Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 163 The most intense schedule yet, Thunder's forehand! (Please subscribe)

Viewers watching on television weren't particularly upset by what they saw.

I was actually quite excited!
"Having been drawn into the 4/4 section, does Xiao Jiang really have a chance to face Nadal?"

"Your opponent in the first game is Del Potro, and he's a wildcard. Isn't that amazing?"

"Xiao Jiang's opponent in the round of 32 is still Robredo. The two have played against each other before, so it seems that Xiao Jiang has a good chance of making it into the quarterfinals!"

However, many viewers were more rational and began to analyze the situation.

"In tennis, you can't keep beating your opponent just because you beat them once!"

"Xiao Jiang is facing a wildcard player. I checked, and he's ranked 53rd in the ATP. He recently participated in the Tokyo and Stockholm tournaments, but he basically withdrew from both. He even withdrew from the second round of the Tokyo tournament after getting a bye. His form probably isn't very good, so Xiao Jiang has a good chance of making it into the round of 32!"

"Anyway, it's Xiao Jiang's first time participating in the Masters Tournament, so everyone should just support him!"

However, Jiang Hong was not so optimistic; his expression was grave.

In the first round, he will face "Big Brother" Del Potro, who ended Federer's six-match winning streak at the 09 US Open and won the championship.

Just when everyone thought another superstar was rising, he suddenly fell into the quagmire of injuries.

For professional athletes, injuries are the biggest enemy.

To be honest, Jiang Hong was quite happy to face Del Potro.

He also wants to see how strong future Grand Slam champions, who are almost the same age as him, really are.

If he can defeat Del Potro, his opponent in the round of 32 will be Robredo.

If his round of 16 opponent doesn't trigger a chain reaction, he will be Nalbandian, the champion of this year's Madrid Masters, who defeated Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer.

It can be said that Jiang Hong's trip to Madrid was extremely difficult.

"But I like things that are challenging!"

Jiang Hong clenched his fists, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

Nadal, Djokovic, Federer – Jiang Hong is eager to face the Big Three.

At this point, reporters were mostly predicting that Federer or Nadal would win the title.

After all, their achievements and honors far surpass those of others.

Immediately after the draw, Jiang Hong was pulled aside by a CCTV reporter for a live broadcast.

"Jiang Hong, this is your first Masters tournament. In the first round, you've encountered Argentina's Del Potro, who is also a young, high-ranking player. Are you satisfied with your draw?" Zhang Sheng asked with a smile.

Regardless of whether Jiang Hongman was satisfied or not, he was quite satisfied.

"Not bad. I also hope to compete with top players of my age. Of course, it would be even better if I could play against top players like Nadal, Djokovic, and Federer!" Jiang Hong said frankly.

Zhang Sheng's eyes lit up. Jiang Hong's goal wasn't just to get past the first round!

"Were you familiar with the player Del Potro before?"

To be honest, Zhang Sheng himself didn't know much about his opponent. After all, Del Potro wasn't the famous "Thor's Hammer" he would become, and he didn't even have a tour title yet. His best result was the fourth round of the Miami Masters.

Zhang Sheng himself only focuses on domestic players, while the foreign players are either established veterans or rising stars who have already achieved results.

Jiang Hong shook his head and said with a smile, "I don't know much about it either, I only know that the opponent's forehand has a very strong penetrating power!"

Zhang Sheng was also somewhat surprised to hear this answer.

You really know it!

It seems that Jiang Hong works very hard. In addition to working hard on his ball skills, he also studies other players!
"So, Jiang Hong, do you think you can defeat Del Potro and advance to the second round? After all, you've already defeated several players ranked higher than him!" Zhang Sheng's eyes were filled with anticipation, hoping to get a positive answer from Jiang Hong.

"Rankings cannot determine a player's level, much less the outcome of a match. After all, my ranking is far lower than Del Potro's. Does that mean I have to admit defeat? The unpredictability of competitive sports is precisely what makes it so captivating!"

Zhang Sheng realized that his question was somewhat amateurish, and just as he was about to apologize, Jiang Hong continued to speak.

"Of course, if you ask me if I'm confident of winning the game, I'll always give you the same answer."

"Will win!"

Jiang Hong's consistent principle is that he must have confidence in himself before a competition.

Even if the opponent is the strongest star, if your skills are inferior and you can't even match their mentality, then what's the point of playing?

To be cowardly before the battle even begins is to lose seven-tenths of the battle!

Jiang Hong's words were instantly transmitted to the ears of the viewers waiting in front of their television sets.

"Zhao, he's so arrogant—I love him!"

"If an athlete doesn't even dare to say tough words, what kind of competition are they competing in!"

"I'll put it this way, even if Xiao Jiang pulls me aside, I won't criticize him!"

"If I hadn't seen your nickname, I would have believed it!"

Jiang Hong's principle is that you must be confident before the game, and if you lose after the game, you should just accept the criticism.

As for believing that even if someone pulls out their poop, they won't spray it, Jiang Hong would never believe it.

Even if you win a Grand Slam, if you don't play well next time, they'll still criticize you mercilessly.

After all, competitive sports are all about how you perform in a match.

After the CCTV interview ended, other reporters immediately surrounded Jiang Hong.

They started asking questions all at once. "Jiang Hong, Jiang Hong, you've advanced to the top 32. Facing your former defeated opponent, Robredo, are you confident you can defeat him again?"

A tabloid reporter handed the microphone to Jiang Hong and asked a question.

"Do you think that Real Madrid is a defeated opponent of Barcelona just because they lost to Barcelona once?" Jiang Hong asked, noticing the word "football" written on the other person's microphone.

The other person shook their head and denied it, saying, "Of course not. Real Madrid and Barcelona play each other many times. One win or loss doesn't prove anything!"

"In tennis, two players may face each other more frequently. A single win or loss does not determine the outcome of the match or whether one is the loser. Moreover, the first round has not yet been played. I am a challenger to Del Potro!"

Strategically despise the enemy, but tactically take the enemy seriously.

Jiang Hong didn't give many interviews before breaking free of the crowd and returning to his hotel.

After the reports of this match were published, not even the usual haters jumped out to mock it.

It's as if they think it's only natural that Jiang Hong could defeat Del Potro.

After all, Jiang Hong recently won a tour championship and a tour runner-up, while the opponent's best tour result seems to be only the semi-finals, so he is not a threat.

With IMG's relentless promotion and the official media's encouragement, Jiang Hong's match has attracted a considerable number of viewers, even those who don't follow sports.

……

After the match started, the Madrid stadium became incredibly lively, with countless fans pouring in from all directions.

Huge banners featuring star players were hanging above the stadium.

"A man should be like this!"

Jiang Hong, carrying his golf bag, looked up at the banner and remarked with emotion.

"Please give way!"

Suddenly, a fan pushed Jiang Hong.

Jiang Honggang dodged the other person and started taking photos with the banner.

"Old Jiang, let's go!"

Fu Yunlong turned around and called out to Jiang Hong.

"Oh!"

Jiang Hong quickened his pace, carrying his golf bag, and walked past the Madrid stadium.

Yes, it was indeed passed through, not walked in.

Because the match between Jiang Hong and Del Potro was arranged in the auxiliary stadium, the Madrid Stadium only has one stadium.

Of course, it wouldn't be the turn of newcomers like the two of them.

Basically, these spots are reserved for famous players like Safin, to attract fans to buy tickets and increase the organizer's revenue.

That's right, Safin isn't even a seeded player. His ATP ranking has dropped to 36th, and he hasn't won a singles title this year. His best result was the semifinals of the Las Vegas tournament, where he lost to Hewitt!

The attached stadium has only one thousand seats, but CCTV's broadcasting equipment has already been set up, and the stadium is already packed.

Apart from a few other ethnic groups, they are mostly Chinese with black hair and black eyes.

Jiang Hong's first reaction was that he thought he had returned to China.

Most of them are international students studying in Europe. They can travel around without needing visas or anything like that, and they don't lack money.

As soon as we entered, the stands erupted in cheers.

"Go Jiang Hong!"

"Charge! Advance to the next round!"

"Punching Nadal and kicking Federer, forging the glory of Chinese tennis!"

Upon hearing the shout, Jiang Hong couldn't help but cough.

Fortunately, these foreigners couldn't understand it, otherwise, if those extreme fanatics had heard it...

What if we directly start American-style iaido then?

This is not an exaggeration by Jiang Hong, but a real event that has occurred in the tennis world.

For example, Salles won the French Open at the age of sixteen and became the youngest world number one at the time, winning six Grand Slam titles between 1991 and 1992.

In 1993, another player's fervent fan hoped to stab Seles and reclaim his idol's world number one ranking.

During the break, he rushed onto the court and stabbed Seles in the back with a knife, resulting in a two-year suspension. He didn't return until August 1995. His story is an inspirational one. He won the Australian Open again in 1996, but it was also her last Grand Slam title.

Ironically, the person who stabbed Seles was given a two-year suspended sentence, meaning he didn't have to serve a single day in jail.

Del Potro walked onto the pitch and was taken aback by the deafening cheers. He paused for a moment, pondering to himself.

It seems like I'm not playing with superstars. My opponent seems to be a player around my age, but ranked lower!
However, Del Potro also attached great importance to this match. The fact that Jiang Hong was able to overcome the difficult qualifying rounds and enter the main draw already demonstrated his strength.

Moreover, Jiang Hong also won a tour championship and a runner-up title.

I have never even reached the final of a tournament.

He also really wants to compete against this peer; they may be rivals for a long time!
"defeat him!"

The two of them share a common thought!

(End of this chapter)