Now that I've been reborn, I have to play tennis!

Chapter 92 Winning the game, but also striking at the heart! (9th update)
PS: This is the 9th update. I'll make up for the 1st update during the day!

……

The first set was a very intense match.

Kei Nishikori also knew that he was not in his best competitive form.

But after seeing so many fellow villagers cheering him on at the stadium, he knew he had to win this match.

As a newcomer to the Chinese scene, he certainly didn't want the other side to use his kills to boost their reputation.

Gritting his teeth, Kei Nishikori was determined to persevere.

His thinking was simple: I can lose to European and American players, but how can I lose to Asian players? Of course, those Kazakhstani players who were naturalized from the Goose (a Kazakhstani national team) don't count.

But this young Chinese man in front of me is really strong!
Meng Hao's shots are quite planned.

It seems that after each shot, he has already planned out the trajectory of the next few shots in his mind.

Meng Hao held his first three service games quite easily.

Besides scoring directly from his serve, he can easily break through his opponent's defense and hit the ball into open spaces in the next few shots.

Kei Nishikori was very passive, managing only two points in Meng Hao's three service games, and was almost helpless.

"How come their serve is so good today!" he thought with a sense of helplessness.

He had done everything he could to hold onto his first three service games.

After each hold, I'm drenched in sweat and panting heavily.

This match reminded Kei Nishikori of the US Open final.

His opponent's powerful serves and fierce forehand attacks overwhelmed him, leaving him with little resistance, and he suffered a crushing 0-3 defeat.

"If I can replicate my form from the Tokyo tournament, beating my opponent will be a piece of cake!" Kei Nishikori thought confidently.

The seventh game is about to begin.

Kei Nishikori still made his signature receiving motion, gripping the racket with both hands like a samurai holding a sword, ready for a duel.

Many players prefer this grip style for receiving serves.

Meng Hao's first shot went into the net, and he prepared for his second shot.

"Your serve has slipped?" Kei Nishikori immediately perked up.

He is only 1.78 meters tall, but he is known in the professional tennis world for his excellent ability to break serve.

Besides his ability to seize opportunities and control the rhythm, Kei Nishikori possesses exceptional talent in touch and ball control. Although his forehand and backhand shots are not particularly powerful, he excels at using the opponent's force against them and has a top-notch ability to change the direction of the ball.

"Focus!" He firmly believed that it wasn't that Meng Hao's serve was particularly outstanding, but rather that he himself was unable to reach his best form in receiving serves.

Wait, this second shot...

Meng Hao's second serve was almost right on the center line, and it also had a strong sidespin.

Second shot, ACE!

This was a rare second-serve ace.

Then, Meng Hao made another mistake on his first serve and continued with his second serve.

This time, Nishikori returned the ball beautifully, but Meng Hao, relying on his feel for the ball, directly sliced ​​a diagonal shot.

Kei Nishikori misjudged the situation and watched as the tennis ball bounced twice.

On the third ball, Meng Hao's serve went out of bounds again.

He shook his arm, somewhat annoyed.

That's how tennis sometimes is; you might be serving really well one minute, and then suddenly you lose your rhythm.

Fortunately, he remained calm and confident in the quality of his second serve.

Second shot, enter the area.

Immediately, the two engaged in a long rally around the baseline. "It seems like they've fallen into each other's rhythm!" Some of the more knowledgeable players in the audience couldn't help but show concern.

Kei Nishikori has excellent ability to change lanes and rarely makes mistakes.

After successfully making several runs along the sidelines, he seemed to have taken the initiative, while Meng Hao switched from offense to defense.

However, at that moment, Meng Hao slid while running, then roared, and his racket made contact with the tennis ball, generating extremely strong friction.

The tennis ball, hit and propelled by an astonishing spin, flew toward the opposite net.

It was a bizarre arc like a banana. At first, it seemed to be flying off the field, but it quickly turned back onto the field and landed on the ground almost touching the sideline.

Kei Nishikori looked at the ball and gave a wry smile.

He pushed his opponent to this point, and then he managed to hit such an incredible return shot. What else could he do?
"Hey, did you guys see that? Meng Hao's shot just now looked a bit like... a snake shot!" This spectator, clearly a fan of "The Prince of Tennis," exclaimed excitedly.

As for Meng Hao, he didn't think of the snake ball from "The Prince of Tennis," but he remembered another scene.

Alcaraz also hit a similar stunning shot against Messi in the 2024 Indian Wells final, which brought Messi to his signature wry smile.

This moment is just like that moment!
After all, Meng Hao had already experienced that final ten times in person, and with such deep feelings, he was able to execute such a divine shot.

It's something you can only encounter by chance!
40 is better than 0!

Meng Hao scored points on all three of his second serves.

How is Kei Nishikori supposed to compete with that? He's known for his exceptional ability to break serve.

On his fourth serve, Meng Hao finally succeeded on his first serve, earning a straight point.

A beautiful "love game" that won the round.

How is this played?
Kei Nishikori is also anxious!
In the last game, Meng Hao's serving form had declined, and he was almost always serving second serves.

As a result, I didn't get a single point!
At that moment, Kei Nishikori's coach, Michael Chang, stood up from the audience and gestured for Nishikori to calm down.

Kei Nishikori, a renowned Chinese tennis player who made his name in the professional tennis world, spent a lot of money to bring him on board, and it has proven to be a worthwhile investment.

However, at this moment, Michael Chang's reminder did not calm Kei Nishikori down.

In his fourth service game, the two sides continued to play fiercely, and the match was evenly matched.

However, due to Kei Nishikori's anxiety, he made a mistake in his approach to the net, which allowed Meng Hao to hit a passing shot and break his serve!

Meng Hao then held serve to win the first set 6-3.

The second set seemed to follow a similar pattern to the first.

At the beginning, Meng Hao served well and held serve easily.

Kei Nishikori had a low first serve percentage, but through frequent movement and excellent baseline technique, he managed to hold his serve.

However, this terrible condition seems to be contagious.

Soon, Meng Hao's first-shot success rate was even lower than Nishikori Kei's.

Even so, he managed to escape danger time and time again thanks to his excellent second serve.

The two players battled for nearly an hour in the second set, and Meng Hao finally broke through Nishikori's seemingly impenetrable defense with increasingly fierce attacks at the end of the set.

6 is better than 4!

This is the score of the second set.

Meng Hao won two consecutive games, securing a hard-fought victory.

However, Kei Nishikori seemed a little dazed, then looked up at the data statistics on the big screen.

What the heck? Meng Hao's first-shot success rate today is 49%!

He was immediately horrified.

His opponent's first serve percentage was so low, and Kei Nishikori, who is usually known for his excellent breaking ability, didn't manage a single break today! This is even more painful for him than losing the match!
……

(End of this chapter)