Return to 2002: Freestyle Superstar

Chapter 25 Being treated as a soft persimmon again

Hangcheng, the capital city of Eastern Zhejiang Province, is also a new first-tier metropolis in China.

In Hangzhou in June, the sun is like fire.

While most of Chen Ran's classmates were making their final push for the high school entrance exam, he went to the competition center in Hangzhou to register under the bright sun.

Previously, he had spent 20 US dollars to complete the registration and became an officially registered player of the International Tennis Federation.

This is the advantage of tennis. Individuals can register, unlike other sports that must go through their national associations.

Because tennis is a highly individual sport, the charm of this sport is basically reflected in individual singles. In comparison, whether it is doubles, mixed doubles, or the Davis Cup, which represents a team, they Compared with individual singles, the influence and attention are simply worlds apart.

Because tennis is so individual, it is also known as the ultimate individual ball game.

"Sure enough, the level of the competition is different. There are many foreigners."

Chen Ran touched his chin and carefully observed the contestants around him.

The foreign players who registered include those from Oceania, Europe, and North America.

Competitions of this level like the 10K Hope Race have very little prize money. Foreign players come to participate mainly to earn ATP points, so only players from wealthier countries can afford to fly around the world to participate.

Because even if you win the championship, there is a high probability that you will still be unable to make ends meet.

So relatively speaking, Chinese athletes are actually lucky. They have a country that pays you wages and will bear the expenses of competing abroad for you. They will only share 50% of your bonus, and that bonus is nothing compared to the expenditure. A drop in the bucket.

With the unsightly level of Chinese tennis players today, they can be compared to the national football team as a bunch of crouching dragons and phoenixes. However, the latter has commercial value and can attract sponsors. The former is something that grandma does not care about and uncle does not love. No country allocates money every year. The funds have been disbanded long ago.

Therefore, we cannot beat this national system to death with one stick.

This time the 10K Hope Tournament was held in Hangzhou, because it was held locally, many Chinese tennis players directly obtained the draw for the main draw. Amateurs like Chen Ran who have "provincial athlete" certificates, in After signing up, I also got a spot in the qualifying round.

The regulations of the organizing committee are that if those with ATP points cannot enter the main draw, they can only go to the qualifying rounds with a registration fee of 150 yuan. However, those like Chen Ran who have only registered with the International Tennis Federation but have no points will A registration fee of 300 yuan is required.

This provision is also to raise the threshold.

After all, China is a country with a large population. If the registration fee is too cheap, those tennis amateurs can fill up the registration form.

The registration fee of three hundred yuan stopped a large group of enthusiasts.

If you really don’t have a lot of money and no place to spend it, there is no need to spend 300 yuan to experience a qualifying round.

When Chen Ran got his lottery form, his face turned dark and he exclaimed: There are so many wealthy people in Eastern Zhejiang Province.

There are a total of 32 draws in the main draw, of which 8 will be determined in the qualifying round, but a total of three rounds of competition will be held.

“8乘以2乘以2，再乘以2，等于64！”

Chen Ran counted in his mind and found that there were 64 players in the qualifying round, and this was despite the high registration fee.

He thought it would only take one round to qualify for the qualifying rounds, but he found out that he had to win three rounds in a row to reach the main draw. This was really a scam!You must know that the qualifying rounds for the four Grand Slams are only three rounds.

Chen Ran had no choice. After all, the rules were set by the organizing committee. He couldn't change them and could only abide by them.

His first-round player was a player named Gao Qi from the neighboring Sudong Province, and it was said that he was also on the provincial team.

This is the benefit of institutional players. The provincial sports bureau covers all participation fees. Of course, you will also be subject to many restrictions.

Chen Ran looked at the other qualifying contestants. They were all Chinese, not a single foreigner.

The reason is also very simple. If a foreign player does not have the strength to directly enter the main competition, there is no need to travel thousands of miles to China to compete. No matter how rich he is, he cannot withstand such a hassle.

Chen Ran carried a bottle of mineral water and waited in the rest area for a while before a staff member told him that the game was about to start.

Soon the two of them were standing on both sides of the court, looking at each other solemnly.Judging from the appearance, the other party seems to be several years older than me, with strong limbs, and must have been trained all year round.

I had bad luck. I met a professional player in the first round of qualifying.

Chen Ran knew very well that without any strength or background, he couldn't expect any good luck.

"The game begins, Chen Ran serves." The referee decided by guessing coins that Chen Ran would serve.

The player who serves first has an advantage, but there is also psychological pressure.

Because this was just an insignificant qualifying match, and the two players looked very young, there were only a few people standing around.

Bend your knees, kick on the ground, throw the ball, swing the racket, hit the ball!
All the movements were done in one go, and Chen Ran hit a serve that traveled about 180 kilometers, but the angle was not tricky.

The player on the opposite side is indeed a professional. When Chen Ran hit the ball with his bat, he saw some tricks, and he was keenly aware that the opponent was also a professional.

Damn it, what kind of fortune-telling!
I am the second member of the Jiangsu Province team, and my goal is to reach the semi-finals of this competition!

The provincial team's funds are limited and it is impossible for him to participate in competitions all over the world.

Must win!Do your best from the start!
At this moment, Gao Qi felt a vague sense of danger that he would be eliminated in the first round of qualifying.

He stepped forward, swung his racket, and returned the ball very smoothly.

It really is professional!

Chen Ran's eyes moved slightly, knowing that he was not hiding his clumsiness, he decisively stepped forward and hit the ball with a forehand. The ball flew towards his right side like a bolt of lightning.

After completing this step, Chen Ran ran decisively towards the net as if he had foreseen the future.

When he ran to the net, the opponent's return ball just flew over the net.

Chen Ran jumped up and made a clean smash, winning the first point.

15: 0.

Chen Ran's second serve, the ball speed was close to 190 kilometers, and the angle was even more tricky.

ACE!The score was changed to 30:0.

Chen Ran had an obvious advantage in the serving game, and then won two points in a row, love game, and won the first game cleanly.

However, after exchanging serves, Chen Ran also encountered a strong challenge.

"It's my serving game now, don't be proud of me!"

Gao Qi stood on the baseline and hit a serve with a ball speed of nearly 180 kilometers and a slightly tricky angle.

Good luck!

Gao Qi felt happy. For a shot of this quality, the success rate in the past was less than 30%.

Chen Ran fought hard and almost stretched his body to the limit before he could catch this high-quality serve.

But the quality of the serve this time was obviously not high. The ball flew smoothly over the net and landed in the center of the first area on the opposite side.

Gao Qi immediately ran forward and smashed with one blow, completing the fatal blow.

In this round, it was back-and-forth. At 30:40, the opponent secured serve and tied the match to 1:1.

……

(End of this chapter)