Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 213: Full of tension, serve and net, a show of force!
With the media fueling the fire, the atmosphere of the match became extremely tense.

On one hand, Jiang Hong wants to achieve the feat of winning back-to-back Masters titles, while on the other hand, Nadal wants to get revenge on Jiang Hong.

Amid the expectant gazes of the audience, the advertisement for Head rackets, endorsed by Jiang Hong, came to an end.

The image on the television screen changed.

"Ladies and gentlemen, ladies and gentlemen!"

"You are now watching a live broadcast from CCTV Sports Channel!"

"2007 Paris Masters Men's Singles Semifinals!"

"I'm commentator Zhan Jun!"

Zhang Sheng's voice rang out immediately, filled with barely suppressed excitement.

"I am Zhang Sheng!"

"Tonight, under the Parisian night sky, we will witness together a peak showdown that is destined to be recorded in the history of Chinese tennis!"

Meanwhile, the names of the two teams appeared on the big screen at the Bercy Arena in Paris.

[Jiang Hong VS Rafael Nadal]

Zhan Jun's speech quickened and became more animated.

"Right here! Right now!"

"Eighteen-year-old Chinese star Jiang Hong will once again face the world's number two, the King of Clay—Rafael Nadal!"

"Just 20 days ago, the miracle of Madrid was still fresh in our minds."

"Tonight, the war will reignite in Paris!"

As the two commentators spoke, the hearts of the viewers in front of the television seemed to be ignited as well.

At the same time, the lights in the Bercy Stadium in Paris suddenly went out, and the nearly 20,000 spectators fell silent instantly.

"ladies and gentlemen!"

The host's voice suddenly broke the silence.

Immediately, a beam of light shot towards the players' tunnel.

"First up is—the prodigy from China—the Madrid Masters champion—Jiang—Hong!!!"

Instantly, a huge roar erupted from the stands.

"Jiang Hong! Jiang Hong!"

The shouts and cheers seemed to lift the roof off the stadium.

Jiang Hong walked out steadily, a confident smile on his face, and raised his hand to give a dashing salute to the stands.

He then turned and left the stadium, walking to a bench in the rest area.

The lights went out again, and the spotlight returned to the players' tunnel.

"—And his opponent!! From Spain! The world's second-best—Rafael Nadal, who created countless miracles in Paris!!!"

Instantly, the stands erupted in cheers even louder than before.

After all, Nadal's influence in Paris is no joke.

Nadal jogged into the court from the players' tunnel, wearing his classic jersey. After reaching the center position, he took two small hops, then tidied his hair and bent down to tug at his socks.

After finishing a smooth combo, he clenched his fist and pounded his chest, clearly displaying strong confidence.

After Jiang Hong and Nadal put down their bags, they came to the net at the call of the head referee.

Nadal took two steps forward, grasped Jiang Hong's hand, and stared intently at him with a half-smile on his face.

"Jiang, I heard you're absolutely confident about this match?"

Jiang Hong was taken aback upon hearing this. Could it be that Nadal had been misled by the reporter?
However, upon seeing the mockery in the other person's eyes, Jiang Hong instantly understood.

He immediately followed up, saying, "Of course, my goal is to reach the finals and compete for the ultimate championship!"

"Okay!" Nadal nodded and said seriously, "This time, I will get my revenge, and the final championship will belong to me!"

Nalbandian: mmp, what do you mean? I made it to the finals early, you know.

Jiang Hong recalled Nadal's score in the final.

In the original timeline, Nadal seemed to have been swept aside by Nalbandian.

The score was 6-4 in the first set and 6-0 in the second set.

That's right, they were completely shut out by Nalbandian!

It was because of this huge score difference that Jiang Hong was able to remember.

Jiang Hong raised an eyebrow, shook his head, and said, "Rafa, winning a championship isn't that easy!"

Nadal thought Jiang Hong was making a threat at him, so he immediately replied.

"Then I'll let you watch me win the championship!"

Just then, the referee suddenly interrupted the two men's conversation.

"Rafa, please choose first!"

The referee's voice was steady as he held the coin between his fingers.

Nadal made his choice almost without hesitation.

"Rough." (literal)

This has been his habit for many years; given the choice, he will choose the literal meaning.

The referee looked at Jiang Hong.

"If you don't have a choice to begin with, why are you even looking at me? Formalism is killing us!"

Jiang Hong mentally scoffed, then said, "Then I can only choose Smooth (flower)."

The referee nodded, and his thumb suddenly flicked the coin up.

"Ding--"

The coin spun rapidly in the air, tracing a bright silver arc, soaring high before plummeting downwards.

Nadal and Jiang Hong both glanced at the coin.

After all, the right to serve is very important for top players.

Being able to establish an advantage first will put psychological pressure on the opponent.

"Snapped!"

The coin fell to the ground.

The entire stadium was silent as everyone awaited the referee's verdict.

The referee lowered his head, and the coin lay quietly on the ground, smooth side up.

"It's Smooth. Ginger, please choose!" the referee announced.

Nadal frowned, somewhat disappointed.

After all, he had experienced firsthand Jiang Hong's serving skills.

As for Jiang Hong's choice, there is no doubt about it.

And the final result was exactly as Nadal expected.

"I choose to serve."

Nadal simply chose his half of the court, since it was an indoor tournament and choosing sides wasn't that important.

After the coin toss, the two turned around again, went to the rest area, and took out their rackets.

After reaching the baseline, they began to warm up, stretching meticulously.

Snap... Snap... Snap!

"Time!"

After the warm-up session ended, Jiang Hong and Nadal returned to the rest area.

Zhan Jun's voice rang out once again.

"There will be times when the wind will be strong and the waves will be broken, and the sails will be hoisted to cross the vast ocean!"

"Jiang Hong, this eighteen-year-old boy, has brought Chinese tennis to unprecedented heights!"

"Tonight, Jiang Hong carries no burdens; he only has the courage to forge ahead!"

Zhang Sheng's voice also rang out at the opportune moment.

"The eyes of the whole world are focused on this!"

Will Nadal make a comeback, or will Jiang Hong create another miracle?

Afterwards, both players returned to their respective baselines, rackets in hand.

Zhan Jun's voice sounded like he was shouting.

"Alright! The players are ready!"

"This epic showdown that captivates hundreds of millions of Chinese fans—the Paris Masters semi-final between Jiang Hong and Nadal—is about to begin!"

At the same time, the referee's voice rang out again.

"Play!"

Jiang Hong took a deep breath and glanced at Nadal across from him.

He tossed the ball high into the air, his body arching backward like a fully drawn bow, and his legs suddenly pushed off the ground, relying on the explosive power of his core strength.

Drive your arm and racket forward like a whip.

boom!
"First shot, inside corner!"

Nadal's eyes were fixed on Jiang Hong's movements.

I already suffered from the opponent's serve last time.

This time, we certainly can't afford to be careless.

Therefore, Nadal immediately came to the answer in his mind.

The ball was moving at extremely high speed, heading straight for point T.

The moment the ball landed, the court's speed radar instantly detected the ball's speed.

199 km!

Nadal had already started his footwork the moment Jiang Hong served, and his backhand side was already in the air.

Use the force of the tennis ball as it bounces!

He instantly returned a flat, low ball to the deep end.

"run!"

Jiang Hong had already begun his move the moment he finished hitting the ball.

Without the slightest hesitation, he shifted his weight forward, pushed off with his feet, and shot forward like an arrow.

That's right, it's serve and volley.

"what?"

As Nadal finished hitting the ball, he looked up and noticed that Jiang Hong was already standing in front of the net.

His mouth involuntarily opened wide.

"Serve and volley for the first ball?"

"Fortunately, this ball is deep enough..."

The tennis ball flew straight to Jiang Hong's feet.

A look of surprise flashed in Nadal's eyes.

In the current situation, Jiang Hong's attempt to go online has backfired, resulting in more harm than good.

"Too impulsive!" Zhan Jun shook his head and sighed.

Jiang Hong remained completely unfazed.

Lower your center of gravity, bend your knees, lean forward, and prepare your racket in front of you.

Relying on his exaggerated touch, the racket face opens slightly at the moment of release.

Snapped!
Slide your wrist forward steadily.

Immediately follow up with a low-post bounce shot.

Jiang Hong gently blocked the ball, which, with a bit of backspin, quickly dropped after crossing the net.

It landed directly in the open space in front of the net, out of Nadal's reach.

"15:0!"

Nadal's net play at this point has not yet reached the level he will later achieve.

Therefore, they were powerless against Jiang Hong's net shot.

"Serve and volley!" Zhan Jun's originally low voice suddenly rose, filled with surprise and admiration. "Jiang Hong used the serve and volley tactic for the very first point, and executed it very decisively. His feel for the net play was simply perfect!"

A smile flashed across Jiang Hong's face as he looked at the panel in front of him, which only he could observe.

[Serve and volley for a point: 1/8]

Without pausing, Jiang Hong changed his position and prepared to dribble the ball again.

Nadal's expression grew even more serious.

Because Jiang Hong's previous serve-winning shots all relied on scoring directly with flat shots or pulling the opponent's position to create opportunities for the second shot.

"Jiang Hong didn't use serve-and-volley much; he probably just caught me off guard!"

Nadal recalled how Jiang Hong had pretended to be in poor form during the pre-tournament warm-up at the Madrid Masters.

"So for the second ball, we still need to focus on a flat shot!"

I adjusted my hair extension position and lowered my body even further.

"Jiang Hong throws the ball!"

boom!
With a thud, the tennis ball flew out like a cannonball.

"what?"

As he watched the tennis ball fly through the air, Nadal's expression turned grim.

"Spin ball!"

That's right, I guessed wrong again!
This time, Jiang Hong's serve was a little slower.

However, the spin of the tennis ball can be used to compensate for this.

After the tennis ball landed, it curved noticeably outwards. Jiang Hong didn't expect to win the serve ace; his main goal was to pull Nadal out of the court.

Although Nadal was surprised by Jiang Hong's serve, his body did not falter at all.

He immediately took a big step and, with exaggerated speed, barely managed to reach the ball with his forehand.

This time, Nadal was somewhat wary.

To prevent Jiang Hong from continuing to volley the ball, he deliberately raised the trajectory of the return shot at the moment of impact, giving the tennis ball a strong topspin.

If you try to intercept at the net, the ball will fly over Jiang Hong's head.

"Jiang Hong is online again?"

The fans in the stadium stared wide-eyed. Nadal's decision to go to the net, given that he was prepared, was a very unwise choice!
However, after serving, Jiang Hong still charged forward without hesitation.

This time, Jiang Hong scored even faster than in the first game.

Seeing Nadal return a high-arcing ball, Jiang Hong remained calm.

Instead, they quickly adjust their pace as they move forward, and when they are at the net, they suddenly take a step and leap high into the air.

It wasn't a violent spike!

Instead, it was a forehand volley with high pressure.

The wrist controls the racket face; even a slight mistake can drastically alter the outcome of the match.

boom!
Jiang Hong precisely pushed the ball in the opposite direction of Nadal's movement.

Backhand baseline dead corner!

The tennis ball slammed heavily onto the line and bounced out of bounds.

"30:0!"

After a brief silence, the stands instantly erupted into noise.

"Brilliant!"

"Two serves and a net, consecutive points!"

"The high-voltage power line in the Shenzhen area is awesome!"

Nadal is under increasing pressure, not because of the score.

Rather, he felt he couldn't understand what Jiang Hong's tactical preparations were like.

His fingers gently adjusted the network cable, his eyes gleaming with a sharp light.

"Prevent internet access!"

Nadal wasn't stubborn to give up until he hit a wall; he finally believed that Jiang Hong might choose to serve and volley this ball.

So he immediately moved forward a little, getting very close to the baseline.

Jiang Hong stood at the baseline, glanced at Nadal's position, and a glint flashed in his eyes.

boom!
Toss the ball, push off the ground, rotate your body, swing the racket, and hit the ball!
He hit the ball towards Nadal's backhand again.

"not good!"

This time, Jiang Hong actually served a flat, body-targeting shot, heading straight for Nadal's body.

This shot caught Nadal off guard.

Ultimately, relying on his strong physical abilities, he managed to turn sideways, and his expression changed again the moment he prepared to shoot.

As if things weren't bad enough, the space for returning the ball with the backhand was actually squeezed out.

He barely managed to hit the ball, and his return shot was weak and powerless.

It flew to the midfield with an unpredictable arc.

"really!"

Jiang Hong certainly wouldn't miss such a golden opportunity.

I went online again.

However, it wasn't a serve-and-volley game.

With his speed, he successfully secured a favorable position.

Facing this slow and weak shallow ball in midfield.

Jiang Hong has countless ways to deliver a fatal blow.

However, Jiang Hong knew how the villains lost: they loved to be reckless.

Therefore, he chose the safest technique.

That is a forehand high volley, with the racket face slightly closed and the wrist generating power.

He hit a fast, flat, diagonal shot in an instant, the tennis ball flying almost parallel to the net.

Nadal had just finished returning the ball, and before he could even regain his balance, the tennis ball had already bounced out of bounds.

"40-0! Three set points!"

Zhan Jun shouted excitedly.

I originally thought this match would be a fierce battle, but unexpectedly, Jiang Hong relied on his serve and net play to score three points in one go.

"Looks like Jiang Hong's touch is burning hot!" Zhang Sheng nodded and said excitedly.

The audience stared wide-eyed, not expecting the first game to be so exciting.

Jiang Hong and Nadal got into the game so quickly.

Chinese fans are hoping that Jiang Hong can end this service game with an ace.

At this moment, Jiang Hong calmly patted the ball and glanced at Nadal on the other side.

He knew Nadal wasn't a player who would sit idly by; he knew Nadal would definitely make changes.

He also needs to change his approach.

Jiang Hong tossed the ball again, and this time, it was another shot into the inner corner of the second zone.

However, things have changed; the ball speed is faster and the angles are more tricky!

The speed radar on the sidelines instantly displayed the ball's speed of 220 kilometers per hour on the screen at the stadium.

"Guessed it right!"

Nadal correctly guessed Jiang Hong's serve angle.

Gritting his teeth, he desperately turned to the side, and his forehand appeared in an unbelievable position.

boom!
He took a risk and hit a straight through ball!

It is of extremely high quality and is almost parallel to the edge line.

A gasp of surprise rippled through the crowd.

The ball was extremely fast, heading straight for Jiang Hong's forehand sideline.

The return shot was of extremely high quality. If Jiang Hong hadn't been decisive enough at the net, the ball would very likely have successfully passed through the net.

but!

Jiang Hong's steps toward the net were very firm, executing the serve-and-volley strategy without any compromise.

He saw the direction of Nadal's shot while he was moving.

At the crucial moment, Jiang Hong demonstrated that his daily training had not been in vain!

Suddenly, he took a big step and leaped to the right at high speed, stretching out his racket hand as far as he could.

sigh~
The tennis ball was hurtling past Jiang Hong at the last second.

The racket face appeared at an almost impossible angle, blocking the incoming ball!

"What?"

"How is that possible!"

"How could that possibly hit?"

Amidst the incredulous stares of the fans at the stadium, Jiang Hong blocked the ball.

The tennis ball was deflected back into Nadal's half of the court, with a slight sidespin.

It landed in Nadal's open space.

Nadal just hit a passing shot with all his might, completely throwing off his body weight, leaving him no time to get back on defense.

"Game score: Jiang Hong, 1-0!"

Jiang Hong secured his serve.

"Beautiful! A perfect service game!" Zhan Jun almost shouted. "Four serves, three net shots, four points won, love game, hold serve!"

"Everyone knows Jiang Hong can use the internet, but no one can stop him!"

Jiang Hong had no idea that Zhang Sheng was bragging about himself.

Anyway, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

That volley was more like an instinctive block than a deliberate volley.

After Jiang Hong held serve, the atmosphere at Bessie Arena reached another peak compared to before the match.

Djokovic, sitting in a VIP box, blinked and couldn't help but mutter something to himself.

"Is this guy really going to win the championship?"

The main issue is that Jiang Hong's condition is indeed a bit exaggerated.

The two players switched sides, and Nadal was already standing behind the baseline.

His expression was more serious than in the first game, and he took a deep breath.

"Looks like tonight's match will be quite difficult!"

Nadal tucked his hair behind his ear, then tugged at his shorts as if they were stuck in his crotch, and then pulled at the wrinkles on the shoulders of his T-shirt with his fingers.

A series of simple movements were completed, and the serve time was almost over.

And Nadal finally began, tossing the tennis ball high into the air!
boom!
A flat serve to the inside corner, with a speed of up to 206 kilometers per hour, hits the service court like a cannonball.

After warming up in the first game, Jiang Hong's reaction speed was already at its peak.

However, Nadal's shot was too perfect in terms of speed and angle. Although Jiang Hong managed to get there in time and barely cleared the net with his forehand return, the quality of the shot was not high.

Nadal had already moved ahead and immediately unleashed a powerful forehand cross-court shot.

The tennis ball, with strong topspin, went straight for Jiang Hong's backhand opening.

"15:0!"

At the start of the second game, Nadal immediately responded to Jiang Hong using his signature technique.

After scoring on his first serve, Nadal immediately pressed his advantage.

He launched another high-quality shot, aiming straight for Jiang Hong's body.

Jiang Hong sidestepped and countered with a backhand shot.

The return shot is deep, but the offensive power is not strong.

"coming!"

Nadal's eyes lit up; this was his comfort zone.

He continuously attacked Jiang Hong's backhand side with his forehand topspin.

He tried to use his best tactics to continuously pressure the backhand defense with his forehand.

Jiang Hong was not to be outdone, and the two engaged in a long back-and-forth battle around the baseline.

Nadal's every shot was powerful and heavy, firmly pinning Jiang Hong behind the baseline.

Jiang Hong frowned; things couldn't go on like this.

Even the strongest defense will have problems over time.

Nadal's seemingly tireless stamina means he has no worries about taking more rallies.

Therefore, we must find a way.

"Have it!"

"Rhythm change!"

On the eighth shot, Nadal unleashed another powerful forehand smash, the tennis ball carrying even greater forward momentum.

It pressed deeply into Jiang Hong's backhand area.

Just when everyone thought Jiang Hong would continue to choose a double-sided standoff...

The variation finally appeared.

As the tennis ball bounced up and was about to reach the optimal hitting point, Jiang Hong leaned his body slightly backward, moving the racket face from bottom to top and from back to front.

He executed an extremely smooth one-handed backhand slice motion!

"Shh!"

It wasn't a direct assault.

Instead, it was a deep, spinning backhand underspin cut.

As the tennis ball leaves the racket face, it spins intensely, tracing a low, flat parabola as it flies close to the net.

After landing, it doesn't surge forward like Nadal's topspin shot.

This tennis ball, carrying a strong backspin, actually produced a momentary "stagnation" effect.

The bounce was very low, and the forward speed was also decreasing.

This slice completely disrupted Nadal's rhythm of continuous attacks.

He had already prepared for a fast, deep shot, but Jiang Hong's slice forced him to come to an emergency stop!
Immediately lower your center of gravity and scoop the ball up from below.

Don't expect any quality from this kind of shot.

Nadal barely managed to return the ball over the net, but it was too high and too loose.

It landed easily in midfield without any threat.

That was exactly the effect Jiang Hong wanted. After completing the cutting, he quickly adjusted his position.

Upon seeing Nadal's return shot from the shallow end, he immediately stepped into the baseline, met it with a forehand, and delivered a clean and crisp volley.

He instantly hit the ball in the opposite direction of Nadal's center of gravity.

"15:15!"

Nadal's idea of ​​responding with a love game was instantly shattered!
(End of this chapter)