shoulder, and the three of them walked through the court tunnel, which was gradually being illuminated by the ground lights, casting long shadows.

Gu Cheng glanced back at Field No. 1, where Yu Haoyang was being interviewed on the sidelines. Under the lights, his smile was bright, just like when he first joined the national youth team three years ago and won his first adult match.

The youth doubles matches were held on an indoor court, and Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang's opponents were a promising Brazilian pair.

The indoor court at Melbourne Park resembles a transparent crystal palace at night, with spotlights illuminating the field as if it were daytime.
When Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang entered the player tunnel, the Brazilian duo opposite them were already warming up.

The tall player was powerfully hitting the wall with his racket, each shot producing a dull "thump," while the short player was practicing volleys at the net, his movements as agile as a cat.

"Are they Marcos and Lucas?" Yu Haoyang put down his bag and started wrapping his hands with grip tape, but his eyes never left the Brazilians.

“Hmm, the South American U18 doubles champion, Marcos’ serve is said to reach 190 kilometers, and Lucas’s net volley is very tricky.” Gu Cheng squatted down to tie his shoelaces, his eyes scanning his opponents’ warm-up movements. “Marcos is used to taking a half step back with his left foot when he serves, and Lucas likes to use his forehand cross-court shot at the net. Pay attention to their double net tactic.”

While observing their opponents, Marcos and Lucas also noticed Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang entering the field.

"Is that Chinese kid Gu Cheng? I watched his singles match this afternoon. His 'mysterious disappearance' and that triple spin serve, as well as his 'reverse scale' return slice, were truly insane. But he doesn't seem to use his skills much in junior tournaments. So, we two might have a chance."

Marcos suddenly laughed: "Double isn't a one-man game. Lucas, your net play can limit his attack, and if my serve pressures their returns, we might be able to win this set. We shouldn't worry about winning or losing; winning a few points is enough."

"and……"

Marcos muttered to himself, "Although they've played many doubles matches, it's always just Gu Cheng playing alone while Yu Haoyang stands by and watches. Their teamwork definitely has a lot of flaws."

Lucas nodded.

He knew Marcos' serve was in good form, so he just needed to aggressively move to the net when Marcos served. Gu Cheng's backhand slice was powerful, but as long as he blocked the straight shot, he could only hit cross-court shots, and then Marcos could cover from the baseline.

"That Yu Haoyang has a very strong forehand; we need to find a way to make him use his backhand."

"Perhaps this is our chance."

Marcos nodded and said, "Then it's decided."

When the referee announced the start of the match, the stands were already more than half full. Many fans who had watched Gu Cheng play singles during the day stayed behind to see how this "junior tournament monster" would perform in doubles.

The Brazilian pair chose to serve first. After Marcos walked to the service line, he deliberately glanced in Gu Cheng's direction with a provocative look in his eyes.

First game: Marcos's serve.

Marcos took a deep breath, tossed the ball high into the air, arched his back, and swung his racket with a sharp, whistling sound.

The tennis ball hurtled towards Gu Cheng's body at a speed of nearly 190 kilometers per hour. This was a typical "body serve," designed to disrupt the rhythm of the return.

At this moment, Gu Cheng's feet were slightly apart, his knees were slightly bent, and his weight was on the balls of his feet.

The moment the ball left Marcos's racket, Gu Cheng's right foot suddenly slid half a step to the right, his body twisted like a spring, and his racket crossed in front of his chest as he prepared to swing.

The tennis ball whistled against the racket face. He suddenly exerted force with his wrist, sending the racket upward with a strong topspin. The return ball grazed the net and landed precisely in the open space on the left side of the net, where Lucas had just left. Lucas hadn't expected Gu Cheng to hit such a passing serve at such high speed. In a panic, he lunged forward and stretched out his racket, his fingertips barely touching the ball before it grazed the sideline and landed in bounds.

"15-0!" As the referee announced the score, a low gasp of surprise rose from the stands.

Marcos's expression was rather grim.

How can it be?

How can you return a serve like that?
And it was a direct time travel?

The points were lost so quickly that the Brazilian pair hadn't even had time to react.

"Lucas, you were positioned too far forward just now. We need to serve to the outside corner next time, forcing him to shoot a cross-court shot," Marcos whispered a reminder.

For his second serve, Marcos adjusted his placement and hit a flat serve to the outside corner at a speed of 175 km/h.

Gu Cheng had anticipated this, pushing off with his left foot and moving his body laterally. As he swung his forehand, his wrist suddenly changed direction, and instead of hitting the usual diagonal shot, he delivered a straight through ball, aiming directly at the baseline corner where Marcos had just been vacated.

Marcos slipped as he turned to save the ball, and his racket failed to make contact. "30-0!"

For the third ball, Marcos went all out, serving a powerful inside serve.

Instead of retreating, Gu Cheng advanced, striking the ball half a step before it landed. His racket sliced ​​through the bottom of the ball, sending a high, crescent-shaped shot over Lucas's head and landing inside the backcourt sideline. By the time Lucas turned to chase the ball, it had already bounced a second time.

The referee raised his hand: "40-0, match point!"

Around the stadium, Brazilian tourists were momentarily at a loss after seeing Marcos and his partner completely dominated.

Although I was mentally prepared, I still couldn't help but feel a little sad when I saw my country's players being dominated and not winning a single point yet, and almost getting shut out and broken in their service games.

"It's over, Marcos' serve has been completely suppressed!"

"His calculations for that moon shot were so precise, it landed right inside the doubles sideline."

"Gu Cheng is still too overpowered in youth competitions!"

……

Everyone was helpless.

And at this moment

"Marcos, it's our turn to receive the serve later. You go to the net immediately after the opponent serves. We can't let Gu Cheng hit a passing shot easily."

"He didn't use his skills. It would be too embarrassing for us if we didn't even get a single point."

However, the idea was good, but reality was cruel.

Under the influence of being broken several times, Marcos made a double fault on his fourth serve.

Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang exchanged a glance, did not celebrate much, simply gave each other a high five, and then went to their respective service games.

Next up was Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang's serve.

Gu Cheng stood at the baseline and habitually bounced the ball three times in his palm.

He glanced up at Lucas's position—the Brazilian had deliberately positioned himself two meters from the baseline, clearly intending to receive his powerful serve.

The tennis ball was thrown four or five meters into the air, his body leaned back to the extreme, his right shoulder almost touching his ear, and his muscles were taut like steel under the lights.

The moment the racket was swung, the air emitted a sharp whistling sound, and the tennis ball rushed straight towards Lucas's backhand at a speed of over 200 kilometers per hour, with a strong external spin.

Lucas managed to block the ball with his backhand, but the ball's speed decreased significantly, and it flew towards the midfield.

Yu Haoyang had already anticipated the landing point, rushing to the net like a cheetah, flicking his wrist, and the volley grazed the net and landed near Marcos's feet. "15-0!"

In his next three serves, Gu Cheng displayed terrifying control over his serve: an inside ace, an outside net shot that forced Lucas to return the ball into the net, and a final flat serve that scored the point directly.

Both players easily held their heads.

The Brazilian pair adjusted their tactics, with Marcos deliberately standing near the center line when receiving the serve, attempting to disrupt Yu Haoyang's serve direction.

Yu Haoyang took a deep breath and delivered a precise serve down the middle. Marcos hastily returned the ball to Yu Haoyang's forehand side.

Yu Haoyang turned sideways and drew his racket back, the racket drawing a smooth arc. His forehand smash carried strong topspin, the ball speed was as fast as lightning, and it went straight for Lucas's left sideline defense.

Lucas lunged to save the ball, using his racket face to deflect it towards the net. Gu Cheng was already waiting there, delivering a clean and powerful smash that sent the ball crashing heavily into the net.

"15-0!" When Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang high-fived, they could feel the heat of each other's palms.

Yu Haoyang's serve was equally strong in this game, and combined with Gu Cheng's volleys at the net, they quickly reached game point at 40-0.

In the final point, Yu Haoyang served a high-speed 180 km/h outside serve, which Marcos returned into the net, making it 3-0. The combination of Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang continued to extend their lead.

Marcos's serve became noticeably rushed, resulting in a double fault on the very first point.
On the second ball, he attempted to serve to the inside corner, but Gu Cheng returned the ball with a backhand slice to the open space in front of the net, and Lucas made a volley error. "0-40, break point!"

"This can't go on! Lucas, let's change tactics. After I serve, don't move, stay on the baseline to defend!" Marcos roared, barely managing to serve the third ball into bounds.

When receiving the serve, Gu Cheng did not choose to attack with a strong shot, but instead used a precise drop shot, and the tennis ball landed gently in front of the net.

Lucas sprinted to the net from the baseline, barely managing to lift the ball high. Gu Cheng took two steps back, seized the opportunity, and delivered a powerful overhead smash. The ball slammed into Marcos's feet like a cannonball, kicking up a fine white cloud of dust.

"Game! Gu Cheng/Yu Haoyang, 4-0!"

In the fifth game, Gu Cheng and Yu Haoyang continued their strong performance, and with Gu Cheng's net play, they easily changed the score to 5-0.

In the sixth game, the Brazilian pair faced the pressure of being shut out. Marcos made another mistake on his serve, and Gu Cheng seized the opportunity, scoring with a backhand straight through ball while receiving the serve, directly taking the match point.

Marcos stood behind the service line, his headband soaked with sweat, a hint of panic in his eyes.

He looked at Lucas, who gestured for him to point inside.

The tennis ball was tossed into the air, but this time Marcos' serve lacked power, reaching a speed of only about 160 kilometers per hour.

Gu Cheng made an accurate judgment, took a big step forward with his right foot, and suddenly changed the direction of his wrist when swinging his forehand. Instead of hitting the usual cross-court shot, he hit a tricky straight-line pass, passing through the gap between Marcos and Lucas, and landing steadily in bounds.

Lucas instinctively reached out to stop him, but only managed to grab air.

The sound of the tennis ball hitting the backcourt barrier was clearly audible. The umpire raised his right hand, and his voice was amplified throughout the arena via microphone:
"Game, Set and Match! Gu Cheng/Yu Haoyang, 6-0!"

(End of this chapter)