Tennis: He's so obedient!

Chapter 220 You're celebrating too soon. Your physical condition is declining. Return ace!
The moment the referee's voice fell, the Chinese fans erupted in enthusiastic cheers.

"pretty!"

"Jiang Shen, you're awesome!"

"Let's teach him a lesson."

Although Jiang Hong's serve looked very difficult, unlike Nalbandian's effortless hold.

But at least they managed to keep the job.

Jiang Hong turned around, walked to the table next to him, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat from his face.

His eyes were filled with intense fighting spirit.

The stronger the opponent, the more intense the thrill of victory.

Nalbandian was unable to break serve as he had hoped.

But I'm in a good mood now; at least I'm not without hope of winning.

As Nalbandian served his second service game, he touched the tennis ball in his hand, his eyes flickering.

He understood that his advantage stemmed from his versatile tactics.

Therefore, this time, Nalbandian will still not choose to pursue serve speed by going the long way around.

Nalbandian tossed the tennis ball high into the air.

"Oh!"

A crisp sound echoed through the stadium.

Jiang Hong's focus was at its peak; upon seeing this scene, he instantly analyzed the opponent's movements in his mind.

"Topspin serve!"

The moment Jiang Hong reached his conclusion, the tennis ball had already bounced high from the service court, rushing towards his backhand.

Jiang Hong immediately twisted his body, quickly drew back his racket, and forcefully slammed back a wide diagonal shot with both hands.

With both sides locked in a tight battle at the baseline, Jiang Hong sealed the victory with a sudden drop shot at the net.

After warming up in the first two games, both Jiang Hong and Nalbandian were in very hot form.

He played many unexpected tennis moves during the match.

Nalbandian's attack was very fierce. Although Jiang Hong tried his best to defend, the opponent still managed to hold serve.

The screen above the stadium displayed the score: 2-1.

"40:30, great! Jiang Hong has successfully reached game point. Can he seize this opportunity?"

He gripped the racket with both hands, panting heavily.

"Is this guy, Nalban, really on steroids?"

His control over the landing point during the match was absolutely perfect.

Therefore, in Jiang Hong's service games, the score was always very close.

Clearly, Nalbandian is now in a state of extreme volatility.

"We must keep our jobs!"

Once the opponent gets into full form, the difficulty of defeating them will increase dramatically.

Jiang Hong raised his head and fixed his gaze on Nalbandian across from him with piercing eyes.

Nalbandian kept moving his feet and staring intently at Jiang Hong, clearly preparing for a strong attack.

This score not only affected the two players on the field, but also touched the hearts of countless viewers.

"This game is crucial for Jiang Hong. If he can't hold on, Nalbandian could very well take the first set with his momentum!" Zhan Jun's voice was urgent. "Judging from Jiang Hong's serve preparation, he's about to unleash his best skills!"

He was there when Nalbandian went on a rampage and won the Masters Cup.

Jiang Hong took a deep breath, lowered his center of gravity, and slowly tossed the tennis ball into the air. His arm pulled back like a fully drawn bowstring, and his body twisted accordingly.

As the tennis ball reached its highest point, his right arm suddenly accelerated, and the racket swung out with a whooshing sound, striking the ball precisely.

Bang!
In an instant, the tennis ball, carrying a strong sidespin, hurtled towards Nalbandian's backhand sideline, moving so fast it almost left a blur.

"Great serve! That serve speed is at least 190 km/h!" Zhan Jun exclaimed loudly, his mouth gurgling like a mortar.

"Well done!"

Nalbandian reacted incredibly quickly, initiating a crossover step and extending his body to the side almost the instant Jiang Hong swung his racket.

Even with this serve, which had incredible speed, Nalbandian still managed to barely make contact with the ball at the highest point of its bounce using his backhand.

The moment the racket made contact with the ball, he flicked his wrist sharply, using the ball's spin to push it back diagonally. The tennis ball grazed the net and landed in Jiang Hong's forehand opening.

"My God! How did they manage to reconnect that? Nalbandian's hair extensions are incredible!"

Zhan Jun's voice was full of disbelief, and also carried a hint of despair.

I originally thought Jiang Hong would be able to hit an ace and end the game cleanly.

However, Jiang Hong had already prepared several contingency plans in mind and was not flustered at all.

After serving, he quickly moved onto the court. Seeing the ball flying towards his forehand, he pushed off with his left foot and rushed forward like an arrow, forcefully hitting the ball with his forehand.

The racket struck the ball with a dull "thud," and the tennis ball, with the force of thunder, was slammed back towards Nalbandian's backhand. After landing, it bounced up to a height far exceeding that of ordinary tennis, carrying a strong topspin pressure.

Nalbandian's eyes were filled with determination, his footwork was extremely agile, and he once again turned to the side, demonstrating his double-sided backhand technique to the fullest.

He bent his knees to lower his center of gravity, stabilized his racket with both arms, and used the power of his body rotation to steadily block the ball back. The tennis ball landed close to the inside of the baseline, forcing Jiang Hong to take a half step back to hit the ball.

The two then engaged in a heated battle over the bottom line.

Jiang Hong's forehand is like a heavy cannon, each swing is heavy and powerful; Nalbandian, on the other hand, is like a precise strategist, using his superb ball control skills to constantly move Jiang Hong around by changing the landing point, sometimes hitting wide-angle cross-court shots, sometimes pressing back to the mid-court.

It was clearly intended to cause problems with Jiang Hong's physical condition.

"This was a fantastic rally! Both players were hitting the ball at a top-notch level!" Zhan Jun's speech quickened. "Jiang Hong's three consecutive forehand attacks were all neutralized by Nalbandian. The Argentine's defense was simply impenetrable!"

Zhang Sheng was somewhat worried upon hearing this, saying, "Nalbandian is wearing down Jiang Hong's stamina. Yesterday's match against Nadal was quite taxing."

Jiang Hong was perfectly clear about Nalbandian's plans.

The continuous shuttle run made his breathing rapid, but his eyes became increasingly excited.

The purest joy in competitive sports is the competition itself!
"coming!"

Jiang Hong suddenly changed his rhythm, flicking his wrist at the moment of impact to hit the ball towards Nalbandian's net.

This short ball was extremely deceptive; the tennis ball didn't bounce high after landing, and it looked like a point was about to be scored.

"Beautifully short! Jiang Hong's signature move!" Zhan Jun exclaimed.

"I was already on guard against you!"

Nalbandian's eyes lit up; he knew Jiang Hong's tactical characteristics very well.

Having anticipated this change, he initiated a rush towards the net the instant Jiang Hong swung his racket.

He bent down and lowered his body, then lightly pressed his wrist during the forehand volley, hitting the ball towards Jiang Hong's backhand opening.

"not good!"

Jiang Hong hurriedly turned around to make the save, staggered a bit, braced himself with one hand, and barely managed to scoop up the ball with his backhand. The tennis ball flew past the net and landed in Nalbandian's backcourt.

"My God! That save was incredible! Jiang Hong's flexibility and willpower are amazing!" Zhan Jun's voice was full of shock.

Nalbandian was surprised that Jiang Hong could save the ball. He paused for a moment before turning around to hit the ball. He subconsciously chose to attack with his forehand. The tennis ball flew towards Jiang Hong's forehand side with strong spin.

Although Jiang Hong's body was not yet fully stable due to the previous save, he instantly adjusted his center of gravity with his excellent core strength, and once again exerted force with his forehand to hit the ball diagonally towards Nalbandian's backhand corner.

"Jiang Hong's reaction speed is simply superhuman!" Zhang Sheng couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

Nalbandian once again demonstrated his top-notch mobility, quickly stepping out with a crossover step, his body almost parallel to the ground, and then blocking the ball back with a backhand from the limit position.

The return shot was delivered at a tricky angle, heading straight for Jiang Hong's midcourt gap. Just when it seemed like a point was about to be scored, Jiang Hong suddenly started moving laterally. His racket stretched out like lightning, and he gently flicked the ball over Nalbandian's head, landing it on the baseline behind him.

"A high lob! Jiang Hong's move was brilliant!" Zhan Jun shouted.

Nalbandian quickly turned around and rushed back towards the baseline.

But the distance was too far, and he could only watch helplessly as the ball landed.

"hateful!"

Nalbandian stopped and gripped his racket tightly.

"Game, Jiang Hong, 2-2!"

Jiang Hong successfully held her serve!
The stands erupted in cheers instantly, with everyone applauding, regardless of whether they were Jiang Hong's fans or not.

This match was just so exciting.

The two sides exchange possession of the ball.

Nalbandian walked to the service line and stomped his feet on the ground to steady himself.

"You used up so much energy yesterday!"

"You just made those crazy saves, your stamina must be failing you. I don't believe you can last much longer."

Nadal withdrew his gaze, slowly tossed the tennis ball into the air, his body unfolding like a precise mechanical clock, his right arm swinging smoothly without a single superfluous movement.

This serve didn't aim for maximum speed, but instead carried strong sidespin, heading straight for Jiang Hong's backhand sideline.

The tennis ball bounced outwards suddenly after landing.

Jiang Hong couldn't turn to the side in time and could only barely extend his racket. The ball he returned grazed the racket frame and flew out of bounds.

"really!"

While one reason is that Nalbandian's serve placement was too good.

On the other hand, Jiang Hong's speed has indeed decreased significantly.

Zhang Sheng frowned, feeling somewhat worried, but remained silent.

Jiang Hong returned to the receiving position, lowered his center of gravity, tilted his racket slightly forward, and moved his feet slightly.

Nalbandian suddenly changed his tactics on his second serve, delivering a flat serve straight to Jiang Hong's forehand inside corner.

The ball was extremely fast, and it went "whoosh".

This time, Jiang Hong was different. He reacted quickly, shifted his weight forward instantly, and used his forehand to meet the incoming ball with great force.

He pressed the ball diagonally back to Nalbandian's backhand side.

This return shot was powerful and had a tricky angle.

"Are they about to score?" Zhang Sheng clenched his fist.

Nalbandian suddenly stepped out with a crossover step, lowered his center of gravity, and flicked his wrist slightly when hitting the ball with his backhand. Using the force of the incoming ball, he smoothly spun it back, sending the tennis ball flying back to Jiang Hong's midcourt with a reverse spin.

"My God! That backhand return was amazing!" Zhan Jun's voice rose, his face contorted in pain.

On one hand, I felt moved by the ball, and on the other hand, I felt pain for Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong instinctively chose a forehand attack, but the tennis ball went out of bounds.

"30-0!"

The scoreboard ticked, and thunderous applause erupted from the stands.

In the next point, Nalbandian served and quickly moved to the net, a tactic he rarely uses, clearly intending to catch Jiang Hong off guard.

His interceptions were precise and clean, followed by two consecutive soft drops at the net, hoping to force Jiang Hong to move around.

To everyone's surprise, Jiang Hong actually let the ball go.

In the blink of an eye, the score reached 40-0.

Nalbandian earned his first set point.

Jiang Hong understood that given his current form and Nalbandian's hot streak,

It's unlikely that you can break serve in the fifth game, so you might as well use the time to recover your energy.

At this moment, a heated discussion broke out on the online forum.

[Oh no, why isn't Jiang Shen running away anymore?]

[Has Jiang Shen lost his composure?]

[That can't be right, after all, Nalbandian isn't even in the lead!]

On the contrary, Zhang Sheng's eyes lit up when he saw this, and he praised it.

"Although Jiang Hong is still very young, he already has a wealth of competition experience."

"In tennis, it's not just a contest of skills, but also a battle of tactics." "Jiang Hong's physical condition is clearly in a precarious state due to his match against Nadal yesterday and the frantic running in the first four sets."

"So he chose to give up this game, recover his energy, and then slowly make his move."

Upon hearing Zhang Sheng's words, the Chinese audience suddenly realized what was going on.

After all, the propaganda and education we usually receive teaches us to do what we know is impossible and fight to the very end.

But tennis seems to be different.

Nalbandian changed tactics again on his fourth serve, sending a topspin serve straight to Jiang Hong's body position.

Jiang Hong dodged to the side and swung his forehand with all his might, hitting the ball towards Nalbandian's backhand side.

Nalbandian moved quickly and returned the ball steadily with a backhand, and the two resumed their baseline rally.

This time, Nalbandian changed his strategy, no longer passively defending but actively attacking. His counter-attacks became increasingly tricky, constantly shifting Jiang Hong's position.

The tennis ball was hit directly into the corner, and Jiang Hong decisively slowed down.

"Nalbandian has started his counterattack! His double-back attack is too sharp, and the angles are too wide!" Zhan Jun shouted. "Jiang Hong is being moved around and running left and right, and his physical strength must be greatly depleted."

"Wait, Jiang Hong has slowed down."

"Game, Nalbandian, 3-2!"

The Argentine fans in the stands began to cheer and jump for joy.

After the fifth set ended, it was time for the break.

Jiang Hong sat on the stool and took a bottle of water out of the insulated box.

He felt his physical condition as his fitness data improved.

Not only did my physical strength increase, but my recovery speed also increased significantly.

He seemed very relaxed and not in a hurry.

Because tennis is never decided by a single game, or even a single set.

Nalbandian walked to the sidelines, picked up a towel to wipe his face, and a relieved smile appeared on his face.

"Maintaining our position is just the beginning."

"The next step is to break their serve!"

"Avenge our defeat and lift the championship trophy!"

The game resumed with the referee's announcement.

It was Jiang Hong's turn to serve.

The score is temporarily behind, but not significantly.

As long as Jiang Hong holds serve, both sides will still be on equal footing.

Zhan Jun's voice was tense, "Jiang Hong has used up a lot of energy, I don't know if it will affect the quality of his serve."

Zhang Sheng nodded, sharing the same concern: "Nalbandian will definitely seize this opportunity to strengthen his serve return attack. His serve return technique is excellent, and he's currently riding high. Jiang Hong must maintain his serve rhythm."

Jiang Hong walked to the service line, took a deep breath, and tossed the tennis ball into the air.

"coming!"

It was still a flat shot, powerful and heavy, aimed straight at Nalbandian's backhand.

Nalbandian was prepared, turning sideways and swinging his forehand with full force, hitting the ball into Jiang Hong's open forehand space.

This attack was executed with extremely fast speed.

Jiang Hong couldn't get going in time, stumbled, and his return shot went into the net.

"0-15!"

Nalbandian scored first.

"That serve return was beautiful. Nalbandian's anticipation was spot on. He clearly studied Jiang Hong's serving habits and knew he would most likely serve to his backhand." Zhan Jun's voice was somewhat worried.

Zhang Sheng stared intently at the court, saying nothing.

Jiang Hong got up and stretched his ankles before adjusting his stance.

His second serve changed its landing point, a serve to the outside corner aimed directly at Nalbandian's forehand.

Nalbandian dodged to the side, then swung his backhand forcefully, pushing the ball back to Jiang Hong's midfield.

Jiang Hong met the ball with a powerful forehand smash, sending it towards Nalbandian's backhand side.

The two then engaged in a baseline rally, and this time, Nalbandian took the initiative, his counter-attacks varied in rhythm, sometimes fast and sometimes slow.

"Nalbandian's rhythm control is superb!" Zhan Jun exclaimed. "Disrupting the opponent's hitting rhythm through changes in rhythm is the mark of a tactical master."

After a few rounds, Nalbandian suddenly accelerated and launched a powerful backhand straight attack, the tennis ball slamming into Jiang Hong's half of the court with intense spin.

Jiang Hong made a desperate save, but his return shot grazed the net and landed in front of Nalbandian's net.

Nalbandian quickly rushed to the net and volleyed the ball with his forehand, sending it into Jiang Hong's backhand opening.

Jiang Hong failed to save the shot this time, and the ball went into the net again.

"0:30."

The score continued to widen.

The atmosphere in the stands became tense, with Chinese fans cheering for Jiang Hong.

Jiang Hong wiped away his sweat, his eyes remaining firm, revealing no change in his mind.

His third serve was another change of tactics, a topspin serve aimed directly at Nalbandian's body position.

Nalbandian sidestepped, then swung his forehand with all his might, hitting the ball towards Jiang Hong's backhand side.

Jiang Hong moved swiftly, returning the ball steadily with a backhand. The two engaged in another baseline rally, but this time, Jiang Hong changed his strategy, opting not to attack.

After more than ten rounds, Jiang Hong seized an opportunity and launched a powerful forehand cross-court attack, sending the ball towards Nalbandian's forehand corner.

Nalbandian couldn't move in time, and the tennis ball flew past the edge of his racket.

"15:30." Jiang Hong pulled one back.

A cheer erupted from the stands.

Jiang Hong remained unmoved.

His fourth serve was still strong, an ace to the inside corner.

"30:30."

The score is now tied.

"Beautiful ace! Jiang Hong withstood the pressure at the crucial moment!" Zhang Sheng's voice suddenly rose. "This serve was fast and accurate, Nalbandian didn't even have time to react."

In the next point, Jiang Hong served and engaged in a baseline rally with Nalbandian.

Nalbandian's backhand and counter-attack remained sharp, constantly hitting tricky angles, while Jiang Hong, with his excellent stamina and speed, repeatedly defused the crisis.

The two players' rallies became increasingly intense, and the ball speed increased. The spectators in the stands held their breath, afraid of missing any exciting moment.

"My God! That was amazing! The quality of both shots was so high, every return was close to the limit!" Zhan Jun's voice was full of excitement.

Suddenly, during a rally, Nalbandian changed direction abruptly, hitting the ball towards Jiang Hong's net. Jiang Hong reacted quickly, rushing to the net and volleying the ball back to Nalbandian's half of the court with a forehand volley.

Nalbandian had already anticipated Jiang Hong's return shot and gently blocked it with his backhand, sending the ball into Jiang Hong's backhand opening.

Jiang Hong made a diving save, barely managing to scoop up the ball, but the return shot was too high. Nalbandian seized the opportunity and scored with a forehand smash.

"30:40."

Nalbandian has earned a break point!
The Argentine fans in the stands cheered, and Nalbandian clenched his fist to encourage himself.

"The first step to revenge: break serve!"

The hearts of Chinese football fans jumped instantly.

Jiang Hong took a deep breath and walked to the service line. He knew this point was crucial; if he was broken, his advantage in the first set would be gone.

"The crucial moment has arrived! It's Jiang Hong's serve, and Nalbandian has a break point!" Zhan Jun's voice was tense. "Jiang Hong must be at his best, or it will be dangerous."

Jiang Hong tossed the tennis ball into the air, fully extending his body, and his right arm swung out in a perfect arc.

This serve was extremely fast, heading straight for Nalbandian's backhand sideline.

Nalbandian dodged to the side, then swung his backhand with force, hitting the ball towards Jiang Hong's forehand side.

Jiang Hong met the ball with a powerful forehand smash, sending it towards Nalbandian's backhand opening.

"Beautiful serve return! Beautiful attack! Both sides played at a top level!" Zhan Jun couldn't help but exclaim.

Nalbandian moved quickly and returned the ball steadily with his backhand. His shot had a strong topspin, making it difficult for Jiang Hong to launch an attack.

The two engaged in another baseline rally. This time, Nalbandian was more proactive, his counter-attacks becoming increasingly tricky, constantly shifting Jiang Hong's position.

Nalbandian seized the opportunity, suddenly exerted his strength, and launched a powerful backhand straight attack. The tennis ball, with strong spin, hit Jiang Hong's half of the court, bounced up, and flew out of bounds.

"Game score: 4-2!"

The first set of the match suddenly became precarious.

In an instant, the trend on the online forums changed.

Oh no, am I going to lose the first round?

Jiang Shen's physical exertion yesterday was too great.

Sigh! Winning back-to-back Masters titles is incredibly difficult. Actually, reaching the finals twice in such a short period is already quite an achievement.

[Jiang Shen just needs to show his own style.]

Occasionally, a few trolls try to gain attention, but they are immediately attacked back.

Jiang Hong turned around, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat from her face and hair.

He put down the towel and clenched his fist.

Feeling that his physical strength had recovered considerably, he turned around to look at Nalbandian opposite him.

"It's more interesting to play when you're behind!"

Nalbandian was stunned for a moment when he saw the smile on Jiang Hong's face.

"He can still smile even when he's behind in the score."

Nalbandian took the tennis ball and started hitting it with his racket.

"You'll be laughing soon enough!"

Jiang Hong stood at the receiving position, tiptoeing slightly to ensure he could start immediately.

Leaning slightly forward, racket held steadily in front of him, eyes fixed on the tennis ball in the Argentine's hand.

“Nalbandian is on fire right now, and he’ll definitely go all out on this serve. Jiang Hong needs to keep his rhythm on the return!” Zhang Sheng’s voice was tinged with tension. “His returns are known for their decisiveness, but against a tactical mastermind’s serve variations, you have to anticipate them precisely!”

Nalbandian took a deep breath and adjusted himself two steps behind the service line.

He tossed the tennis ball up, pulled his right arm back, and the racket almost touched his back.

As the tennis ball reached its highest point, his body twisted suddenly, and his right arm swung out with a whistling sound.

The speed was astonishing; the tennis ball flew like a bullet.

"Inside corner flat shot! Extremely fast, Jiang Hong is in a tough spot now!" Zhan Jun's words had barely left his mouth when the situation on the field changed in an instant.

"Well done!"

Jiang Hong's eyes were filled with strong confidence.

The moment Nalbandian swung his racket, he pushed off the ground with his left foot, his body shooting forward like an arrow, his center of gravity extremely low, almost touching the court.

His backhand racket shot out with lightning speed, without the slightest hesitation, and met the ball the moment it bounced up.

"Boom!"

The hitting point was perfectly timed, precisely at the highest point of the ball's bounce, and Jiang Hong's wrist was completely fixed at the instant the racket made contact with the ball.

Without any extra backswing motion, he purely relied on the speed of the incoming ball and his own explosive power to return the ball diagonally.

The tennis ball flew past the net with a sharp whooshing sound, its trajectory low and tricky, heading straight for Nalbandian's wide forehand corner.

Nalbandian had just finished his serve and was still in the momentum of his forward motion, so he didn't have time to adjust his center of gravity and instinctively reached out to save the shot.

He stumbled and rushed to the side, but his racket was a beat too slow, and he could only watch helplessly as the tennis ball landed in bounds, bounced, and rolled out of the court.

"Return ace!"

(End of this chapter)