Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 212 The Results of the Semifinals: Praising Someone to Death When You Can't Beat Them? Robredo, the Man Who Stirs Up Hatred!
"Game, set, Match! Jiang Hong! 6-2, 6-2!"

Robredo was unable to defeat Jiang Hong and still maintains his record of zero wins.

To be honest, Jiang Hong didn't know why, but he got really into it whenever he played Robredo.

However, making it to the semi-finals is certainly something to celebrate.

Jiang Hong raised his racket and gestured to the audience in the surrounding stands.

"Jiang Shen, you're awesome!"

In an instant, a sound like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami sweeping in.

Although at the beginning of the competition, they felt that Jiang Hong had a higher chance of winning.

However, seeing Jiang Hong defeat Robredo in person was still a pleasant surprise.

"Dear viewers, thank you all for watching and witnessing a wonderful match, and for witnessing Jiang Hong once again advance to the semifinals of the Masters Tournament!" Zhan Jun said with a flushed face and an excited voice.

Zhang Sheng nodded in agreement, saying, "That's right. This 18-year-old boy represents Chinese tennis and has created one history after another. Let's give Jiang Hong a round of applause."

After he finished speaking, he spontaneously started clapping.

At this moment, many Chinese fans were also clapping and cheering excitedly.

Robredo looked up at Jiang Hong across from him and took a deep breath.

I'm practically a professional stepping stone now, and now I have another master...

Six months ago, I had never even heard of the name Jiang Hong.

There are very few Asian players I can even recall, only Srichaphan and Lee Hyung-taek.

But now, six months later, he has lost to the same player three times.

Moreover, the other person is much younger than me.

Robredo's eyes were filled with disappointment and helplessness; he hung his head, his expression very complicated.

It seems my abilities are truly inferior to Jiang Hong's!

Of course, this doesn't mean he's just giving up.

After all, he also harbored a Grand Slam dream and was unwilling to keep losing to Jiang Hong.

I need to do some special research on Jiang Hong's techniques later.

After feeling sad for a while, Robredo still went to the net.

She looked up at Jiang Hong across from her and extended her hand.

"Congratulations, Jiang, you won again!"

Robredo's expression remained very friendly.

"Thank you, I played pretty well today!" Since there was no conflict between the two sides, Jiang Hong, who won the game, certainly wouldn't be gloating.

Robredo chuckled upon hearing this: "Well, you've performed well three times in a row now. When will you ever perform poorly against me?"

Hearing the other person's joke, Jiang Hong shrugged. "I don't know about that, but I still hope my performance can continue."

"If you keep going like this, I won't be able to stand it!" Robredo sighed and complained.

Although Jiang Hong wanted to say something, he realized that his peak period hadn't arrived yet.

But then I suddenly remembered that Robredo's peak seemed to have been last year, and he only won one Masters title in his entire career.

The best Grand Slam result seems to be reaching the quarterfinals.

However, there is one achievement that Robredo has that Jiang Hong will find difficult to attain.

That was Robredo's career, during which he won the Davis Cup three times with the Spanish team in 2004, 2008, and 2009.

After all, Jiang Hong is currently the only Chinese male tennis player.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Robredo didn't linger.

"Alright, enjoy your moment of victory!"

While Jiang Hong was interacting with the fans, Robredo left the stadium early.

When Robredo attended the post-match press conference, he had already anticipated that he would face many pointed questions today.

Sure enough, the first question was quite jarring.

"Robredo, you've faced Jiang Hong three times—at the China Open, the Madrid Masters, and the Paris Masters—and lost all three times. How do you evaluate this?"

Robredo paused for a moment when faced with the reporter's question.

"My skills are inferior!" he said calmly, raising his head.

When I lost the first time, I felt that I wasn't in good form, and the young players were very impactful.

When I lost the second time, I felt that Jiang Hong had grown too fast.

When he lost for the third time, Robredo even felt a little desperate.

Did God send this guy to punish me?

Robredo didn't seem too angry when the reporter presented him with the title of "Jiang Hong's high-end male servant".

The only way to get rid of this label is to prove yourself in the competition.

Turning the tide through a post-match press conference is something not everyone can do.

Seeing that they couldn't glean any useful news from the title of "male servant," the reporter simply switched to another topic.

"Robbedo, in tomorrow's semi-final, Jiang Hong and Nadal will face off. You are very familiar with both players. Who do you think has a higher chance of winning?"

To be honest, this reporter had absolutely no good intentions.

He had already drafted the title in his mind.

Paris Masters Semifinals? Battle for Tommy's Ownership!

So far, Robredo has a record of three losses and zero wins against Jiang Hong, while his record against Nadal is even worse, with four losses and zero wins. Their most recent encounter was at last year's Shanghai Masters Cup.

Robredo said he wanted to swear, but ultimately held back.

After thinking for a moment, Robredo looked up and said very frankly, "If Jiang Hong can maintain his competitive form today, then I think he has a good chance of defeating Nadal, or even winning the Paris Masters!"

These words immediately caused an uproar in the room.

Although Jiang Hong once defeated Nadal, no one would believe that Jiang Hong's strength has surpassed Nadal's.

Who is Nadal? He is currently the most popular superstar in tennis besides Federer, a three-time French Open champion.

Jiang Hong is currently just a rising star with some achievements and potential.

At that moment, a reporter immediately raised a question.

"Robredo, are you trying to beautify this loss by thinking you ultimately lost to the champion, after all, you lost to a tennis newcomer three times in one year!"

In tennis, due to the ranking system based on points and the draw, results often depend not only on skill but also on luck.

For example, if you have the ability to be the runner-up, but you encounter the champion in the first round, you are very likely to be eliminated in the first round.

Robredo remained remarkably calm upon hearing the reporter's words.

"I was just stating a possibility; ultimately, it depends on how Rafa and Jiang perform on the day!"

However, to be honest, he did have some expectations for Jiang Hong.

Whether he can defeat Nadal and ultimately achieve back-to-back Masters titles remains to be seen.

After finishing the interaction, Jiang Hong took a shower, changed his clothes, and then came to the press conference room of the Paris Masters.

As soon as I stepped inside, a burst of flashbulbs came flying at me.

He strode to the front of the stage and took off his sunglasses.

"Alright, everyone can ask questions now!"

After the domestic media finished their questions, it was the turn of the foreign media.

"Jiang, what do you think of Robredo's post-match interview comment that he favors you in tomorrow's match against Nadal?"

Jiang Hong blinked, two reactions flashing through his mind.

Did Robredo submit to his own defeat?

Is this guy starting to flatter himself to death?

Jiang Hong picked up the microphone, still smiling: "Thank you very much for Tommy's blessing. I also hope that I will be the winner tomorrow, but that depends on my condition tomorrow and Rafa's performance!"

However, the Reuters reporter was still somewhat persistent, "Jiang, you defeated Rafael Nadal in straight sets at the Madrid Masters. Considering that victory, how confident are you now?"

If the competition can be sparked before it even begins, then it will be more interesting!

They secretly hoped that Jiang Hong could make some controversial statements, which would increase their newspaper's sales.

Jiang Hong leaned forward slightly, his tone very calm: "The Madrid Masters is in the past; that victory doesn't determine anything!"

"Furthermore, I think Rafa has already prepared a completely new tactic..."

The reporter found Jiang Hong's rambling remarks rather boring.

Just when the reporters thought the conversation was going to end in boredom, Jiang Hong's words suddenly caught their attention again.

"As for my confidence, it remains the same as always. I am full of confidence in every match and believe that I have the ability to win!"

Instantly, the reporters below all lit up their eyes and started taking pictures of Jiang Hong.

I'll write an article when I get back: "Jiang Hong says he has the ability to easily defeat Nadal."

Not everyone likes breaking news.

A reporter from the Spanish newspaper Marca immediately retorted sharply: "Back at the Madrid Masters, according to experts, Nadal made too many mistakes, giving you too many opportunities. Was your victory due to his mistakes or your performance?"

This question clearly has a provocative tone.

However, Jiang Hong appeared calm and composed, saying, "I believe that tennis matches are always about mutual interaction. If a player can play a match without making any mistakes, then he can definitely win all the championships. I also look forward to Rafa perfectly demonstrating his strength!"

An Associated Press reporter suddenly stood up and began to ask: "From Madrid to Paris, once you win the Paris Masters, you will have won back-to-back Masters titles. So far, only Safin has accomplished this. Do you think you can win the final title?"

It seems everyone thought the final champion would be either Jiang Hong or Nadal.

This is understandable, as the lineups in the upper bracket are indeed less imaginative compared to those in the lower bracket.

The main reason is that Federer and Djokovic were eliminated early.

"Every player participating in the tournament hopes to win both titles, but I'm still in the semifinals. Right now, I need to think more about how to get into the finals, since one of the world's top players is standing in my way."

The last question came from an AFP reporter.

"Jiang, if you win again tomorrow, you will complete a double victory over Nadal. What does that mean to you?"

Jiang Hong finally understood why so many rising stars were ruined by these reporters.

With all this praise, if Jiang Hong were just an ordinary young player, he would probably be getting carried away.

Unfortunately, his young body housed an old man.

"Sorry! I never dream of things that can't come true. Please ask me that question again tomorrow night if you have the chance!"

After finishing the news interview, he left the press conference room with a flourish.

Back at the hotel, they resumed Fu Yunlong's torture.

Although Jiang Hong is already very familiar with Nadal's tactical characteristics, after all, he watched a lot of his match videos before he even turned professional.

However, we should also observe the opponent's on-the-spot adjustments.

After the torture ended, Jiang Hong was the only one left in the room.

"Hehe, we've made it to the semifinals!"

"We're only two steps away from the championship!"

Jiang Hong took a deep breath to calm his excited emotions.

Although my goal has always been to win the championship, I'm also happy to get closer and closer to that goal!

"Calm down, there's still one obstacle before we reach the finals!"

"Let's see what we've gained first!"

Jiang Hong checked the website and found that after reaching the semi-finals, he had earned 225 points in the Paris Masters, bringing his total points to 1202.

The prize money for the competition is $10.

"I still need to play in more major tournaments. The points for reaching the semi-finals already far exceed those for winning the China Open. The China Open champion only gets 175 points and a prize of over $69,000."

However, it's still far less than the prize money for the champion.

After all, the champion receives 500 points and a prize of $40.

Jiang Hong suddenly stroked his chin and muttered, "It's the semifinals now, it's time for the Cyber ​​coaches to play a role!"

With this in mind, Jiang Hong logged onto a domestic website.

As soon as I entered these portal websites, I saw the editors praising themselves in an extremely nauseating way.

Jiang Hong launches another attempt to win a Grand Slam.

Fans were completely baffled, as it wasn't the time for a Grand Slam event!

After clicking through, you'll find the path to challenging Grand Slam winners.

Regardless of whether I'm using clickbait, just tell me if it's a Grand Slam or not.

However, Jiang Hong's second match against Nadal did attract a lot of sports fans.

Since tennis has become more popular, audiences have come to know Nadal's status.

One website even held a poll specifically for this purpose.

Let the audience choose who has a higher chance of winning.

Although Jiang Hong highly regards Nadal as a tennis legend, he is certain that he cannot lose on his home turf.

The various messy reports did indeed attract the attention of Chinese netizens and even viewers who don't follow sports.

However, Jiang Hong didn't bother with it; having more people watching was a good thing.

At this moment, Jiang Hong is inside the tennis bar.

[Attention all cyber coaches! We're playing in the Paris Masters semifinals tomorrow against Nadal. Need advice urgently!]

"Dear cyber coaches, keyboard tactic masters, and cloud advisors of Tieba! My friend is playing Nadal in the semi-finals in Paris tomorrow! The advice I gave him in Madrid last time was very effective, so I'm asking for more suggestions this time!"

"If we win the match, Liangchen will surely reward you handsomely!"

Not long after, a new post appeared on the tennis forum.

Instantly, netizens started creating a group chat in the comments section of the post.

[Your friend is beating Nadal? Who is your friend? Do you think your friend is some kind of superhuman? If he could beat Nadal tomorrow, I'd eat while doing a handstand... Uh, OP's friend really is superhuman, then never mind!]

There are no outsiders here. Is that friend of yours yourself?

[Row in the front row and absorb the divine energy of ginger!]

Besides netizens who were just making jokes, there were also some who offered serious suggestions.

[This is Federer: When playing against Nadal, you need to vary your rhythm! Don't just follow his rhythm and keep swinging your rackets; instead, use slices or drop shots. Trust me, that's how I beat the computer Nadal in video games!]

"Your game strategy is really something!"

The next second, a system notification suddenly sounded.

[Ding! Detected that the host has received a suggestion: In the 2007 Paris Masters semi-final match against Nadal, use effective tactics: rhythm variation, combining slice/drop shots; mission reward unknown.]

"It's really good!"

Jiang Hong continued to browse through the suggestions from netizens.

Young people these days don't like going online! Nadal is standing eight meters behind the baseline; after your first serve, rush to the net immediately. Don't give him time to hit a topspin shot; let him experience the power of retro tennis!

The system beep sounded again.

[Ding! Host detected receiving suggestion: serve and volley pressure. Successfully executed 8 serve and volley attempts and scored a point. Reward: Net play technique +1, obtained S title "Retro Pioneer"]

"what!"

Jiang Hong opened his mouth, "Retro avant-garde?"

It's important to understand that tennis techniques are constantly evolving, and relatively speaking, they are more comprehensive.

In the 1990s, there were more matches played at the net and at the net.

For example, in 1997, according to the data from professional men's and women's matches, 60% of the matches were played using the serve-and-volley style.

Players like Sampras and Edberg also prefer net play.

However, after 2000, the serve-and-volley ratio dropped significantly, reaching 28%.

The baseline style of play has emerged and grown stronger, while the proportion of net play is still declining.

"What's the point of this retro avant-garde title?"

A: No use!

Jiang Hong thought for a moment, and his small ball shots were repeatedly successful.

It seems like a good thing that net play technology can be improved!

So, I promptly included it.

"Cyber ​​Coaching Team, activate!"

……

The next morning, Jiang Hong got up early and went to the court to start training.

After training, Jiang Hong sat on a stool and drank water.

"Jiang, I didn't expect you to make it to the semi-finals. Looks like my trip to China will have to be postponed by another day!" Djokovic shook his head and joked.

Although I was very upset about being eliminated early in the Paris Masters, Jiang Hong's impressive run was even more frustrating!
Jiang Hong put down his water bottle and glanced at Djokovic: "Isn't it only natural that I made it to the semifinals? I said before the tournament started that I was going to win the championship, after all, I can't play in the Masters Cup!"

Upon hearing Jiang Hong's teasing, Djokovic coughed.

His excuse for losing was to conserve his strength for the Masters Cup.

No, I need to get a good result in the Masters Cup so I can show off in front of Jiang Hong.

Fortunately, his condition has recovered somewhat after training.

If I take a break during this period, my performance at the Masters Cup will probably be truly embarrassing.

"The champion? Your opponent today is Rafa, he probably won't let you get through so easily!" Djokovic turned his head and said.

"But I'm not one to be trifled with either!" Jiang Hong gripped his racket, his eyes brimming with confidence.

Djokovic glanced at Jiang Hong, "Okay, I'll bring Jelena to watch your match tonight."

"Then I'll go prepare!"

Meanwhile, a group of reporters went to interview Nadal before the match.

"Rafa, Jiang Hong defeated you in Madrid last time. How much of a chance do you think you have this time?" He then added, "Jiang Hong is 100% confident of winning!"

Nadal didn't take the reporter's words to heart.

He knew Jiang Hong, and although the other man did exude confidence, his personality was by no means arrogant.

Moreover, having been in the tennis world for so long, I naturally understand the professional ethics of these reporters.

"Let's make a big splash!"

However, Nadal did not deliberately act overly humble.

After all, as a young player and one of the best tennis players in the world, he naturally wants to defeat the opponent who has defeated him before.

"I am very confident about this match!"

"I will get my revenge at Bessie Stadium."

The reporter's eyes lit up the moment he said that.

Revenge is good!

All I want is revenge.

"Rafa, what do you think of Robredo's post-match comment that Jiang Hong has a better chance of winning?" another reporter immediately followed up.

"Tommy must have his reasons for saying that, after all, Jiang's strength is indeed very strong!" Nadal's face still had a smile on it, and he appeared very calm.

I was a little disappointed that Nadal hadn't fallen for it.

"Rafa, I wish you all the best tonight."

……

Two semi-final matches are scheduled for today, with the upper bracket matches starting first.

For some reason, Nalbandian seemed to be on steroids tonight, playing with incredible offensive intensity and completely dominating Gasquet.

Just one hour into the game, Gasquet was swept out of the game by Nalbandian.

Nalbandian has advanced to the final and awaits the winner of the lower half of the draw.

During the post-match press conference, a group of reporters did not ask Nalbandian about the game.

Most of the questions revolve around Jiang Hong and Nadal in the lower half of the draw, since these two players are more popular.

Although some media outlets maliciously labeled Jiang Hong as a "bad kid," it actually increased his popularity instead of decreasing it.

It also attracted a bunch of young fans from Europe and America to him.

In addition, Jiang Hong's playing style is very elegant, making the game very entertaining, and his handsome face has also boosted his popularity.

Otherwise, those experts wouldn't have said that Jiang Honghua's claims were unfounded.

"Nalbandian, in the upcoming semifinals of the lower half of the draw, who do you hope will make it to the final? Will it be Jiang Hong achieving back-to-back Masters titles, or Nadal adding another Masters title to his collection?"

Upon hearing this, Nalbandian's face instantly darkened, and he almost couldn't help but curse.

What do you mean?
So I'm just here to make up the numbers?

Nalbandian glanced at his opponent and said calmly, "No matter who it is, I am confident that I will win the final and lift the trophy!"

After speaking, he turned around and left the press conference room.

(End of this chapter)