Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 116 A Fierce Three-Set Battle to Advance to the Finals (Please Subscribe)
As Jiang Hong walked out of the players' tunnel, he could immediately hear the cheers and shouts of encouragement.

"Go, Xiao Jiang!"

"They made it to the finals in one go!"

"Little Jiang, I'm lending you my power!"

Jiang Hong raised his racket and waved to the audience as a greeting.

Looking up, I saw Robredo also walking out of the players' tunnel.

Wearing a blue tennis jersey, he wasn't particularly tall for a tennis player!
Jiang Hong recalled that the other player had set a record: the player who had reached the quarterfinals most times in a Grand Slam tournament since the Open Era but had never made it to the semifinals.

For a top player, this record feels like a hellish joke.

However, this also indirectly shows that Robredo's strength is consistent.

Jiang Hong began his warm-up with great enthusiasm; he enjoyed challenging these players.

"Central platform, central platform, I'm Zhang Sheng, your commentator for today's China Open semi-final!"

"I am Pan Bing!"

He was invited back again, after all, he's a small mountain in men's tennis.

However, it is a peak that has been insurmountable for many years in Chinese men's tennis.

"Let me introduce the players in today's match. On the left side of the ball is our young player Jiang Hong. He made it all the way to the semifinals of the China Open through a wildcard entry. After the last match, Jiang's ATP ranking has reached 220!"

"His opponent is Spanish star Tommy Robredo, currently ranked 11th in the ATP!"

When Robredo was introduced, his voice was a little softer.

After all, judging from the rankings alone, the gap between Jiang Hong and his opponents is indeed quite large!

Zhang Sheng turned his head and looked at Pan Bing.

"Coach Pan, what are your thoughts on this match?"

Pan Bing came as a guest and made some preparations.

"Robredo has reached the quarterfinals of the four Grand Slams multiple times, and his strength is beyond doubt. As a Spanish player, he is naturally good at clay courts. Last year, he won the Hamburg Masters on clay!"

"However, because he practiced on hard courts from a young age, his baseline technique is very solid, and he excels in both forehand and backhand..."

Zhang Sheng frowned. "I asked you to speak, why are you trying to put down your own prestige?"

So he quickly coughed to remind Pan Bing.

"Of course, Xiao Jiang isn't without a chance either. After all, he defeated the world's fourth-ranked Davydenko before. Let's look forward to his performance!" Pan Bing seemed to have caught Zhang Sheng's hint, so he added a couple more words.

"Jiang Hong's performance so far has been very impressive. Let's enjoy this match!" Zhang Sheng took over the conversation, deciding to let Pan Bing speak less!

At this moment, Jiang Hong and Robredo finished their warm-up preparations.

The two players came to the net, and the referee began to toss a coin to decide possession of the ball.

Robredo has the right to serve.

The match officially began with the referee's announcement!
boom!
With a crisp crack, Robredo officially served!

His speed wasn't as fast as Cilic's, around 190 kilometers per hour.

However, the landing point of the tennis ball is very tricky.

The shot hit the T point directly. Jiang Hong rushed up and tried his best to swing, but ultimately failed!

In the first game, Robredo relied on his high-speed serve and connecting backhand to make it very difficult for Jiang Hong, who was completely suppressed in his half of the court!
By employing his baseline stalemate technique, he deliberately created variations in speed.

This made it difficult for Jiang Hong to adapt.

"boom!"

Jiang Hong returned the ball to Robredo's backhand baseline position.

Robredo didn't adjust; he received the ball with a backhand and, through an unpredictable landing point, directly broke through Jiang Hong's baseline.

"Game!"

"Robredo, 1-0!"

Robredo easily held his serve!
Jiang Hong felt the fuzzy surface of the tennis ball and tossed it high into the air!
boom!
A powerful serve sent the ball straight into the outer corner of the opponent's first court.

Although Robredo was prepared, he came up empty-handed.

15: 0!

Ace!
After Jiang Hong scored a point, he breathed a sigh of relief!

Then immediately prepare the second ball, giving the opponent no chance to catch their breath and adjust.

boom!
boom!
Another ace, and a straight serve!
"Jiang Hong is in good form; it seems he should be able to hold his serve!"

Robredo serves with an inside spin, the tennis ball is hit near the T-zone, and he moves quickly.

He immediately unleashed a powerful forehand smash!

With a sharp change of direction, it drove straight into Jiang Hong's blind spot on the right.

Even with Jiang Hong's speed, he was unable to save the ball!

Pan Bing turned his head and glanced at Zhang Sheng.

Zhang Sheng touched his nose guiltily, wondering if he really was a jinx!

boom!
The tennis ball flew like a cannonball into the outer corner of the first court.

The speed camera sign next to it displayed a speed of 201 kilometers per hour.

This is considered very fast even in professional serving.

After all, not everyone is a monster like Isner or Roddick.

However, Robredo, a veteran, guessed the landing point of the serve, sprinted forward, swung his arm, and slammed his racket heavily onto the tennis ball.

He hit a short-angle return shot directly.

30: 40!

"Truly a top player!"

Jiang Hong turned his body to the side and tossed the tennis ball high into the air!

"But I'm fighting the elite!"

With a loud bang, the tennis ball slammed into the opposing team's second court at a speed too fast for the naked eye to follow.

"Ace!"

"Jiang Hong withstood the pressure and secured the serve!" Zhang Sheng shouted excitedly.

Actually, I breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, I managed to keep the show running. Otherwise, what if these viewers blamed me later?
After all, sports fans these days are all action-oriented!
It's not something that can be resolved with just a few words of criticism!

The court was filled with the sound of hitting the ball, and the two players kept moving back and forth between the net and the baseline.

Shouts and applause could be heard from the audience in the stands from time to time.

The numbers on the scoreboard kept changing.

The score went back and forth, and before we knew it, we were in the ninth game.

The score was 4-4, and it was Robredo's serve.

40: 15!

Robredo gently tossed the ball up, pushed off the ground, turned his body, and swung his racket!
Snapped!
"OUT!"

The linesman suddenly announced that the tennis ball was out!
Robredo prepared for his second serve, but ultimately chose a standard serve instead of taking the risk!
With the ball traveling at approximately 170 kilometers per hour, Jiang Hong quickly positioned himself, then suddenly swung his racket, drawing a straight line.

It crashed directly onto the bottom edge, following the edge of the road.

40: 30!

Jiang Hong clenched his fist. If he still couldn't break serve, he would have to prepare for a tiebreaker.

Jiang Hong got into position to receive the serve, staring intently at his opponent's serve!
Second zone, outside corner kick!

"It's now!"

Ding Deng Deng.

Jiang Hong moved quickly, taking large strides forward diagonally.

He turned his body halfway to the side, lowered his center of gravity, and hit the ball at a small angle, passing through the net and smashing it directly in front of the opponent's net.

Although Robredo dived to save the ball, the return shot still grazed his racket and flew out!

40: 40!

On the seventh ball, both sides displayed their excellent baseline rallies, with Jiang Hong and his opponent engaging in a rally for more than ten shots!

I feel discomfort in my arm.

Suddenly, Jiang Hong gritted his teeth and fired a straight shot, fast and deep.

Robredo hastily positioned himself and swung the ball away!

40: AD!

"Jiang Hong has taken the lead and secured the breakthrough point!"

Instead of his usual long-winded explanations, Zhang Sheng provided intermittent reports on the competition.

Robredo served, and the two sides engaged in another fierce battle.

Both sides frantically changed lanes and moved each other around, and Jiang Hong was already panting heavily.

However, Jiang Hong did not think that his opponent would have an easy time. Suddenly, Jiang Hong turned his body to the side and placed the ball directly in front of the net!
Robredo went to the net to return the ball, anticipating that Jiang Hong would volley, so he hit a cross-court shot directly!
Jiang Hong quickly moved to the side, then suddenly flicked the ball to the baseline!
boom!
The tennis ball hit the baseline!
"It's broken! Xiao Jiang's serve has been broken!"

Zhang Sheng finally stopped suppressing himself and shouted loudly.

"Little Jiang, charge!"

"Let's take the first set in one fell swoop!"

"..."

Wasting opportunities will be punished!
Jiang Hong will not relax during his service games.

Each goal came faster than the last, with quick changes of direction and movement, and the score kept rising!

"boom!"

Jiang Hong turned his body to the side, pulled out his racket forcefully, and smashed the ball directly into the opponent's middle baseline.

Robredo moved to the point where the tennis ball would land and hit it back with a double backhand. Jiang Hong suddenly turned his body, swung his waist, and lowered his elbow, sending the ball into the opponent's left corner!
Robredo uses a crossover slide step to quickly reach the landing point and swings his arm to hit the ball!

Snapped!
The return shot hit the net directly.

6: 4!

"Jiang Hong won the first set, taking a 1-0 lead!"

At this moment, the roar of the crowd in the stadium stands came from all directions.

After winning the first set, during the break, Jiang Hong sat in the rest area and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

This match was very physically demanding, with so much movement, positioning, and long rallies involved.

Both players have excellent baseline rallies.

There were almost no unforced errors, so the first set lasted a full 40 minutes.

It's definitely worth the ticket price for the audience!
"Time!"

The game restarted, and the two players returned to the baseline.

Robredo serves, and although the opponent is behind in the score, he seems very relaxed!
His serve is more threatening than before.

He played a love game in the first game and successfully held serve.

Jiang Hong, on the other hand, used his speed advantage to create angles in the tennis ball and launch attacks.

Robredo was ultimately a step behind Jiang Hong in terms of speed.

Jiang Hong rushed to the net, completely blocking the way.

He shot the ball directly into Robredo's backhand corner, scoring the goal.

Hold the contract!

Both sides used their respective strengths to score points, neither giving an inch.

Before they knew it, it was the 11th game of the second set. The score was still tied, but this game had a change.

Robredo leads 30-40; if he wins this point, he will hold serve!
"Little Jiang, hang in there!"

"Come on!"

The audience in the stands and in front of their televisions were on tenterhooks.

Jiang Hong throws the ball, pushes off the ground, rotates his body, and hits the ball!
The tennis ball hurtled forward like a cannonball.

It landed just inside the center line in the inner corner of Zone 2!

Ding Ding Deng!
Robredo dragged his racket and moved quickly!
"right here!"

Suddenly, he swung his racket and hit a wide-angle cross-court shot!

The tennis ball landed squarely in the corner to Jiang Hong's left!
Jiang Hong twisted his ankle and quickly rushed towards the baseline.

He stomped his foot on the ground.

"call!"

Jiang Hong's racket fanned the air, but failed to hit the tennis ball!
It grazed the edge of the racket and flew out!

Snapped!
After Jiang Hong landed, sweat streamed down his neck.

"The score has widened, and Robredo has taken the lead..." Zhang Sheng's voice was much softer.

Jiang Hong didn't stay where he was. He turned around, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat from his hair and face!

"Little Jiang, there's still a chance!"

"Go, Xiao Jiang!"

"Hang in there, Xiao Jiang!"

Although Jiang Hong was behind in the score, the audience in the stands were still encouraging him.

No one wanted to see Jiang Hong fall here.

Jiang Hong took a deep breath and returned to the bottom line.

Lower your center of gravity, hold your racket and watch Robredo's movements!
clap clap clap...

Jiang Hong ran back and forth along the baseline like a madman, and at the moment of hitting the ball, you could even see beads of sweat shaking off his arms.

40: 30!

Robredo has reached point!

boom!
The ball, traveling at 190 kilometers per hour, struck the T-point directly.

Jiang Hong adjusted his position and quickly caught up.

boom!
He smashed the ball out with a forehand stroke.

Robredo, however, was already waiting at the net. After a quick step, he leaped up and swung his racket fiercely.

cross!

Jiang Hong was punched right through and crashed into the baseline behind him.

"Game! Robredo 1-1!"

Everyone's hearts were in their throats, and they couldn't help but feel pessimistic about the game.

After all, Jiang Hong hasn't played a third set since the start of the competition, so it's uncertain whether his stamina can hold up!
Another factor is mindset.

Can he withstand the pressure?
The 120 seconds passed in the blink of an eye.

The two players returned to the court!

Jiang Hong held the tennis ball, watching Robredo's movements.

What are my strengths?

speed!

Jiang Hong will toss the ball high into the air and then serve with force!

The tennis ball was very fast, and an ace was hit!

"Pretty!"

"Xiao Jiang has gotten off to a great start! He wasn't affected by the loss in the first game, and his composure under pressure has kicked in again!"

After seeing Jiang Hong score with his serve, Zhang Sheng immediately shouted loudly.

After a fierce battle, Jiang Hong managed to hold serve!
During Robredo's serve, Jiang Hong still did not choose to play passive defense!

charge!

Jiang Hong used his speed advantage to start back and forth on the baseline, widening his hitting angle and launching a counterattack.

Jiang Hong gives his all for every ball, and even if Robredo scores more points, it still requires a lot of physical exertion!
After participating in the Perfect World Open, Robredo immediately came to participate in the China Open.

There has been no rest during this period, and this is already the fourth round.

As Jiang Hong ran and angled his shot, Robredo's speed in chasing the ball gradually decreased!

Even when hitting the ball, the movement cannot be fully extended!
However, Robredo also has a very strong will, and even when his physical strength was failing, he did not choose to give up.

The score fluctuated constantly as the two sides traded baskets.

Jiang Hong hit Robredo's backhand position with four consecutive shots.

Robredo frowned, feeling extremely uncomfortable!
Instead of waiting to be killed, he immediately turned his body to the side, changed direction at a large angle, and prepared to kill Jiang Hong with one blow.

"Robredo is on the sideline, oh no angle, it's gone into the net, Xiao Jiang has the lead!"

"This is the second time he's held serve point. I wonder if Xiao Jiang can seize the opportunity?"

Game 9, 4-4, score difference AD: 40!

Jiang Hong returned to the baseline, patted the tennis ball, and suddenly tossed it into the air.

He pushed off the ground, leaped into the air, spun around, and brought the racket behind his head down with a heavy slam!

"boom!"

The tennis ball shot out like a cannonball, hitting the inside corner of the second service area.

Robredo wanted to go to the net to save the ball, but his feet wouldn't stop moving, and the previous running and rallies had wasted too much energy.

They could only watch helplessly as the tennis ball flew out of bounds.

5:4, Jiang Hong has secured the serve!

After a short break, Robredo's stamina recovered somewhat.

Jiang Hong continued his previous offensive strategy, which was to pressure Robredo's backhand position with deep shots.

At first, Robredo was able to hold on thanks to his willpower.

However, forced mistakes gradually began to emerge!
15: 40!

"Xiao Jiang has secured the match point..."

The spectators in the stands didn't say a word; instead, they held their breath and stared intently at the field.

boom!
Robredo wiped the sweat from his face and then unleashed a powerful serve!
Jiang Hong suddenly pushed off the ground, and his whole body moved quickly!
"So fast!" Robredo gasped.

His stamina is just too much!

Jiang Hong positioned himself at the serve landing point and suddenly launched a double backhand smash, still managing to put the ball into Robredo's backhand opening!

Robredo is ultimately a world-class player, and he faced Jiang Hong's serve return.

"Can't sit still and wait for death!"

He took a risk and used a backhand slice, which resulted in a small ball being released.

Ding Ding Deng!
His feet slid across the ground as he slid to the front of the net.

Suddenly, he slashed the tennis ball hard from the side with a backhand, the ball like an arrow, piercing through the net and going straight into the corner of the net!

The ball hit the sideline, and Robrero stared wide-eyed as he watched it fly out of bounds.

"what!"

Jiang Hong finally couldn't hold back any longer and lay down on the court, letting out a loud roar!
After three intense rounds, Jiang Hong finally let loose at this moment.

(End of this chapter)