Who would still play tennis after being reborn?

Chapter 53 Ball Drop Depth

In recent years, with the popularization of tennis, the association has seen a lot of people coming to handle matters every day. When Gu Cheng arrived, there were already quite a few people queuing up. However, not everyone was there to do CTN level assessments, but most of them were.

Gu Cheng went to the front desk, registered his information, and waited in line.

Around 10 a.m., Gu Cheng finally heard someone inside call his name.

"Sit here for a while. The CTN review may take some time. If you're bored, you can go for a walk, but don't go too far or to places with few people. If it gets too late, I'll ask Uncle Lu to pick you up. I'll take you out to play again this afternoon."

"Okay." Xia Zhitong nodded obediently, then took out a book called "Jane Eyre" from the bag she was carrying.

It is Charlotte Brontë's masterpiece, telling the coming-of-age story of an ordinary woman named Jane Eyre.

Gu Cheng's mind went blank for a moment. He glanced at the girl who had already opened her book and was reading intently. So... the aloof and beautiful girl in the hearts of all the boys at No. 1 High School actually longs for ordinary love?
The situation seems to be becoming slightly clearer.

Just as he guessed, Xia Zhitong was actually just like most ordinary girls, except that she was more socially anxious than the average person.

The less social interaction one has, the more socially anxious one becomes.

The more socially anxious a person is, the more they pretend to be aloof and cold. Over time, their social interactions become virtually nonexistent.

……

Behind the Ningbo branch of the Tennis Association are three outdoor hard courts.

At this moment, all three stadiums have completed the second round of CTN level assessment.

"Zhu Xingxing, how's it going on your end?" On Court 1, Pan Lang finished typing up the scores on the rating chart, signed his name, and put it aside. Seeing that the evaluation of Court 2 next door had also ended, he called out curiously.

"You're talking about the level assessment results?"

"if not?"

Zhu Xingxing spread her hands: "What else can we do? There are basically no people at levels 1, 2, or 3."

Pan Lang said irritably, "Nonsense, if someone really had a level 123 rating, they would have already done the evaluation. By now, they would probably have played in quite a few professional matches. Why would they be doing a CTN rating evaluation?"

"I'm asking if you have any level 5 or higher."

Zhu Xingxing shook his head: "No, most of them are around level seven or eight. There are two who are still beginners. I set the minimum level for them to be 10."

"At least give me a level 9," Pan Lang said speechlessly.

Zhu Xingxing chuckled and said, "If there's an eleventh level, I'll assign him to the eleventh level. He's only been studying for half a year and he's already here to participate in the CTN level assessment. Isn't that just a waste of my time? If everyone were like him, we wouldn't be able to finish assigning levels even if we worked overtime."

"Let's not talk about that guy anymore. What about you over there?"

Pan Lang smiled and said, "It's similar to yours, but the one who just finished the evaluation has pretty good hand skills and ball control. He got a score of 213, and I gave him a level 6 rating."

"CTN Level 6?"

Zhu Xingxing exclaimed in surprise, "That's not bad! There are only a handful of people at this level each month, sometimes none at all. It's considered good if you encounter even one. But there are also some with decent strength who can immediately be ranked at level three or four..."

"There are too few people like that."

Before Zhu Xingxing could finish speaking, Pan Lang interrupted her: "They're incredibly rare, you might only meet one every few months. But to be honest, there are more and more people learning tennis these days."

Zhu Xingxing curled her lip: "It's useless for many people to study. There are very few who are truly talented, and among those who are talented, there are very few who come from wealthy families. In the end, only one or two can make it to professional competitions. To use a term from... fantasy novels, that is..."

"How did I say it again?" Zhu Xingxing found her mind suddenly stuck.

"Extremely rare?"

"Yes, extremely rare."

Pan Lang laughed and said, "However, this is normal. The students who come to participate in the CTN evaluation are all teenagers. It is already good if they can be rated as level seven or eight. They are not going to play professionally. Those who really play professionally have basically been abroad by the time they are teenagers. They just want to get a certificate to post on their WeChat Moments to show off, which is enough for them."

"At least people who don't know anything about this industry will think it's awesome."

"That's true."

The two exchanged a smile as they spoke.

As they were talking, the middle-aged man in Court No. 3 suddenly shouted, "Alright, stop talking, the third round of evaluation participants are coming in."

Pan Lang and Zhu Xingxing shrugged, then stopped chatting and stared at the three people walking towards them with stern faces. A woman in her early twenties, a man in his early thirties, and a boy who looked about fourteen or fifteen years old.

Upon seeing this lineup, the two immediately lost all interest.

Of the three, even one that reaches level 7 would be considered high.

Zhu Xingxing looked at the boy walking into the court with no smile on his face, and read the script in a businesslike manner: "The CTN level assessment is divided into five items, namely baseline forehand and backhand shot depth, forehand and backhand net volley depth, baseline forehand and backhand shot accuracy, serve, and flexibility."

"First, we will conduct a depth assessment of baseline forehand and backhand shots."

After briefly explaining the evaluation content, Zhu Xingxing took the CTN rating reference table and came to the side: "There are 10 balls in total, alternating between forehand and backhand. Hit the ball into the singles area of ​​the tennis court. The score will be determined based on the landing point of your first and second bounces."

"The deeper the ball falls, the higher the score."

Gu Cheng nodded.

He had researched this topic the night before he arrived.

There are many differences between the rules of the Prince of Tennis world and reality, and relying solely on the common sense of the Prince of Tennis world is definitely not enough.

Although these points of knowledge are not very useful for playing the game, they are still things that you have to know.

In tennis, the first and second bounces refer to the ball's first and second landings during a match, respectively.

Simply put, in a tennis match, after the ball bounces once, the player must return it to the opponent's court. If the ball doesn't bounce immediately after the first bounce but instead bounces again, this is called a "double bounce."

With two jumps, the point is now over, and the opponent scores.

As for the depth of the ball's fall, that's easier to understand. The closer the ball's landing point is to the baseline, the deeper the ball is hit. Specifically, the closer the ball's first landing point after crossing the net is to the baseline, the deeper the ball is hit.

Anyone who has received tennis training will often hear a coach say, "The ball is too shallow, hit it deeper."

Why?

Deep shots can reduce the quality of the opponent's return, and sustained deep shots can force the opponent into errors. Therefore, we often see this situation when watching live matches:
Djokovic: Hit deep.

Four Eggs: We can handle it.

Djokovic: Go deeper.

Four Eggs: So deep.

Djokovic: Hit deeper.

Four Eggs: Holy crap, I was on the line, I flicked it, and the ball flew away.

Audience: Clap clap clap
By constantly pressing the opponent with deep shots, the opponent is prevented from completing a full swing and is forced to hit the ball out of bounds, resulting in a mistake.

Of course, there's more to it than that.

A deep ball travels a longer distance than a shallow ball, giving you more time. Especially when you're on the defensive, a deep high ball gives you ample time to prepare your return and the next shot.

Another point is that a topspin ball with a deep landing point makes it difficult for the opponent to hit the ball on the rise, forcing them to retreat to the baseline, thus making it difficult for the opponent to launch a strong attack, and making it relatively easier for your own attack.

In the third set of the 2016 Australian Open women's singles final, Kerber defeated Serena Williams with her control of deep shots to win her first Grand Slam title.

It can be said that the depth of the ball's fall can clearly reflect a tennis player's skill level.

It is also a skill that tennis players must master.

But, is it necessary to hit the ball deep?
Not at all.

There are several situations where a shallower ball landing point is better, such as drop shots, volley drop shots, short cross-court passes, high-angle overhead smashes, and serves with a slice to the outside corner.

"Are the players ready?"

"Ready."

Zhu Xingxing leaned back slightly, and seeing that Gu Cheng was ready, she signaled to the server that the serve could begin.

"Then let's get started."

(End of this chapter)