Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 100, Round of 16: Match Against Davydenko (Please Subscribe)

CCTV will naturally be broadcasting the match between Jiang Hong and Davydenko.

The commentator for this match was Zhang Sheng, and his partner was Pan Bing, whose highest ATP ranking was 176.

He was once an Asian Games champion and reached the semi-finals of the Seoul Open in 1995.

This is also the best result achieved by a male tennis player from mainland China in a tournament so far!

Zhang Sheng was somewhat excited, after all, there were finally Chinese players who could compete against these top players.

Although the odds of winning may not be very high, it will definitely be an unforgettable historical moment for China!

The broadcasts that were originally scheduled for other matches were ultimately given to Jiang Hong and Davydenko.

Even women's tennis broadcasts it, let alone men's tennis.

The two can even be considered as completely different projects, with vastly different levels of entertainment value.

It has been said before that even Serena Williams, who dominates women's tennis, may be about the same level of skill as male tennis players ranked around 700!

Cameras were already set up around the stadium before the match even started!

Besides CCTV, other media outlets have also arrived, crowding the area around the stadium.

……

"Xiao Jiang, don't be nervous, just do your best!"

"That's right. Although I lost this time, the coach and the leaders still praised me in the end, thinking I played well!"

Don't add burdens to yourself!

Sun Peng and Yu Xinyuan were comforting Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong rolled his eyes, spread his hands, and said, "Alright, I'm not that fragile. Playing against the world's fourth-ranked team is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

As he spoke, Jiang Hong's eyes grew brighter and brighter.

He seemed to be a little excited.

Yu Xinyuan and Sun Peng exchanged a glance. It seemed that Jiang Hong didn't really need their help to relieve his stress.

Perhaps this is what it means to have a naturally strong heart!

However, the weather didn't seem to cooperate, as it started to drizzle.

Ultimately, after discussions among the organizing committee, it was decided to postpone the competition until the rain stopped.

……

"Is it open yet? Is it open yet?"

"Wasn't it said that Lao Jiang would be playing in a competition on CCTV Sports?"

Why haven't they appeared yet?

"I just checked, and it says it's raining in Beijing, so the match has been postponed!"

"Huh? How long will they keep pushing us?"

A group of people crowded in front of the TV in the cafeteria, waiting for Jiang Hong to appear in the match.

Jiang Hong is definitely the most famous student in the whole school.

There are currently three banners about Jiang Hong hanging at the school gate.

Students who didn't have classes mostly came over to join in the fun.

As other matches were being broadcast on TV, the students couldn't wait any longer.

Finally, after much anticipation, the television screen switched back to live.

The rain has stopped in the capital now.

University students' lives aren't always that colorful. When someone from the same school or even the same class becomes an athlete, they feel a sense of pride!
Inside the Qin Province tennis team's training room, Wang Cheng and his group were all crammed in front of the television.

"Old Wang, Old Qin, you two have played against Jiang Hong before, is he particularly strong?" a provincial team member suddenly asked curiously.

Wang Cheng gave a strange look.

Honestly, back when that cup was made, Jiang Hong was stronger than them, but he shouldn't have been able to make Asian history!

However, Wang Cheng has maintained contact with Jiang Hong and watches his training videos online.

He started out with the intention of learning, but after just one day he decided to give up.

Given Jiang Hong's training intensity, I reckon he'll be ruined sooner or later.

Perhaps, this is what genius is all about!
Wang Cheng turned his head and glanced at the group photo of the cups on the base of the cups pasted on the wall.

Back then, the coach even said that they should feel ashamed and then strive to do better.

However, after Jiang Hong won the ITF Hope Tournament, the coach never mentioned it again.

Jiang Hong's classmates might just be watching the game for fun, but Wang Cheng and his friends realized the gap between Jiang Hong and them.

Perhaps, a thick barrier has already separated us!

Wang Cheng opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything. Judging from his lip movements, he probably said something.

"Brother Jiang!"

……

Jiang Hong pushed open the locker room door and walked into the players' tunnel.

The center stadium can hold tens of thousands of spectators. Although it is unknown whether they came spontaneously to watch the game, the stands were packed.

The noise made Jiang Hong's heart skip a beat.

Both in terms of scale and number of spectators, it far surpasses the previous competitions that Jiang Hong participated in.

Jiang Hong wasn't nervous; on the contrary, he was filled with excitement.

The host, microphone in hand, stood beside the court, engaging the audience and creating a lively atmosphere.

"First, let's welcome our country's young tennis player, Jiang Hong!"

Upon hearing the sound, Jiang Hong walked straight out of the players' tunnel!

The court was dry because it had just rained.

The air felt very cool, which should make playing the game quite comfortable.

When Jiang Hong appeared on the field, the audience in the stands gave him a very respectful cheer and applause.

This is just my first step onto the world tennis stage!
Step by step, they lifted up several trophies that symbolize the highest honor in tennis!

"Next, let's welcome the tennis star from Russia – Nikolai Davydenko!"

Davydenko emerged from the players' tunnel, wearing a blue and white jersey and a white hat. Known in the tennis world as a workhorse, he is a player of average talent with no particularly outstanding technical characteristics.

Without Roddick's serve, without Nadal's physical attributes, and without Federer and Safin's talent.

However, Davydenko made up for his lack of talent with hard work and proved his strength by competing at a high intensity.

He has won 3 Masters titles and 1 year-end championship in his career!
They work year-round, participating in a competition every week.

However, Jiang Hong did not believe that the other party lacked talent; how could one become a top player without talent?

However, Davydenko's frequency of competitions is truly alarming.

……

"...This is CCTV. Welcome, viewers, to the live broadcast of the second round of the China Open..."

"I am Zhang Sheng, and I am Pan Bing. We will be the commentators today!"

"Standing on the left is Jiang Hong, a young Chinese player who just turned professional this year. He is ranked 288th in the ATP rankings, which is quite remarkable!"

Jiang Hong advanced through the first round of the China Open men's singles on September 9, earning 15 ATP points and bringing his total points to 127.

The rankings were updated on September 10, so Jiang Hong successfully entered the top 9.

Of course, after passing the first round of the competition, Jiang Hong is guaranteed a prize of at least $8300.

"And the player on the right is Russian star Davydenko, ranked fourth in the ATP rankings. He achieved a good result in the semifinals of the US Open two days ago, losing to the US Open champion Federer. You can see that his performance is very good!"

While both sides were serving and warming up, Zhang Shengkai in the TV studio started chatting.

"I just heard that in the pre-match interview, Davydenko was very optimistic about Jiang Hong, saying that if he continues on his current trajectory and doesn't get injured, a top 50 finish is definitely possible!" Turning to Pan Bing, he asked, "Coach Pan, what do you think?"

Upon hearing this, Pan Bing touched his nose, chuckled, and mumbled, "Perhaps!"

After all, who knows if Davydenko was just being polite!
Besides, my highest ranking wasn't even in the top 150.

However, judging from the current situation, Jiang Hong is indeed the most promising player in the Chinese men's tennis team.

Davydenko glanced at the young player opposite him, but didn't pay much attention.

After all, I can't possibly lose to a player ranked 300+ in the ATP rankings!

After the two finished warming up, they came to the center of the court!
By flipping a coin, Davydenko won the right to serve.

With the referee's instructions, the match officially began!
Jiang Hong adjusted his stance and got into position to hit the ball.

He didn't expect to run into such a top player so soon.

However, Jiang Hong will not let his opponent easily sweep him out of the game!
"The match has officially begun. Davydenko has the serve. Let's see how he handles this ball!" Zhang Sheng began his commentary, watching the situation on the court.

"Davydenko's serve employed his consistent style and tactics, without prioritizing speed!"

"Instead, he chose to hit the ball to the inside corner of Jiang Hong's court. Jiang Hong is moving and very fast, let's see if he can successfully receive the serve! Oops, a little slow, although Jiang Hong completed the return, the quality of this return was not high! And the height of this ball is very suitable for Davydenko's attack."

As expected, Davydenko decisively sidestepped and unleashed a forehand smash, just as the applause had predicted.

boom!
The return shot was very fast, and the ball was directly pushed into Jiang Hong's backhand corner!
This ball is of very high quality, like a scalpel.

He pierced Jiang Hong's defensive gaps with perfect accuracy!
Jiang Hong moved very fast, but it was to no avail.

Although he swung the racket, he was unable to wrap the ball around it.

The tennis ball went completely out of control, grazing the opposite sideline and flying out of bounds.

"OUT!"

The driver suddenly brought up the matter.

15: 0!

Davydenko scores the first point.

Jiang Hong turned his head and glanced at the landing point of the tennis ball.

As expected of a top player, Jiang Hong faced immense pressure in receiving serves.

The opponent had already calculated Jiang Hong's return technique and position in advance.

Jiang Hong turned around and returned to the baseline to prepare to receive the second serve.

Jiang Hong was still unable to score on his next two serves.

Looking at the situation of this game, Zhang Sheng suddenly sighed.

"Oops, Xiao Jiang missed another chance. The opponent has three match points... Oh, no, I mean game points. Sorry, slip of the tongue. Let's continue watching the match. Can Xiao Jiang counterattack on the last point?"

"You can see Davydenko's seasoned skills just from these few serves. Xiao Jiang is still too young!"

"But so far I'm relatively calm. I can't be rash or impulsive; I need to maintain my threatening stance!"

Jiang Hong took a deep breath, his expression remaining unchanged.

They kept a close eye on Davydenko's movements, ready to act in advance!
Davydenko has a wealth of match experience and did not serve directly.

Instead, he lowered his head and patted the tennis ball, his opponent deliberately controlling the pace of the game.

The ball is served!
This time it's the outer corner!
Jiang Hong acted immediately, and sure enough, the tennis ball flew straight towards the outer corner of Jiang Hong's service court.

Jiang Hong immediately stepped forward and used a one-handed backhand to block the ball over the net.

However, the landing point this time was not good.

The ball landed directly in midfield, and Davydenko didn't rush to save it, but instead chose to push it down.

It is extremely powerful in terms of both strength and angle of attack.

Jiang Hong hastily hit the ball over the net, but in doing so, he handed the initiative to his opponent.

However, there was no other choice; between amputation and survival, there was no other option.

Davydenko certainly wouldn't waste this good opportunity, and immediately launched an attack with his forehand, sending the tennis ball straight to the baseline in Jiang Hong's half of the court.

Jiang Hongzhi was forced to retreat to the bottom line and began to pull back.

However, Davydenko suddenly changed his tune.

A backhand cross-court shot directly broke through Jiang Hong's defense.

The tennis ball arced through the air and hit the sideline.

Press the line!

"IN!" The linesman raised his flag, signaling that the ball was in play!

Love game!

Davydenko won the first game very easily.

(End of this chapter)