Chapter 40: The Sole Survivor Jiang Hong Versus the Second Seed
The opponent in the next day's match was a domestic player.
His skill level was decent, yet still inferior to Zhang Long.
The match itself proceeded rather effortlessly, consuming very little physical stamina!
Consequently, Jiang Hong swept him aside in straight sets with scores of 6:1 and 6:2.
Advancing smoothly into the quarterfinals, Jiang Hong secured 2 ATP ranking points.
Aside from the fourth seed, Dehir, none of the other seeded players suffered any upsets.
Every single one of them successfully advanced to the quarterfinals!
Ultimately, this ITF 10K tournament was left with only a single domestic player, Jiang Hong.
He stood as the sole remaining hope of the tournament.
Because of this, the audience seats gradually began to fill up. Although it was not completely packed, the attendance was noticeably higher than in the previous matches.
Before the match, some spectators even waved small red flags to cheer Jiang Hong on.
"Let's go, Jiang Hong! Beat that foreigner!"
"Charge into the finals and take the championship!"
The passionate shouts echoed endlessly. Jiang Hong remained silent, quietly tightening his grip on his racket.
Jiang Hong's opponent was the second seed, an American tennis player ranked 785th in the world with 17 ATP points, whose name seemed to be Richard!
It sounded somewhat like an English name a Chinese person might choose for themselves.
The opponent was quite young, even a year younger than Jiang Hong at just 16 years of age.
However, he was not short, standing at roughly one meter and ninety centimeters tall.
Through the referee's coin toss, Richard won the right to serve.
Before the match officially commenced, the players engaged in pre-match warm-ups!
They each served a few balls to loosen up their bodies, while alternately hitting a few rallies to each other.
"Pre-match warm-up is over. The match begins, Richard to serve!"
As the referee's voice rang out, the two players commenced their battle.
"Bang!"
The first serve landed successfully in the service box, and Jiang Hong instantly anticipated the trajectory of the tennis ball.
He returned it with a flat forehand, but Richard suddenly twisted his wrist and executed a brilliant cross-court slice.
Yet, perhaps in pursuit of better control, the shot lacked power and depth.
Tap, tap!
Jiang Hong instantly dashed forward two steps and swung his arm.
The tennis ball cut through the air like a streak of lightning, its landing spot aimed straight at the deep left baseline.
Although Richard rushed desperately to reach the ball, the deep placement and heavy pressure severely restricted him.
Unable to generate any power during the stroke, he hit the ball directly into the net!
0:15!
Richard's expression began to shift. Initially, he had assumed that guy Dehir was simply brainless, exhausted by his female companion the night before, which was why he got eliminated.
Now, it appeared that this Jiang Hong genuinely possessed some real talent.
However, Richard had no intention of giving up so easily. The expenses for flying over from the United States, preparations, and travel costs were already substantial.
Therefore, he had to at least reach the finals and secure 8 points to make the trip worthwhile.
Coming to a region with lower tennis standards to compete was precisely a strategy to avoid high-ranking, high-skill players while farming points.
Richard prepared to serve once again.
This time, the speed of his serve was noticeably much faster than before.
Still, it fell considerably short compared to Dehir's serve. However, apart from the serve itself, his service returns, speed, and both forehand and backhand strokes were vastly superior to Dehir's.
Jiang Hong rushed forward immediately, but because his positioning for the stroke was slightly off, his return was somewhat weak.
Seeing this, Richard seized the opportunity instantly and opted for a heavy-handed baseline attack!
He chose to hit deep shots, but Jiang Hong's speed was inherently his greatest advantage.
Scrambling back and forth, he easily reached the baseline and returned the ball with a two-handed topspin backhand.
Richard countered with a single-handed backhand side-slice, dropping a short ball!
Jiang Hong suddenly accelerated, lunging forward with an extended arm.
Bam!
With a flick of his wrist, he lobbed the ball deep into the opponent's backcourt!
Richard's expression flickered as he hurriedly chased the ball to the baseline, managing a hurried rescue shot.
Jiang Hong abruptly shifted two steps sideways.
A net volley!
"Bang!"
He smashed the tennis ball into the open space on the right rear court.
0:30!
An eruption of cheers instantly broke out from the stands, as the match between the two players was utterly breathtaking.
They constantly altered their tactics to deceive and maneuver each other around the court.
Winning a rally of this caliber instantly ignited the emotions of everyone present.
Richard returned to the deuce court, tossed the ball, pushed off the ground, and swung his racket!
"Bang!"
The tennis ball slammed directly into the center line, and Jiang Hong hurried in pursuit.
After bouncing off the ground, the ball did not travel in a straight line, but instead traced a bizarre, curving trajectory.
Jiang Hong could only watch helplessly as the ball sailed past him!
An ace!
This was the very first time Jiang Hong had ever been aced in a match!
15:30!
Upon scoring the ace, Richard visibly breathed a sigh of relief.
With a fierce look in his eyes, he pumped his racket in the air!
The two players traded blows fiercely, neither willing to concede a single point.
Ultimately, Jiang Hong managed to claim the first game.
The score advanced to 1:0!
Following a brief rest, it was Jiang Hong's turn to serve.
Holding nothing back, Jiang Hong immediately unleashed his full serving repertoire!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
40:0!
Two aces and one unreturned serve.
In an instant, Richard grew irritable.
Having failed to hold his previous service game, he had hoped to break Jiang Hong's serve, only to fail to win a single point.
Jiang Hong stood with his feet slightly apart, eyes fixed straight ahead.
Tossing the ball, pushing off the ground, swinging the racket, striking the ball, and following through!
Bang!
The placement of the tennis ball was as tricky as ever!
Yet Richard's concentration was absolute; the moment the ball crossed the net, he immediately scrambled for position.
A single-handed backhand!
The tennis ball traced an arc through the air, heading straight toward the sideline.
Jiang Hong sprinted instantly from the right corner toward the sideline of the deuce court, covering five rapid strides before bending his knees.
Screech!
With his shoe soles frictioning against the court surface, Jiang Hong slid toward the sideline.
Gripping his racket with one hand, he played a side-sliced shot!
The tennis ball cleared the net.
Richard hurried in pursuit, but the ball's bizarre trajectory slipped right past his defense, burying itself firmly just before the baseline!
Then it bounced off and flew out of bounds.
Richard's expression shifted, his pale face flushing crimson with anger!
In frustration, he slashed his racket through the air!
The second game was brought to a swift and crushing end by Jiang Hong.
2:0!
Richard raised his hand to signal the referee for a restroom break!
Jiang Hong paused briefly, never expecting that he would actually encounter the classic "escape to the restroom" tactic.
However, he was not in a hurry, taking a seat on the sideline to sip some water and make a few minor adjustments.
Upon returning to the court, Richard committed a double fault right on his serve.
Jiang Hong was slightly bewildered; attempting to use psychological tactics had evidently backfired on his opponent.
Having lost the third game and failed to hold his serve, Richard's mental state was clearly compromised.
From that point onward, the match fell entirely into Jiang Hong's rhythm, as he continuously maneuvered Richard into running back and forth across the court.
During one particular rally, they exchanged as many as twelve shots.
When an opponent's physical endurance can no longer support their tactical play, their actual skill level appears thoroughly mediocre.
"Jiang Hong defeats Richard 6:0, 6:1, advancing to the finals!"
When the referee announced the match result, the entire stadium erupted in cheers.
The matches over the past few days had felt deeply stifling, with everyone constantly suppressed by foreign competitors!
Someone had finally vented their frustration, securing a massive, straight-set sweep!
To be honest, the opponent gave Jiang Hong the impression of being even less troublesome than Dehir.
Although his technique was relatively well-rounded, he was completely enveloped and neutralized by Jiang Hong, remaining entirely under Jiang Hong's control.
Jiang Hong raised his arm and waved his racket toward the grandstands.
By reaching the finals, Jiang Hong guaranteed himself a minimum of 8 ATP ranking points and 980 US dollars.
However, Jiang Hong's sole target was the ultimate championship.
He would defeat every single opponent standing in his path.