Cheng Che's first serve silenced the entire stadium.
The ball landed in the service area, bounced, and flew directly towards the advertising boards. Nakamura Takuma stood still, without moving an inch.
It's not that I don't want to move.
He didn't react in time.
In the Japan commentary booth, both commentators stood up at the same time.
"--What?! This serve speed! Cheng Che has hit the highest serve speed in history! At least 230 kilometers per hour! This speed is extremely rare even in professional matches!"
The other commentator's voice was trembling:
" Nakamura had absolutely no reaction! That ball speed—if it hit someone, it could even kill them!"
In the stands, the audience who had been cheering for Cheng Che just moments before fell silent.
They looked at each other, their eyes filled with shock and fear.
Especially the Japan sitting in the front row, who were just screaming for Cheng Che's appearance, now looked at the China boy standing behind the baseline, mouths agape, speechless.
Nakamura Takuma's back was covered in cold sweat.
He looked down at his hands.
My hands are shaking.
He played for ten years, receiving countless fast, heavy, and spin shots.
But just now, he didn't even see the ball's shadow. He only heard a sound, and then the ball disappeared in the direction of the advertising billboard behind him.
At that speed, he simply couldn't catch it.
He raised his head and looked at Cheng Che opposite him.
Cheng Che had returned to the service area, spinning the ball in his hand, his face expressionless.
Nakamura Takuma swallowed hard. The pride and confidence he had displayed when he entered had vanished completely.
Instead, a fear crept up from the soles of my feet.
Cheng Che patted the ball and glanced down at the racket.
The display on the handle reads: [Feel: 80].
It feels nice to the touch.
So he fixed his feel for it.
But he knew that touch, receiving, backhand, and forehand were not his strongest skills.
His best skill is serving.
With 76 stamina points and the added boost from [ Star of the Court ], his serve speed and placement control have entered another dimension.
The [ Champion ]'s suppressive effect caused Nakamura Takuma to develop an invisible self-doubt when facing him.
[ Champion: After equipping this item, you will possess a " Champion Aura " in official matches or competitive scenarios. Opponents facing you will experience an invisible sense of self-doubt and pressure, making them more prone to mistakes at crucial moments. Simultaneously, judges, spectators, and other third-party observers will naturally favor you in their judgments.]
He already felt he couldn't catch the ball before he even received it.
Meanwhile, in Magic City.
Qizhong Tennis Center, training court.
Lu Yunxiao sat on a bench by the court, his phone resting on his lap, the screen showing a live broadcast of the Tokyo Open qualifiers.
Several teammates stood around, watching.
When Lu Yunxiao first saw the silence of the Japan audience when Nakamura Takuma entered, his face remained expressionless.
But when he saw Cheng Che turn the entire arena upside down as soon as he entered, he smiled helplessly.
"That kid, still the same."
Then Cheng Che served the first ball.
Lu Yunxiao's expression changed.
He stared at the screen, his eyes unblinking.
The ball hit the service box, bounced, and flew towards the advertising boards, faster than he had seen it on the court last time.
He was silent for two seconds.
Then he stood up and put his phone in his pocket.
"No need to look anymore."
The teammate next to him looked up. "What's wrong?"
Lu Yunxiao picked up his racket, walked towards the training field, and said without turning his head:
"That little Japanese devil is going to get his head shaved."
In the domestic live stream rooms, the chat was already flooded with comments.
[Historical record ball speed??? Can it kill???]
[ Cheng Che's serve was absolutely outrageous! Nakamura Takuma was completely dumbfounded!]
[Where are those Japanophiles who were just saying Japan tennis is good? Come out here!]
Nakamura's expression; his hands are shaking.
[It's over before it even started, what's the point of the match?]
[ Cheng Che: I haven't even used my full strength yet.]
[I feel sorry for Nakamura, but the way he raised his hand when he entered was really funny.]
However, a few stubborn comments also appeared in the live chat.
[This is only the first goal; the game is far from over.]
Tennis isn't just about serves; baseline game is the core.
[ Nakamura is experienced; adjustments will be made later.]
However, the game did not give them a chance to "go back".
Cheng Che stood behind the baseline, barely moving.
Every serve he received was an ace.
Inner angle, outer angle, body tracking, landing point accurate to the centimeter.
Nakamura Takuma was exhausted, running all over the field, but he couldn't even touch the edge of the ball.
The first set ended quickly.
Six to zero.
Nakamura Takuma sat on a lounge chair with a towel draped over his head.
His chest heaved violently, his breathing was heavy, and sweat dripped from his chin onto the ground, forming a small puddle.
His coach squatted down beside him, whispering something, but he didn't hear a word.
He had only one thought in his mind.
We can't beat them. We can't beat them at all.
The second game begins.
Nakamura Takuma tried to adjust, moving his receiving position forward by half a step.
Cheng Che saw this, but didn't change his strategy; he simply served a heavier outside shot.
The ball hit the service area, bounced up, and rushed towards Nakamura Takuma's backhand.
Nakamura Takuma gritted his teeth and lunged forward. He touched the ball.
Then the racket flew away.
The tremendous impact travels from the racket face to the wrist, then to the forearm, and finally to the entire body.
His hand went numb, his fingers loosened, and the racket flew out of his hand, spinning twice in the air before crashing onto the court behind him.
The entire room fell silent.
Nakamura Takuma looked down at his hands.
His palms were bright red. His fingers were trembling uncontrollably.
Cheng Che stood opposite him and glanced at him.
Then the whole audience started chanting.
" Cheng Che! Cheng Che! Cheng Che!"
Those Japan spectators, those who had just been silent for their home team, all stood up at that moment.
They shouted the same name in Japanese, broken Chinese, and every other way they could think of.
They weren't calling for Nakamura Takuma.
Nakamura Takuma stood behind the baseline, his hands on his knees, his head bowed.
He heard the sounds behind him, the cheers that once belonged to him, now all turned towards the other side.
His lips moved.
Then he raised his head, his voice strained out of his throat, hoarse and trembling.
"I... I'm injured. I can't play anymore."
The entire audience erupted in uproar.
In the Japan commentary booth, the two commentators exchanged a complicated glance.
In the stands, the Japan spectators were stunned at first, and then some of them started cursing.
"What injury? He's clearly not injured!"
"He's on the run! He can't beat him!"
"How embarrassing!"
Nakamura Takuma's coach rushed onto the court, grabbed his shoulder, and shouted something.
Nakamura Takuma shook his head vigorously, then pointed to his right hand.
The referee walked over, squatted down, and examined the situation.
He then waved to the sidelines, signaling for medical personnel to enter the field.
The doctor jogged over and examined Nakamura Takuma's right hand and wrist.
After completing a few movements, the doctor stood up and said something to the referee.
The referee nodded and turned to the entire field.
"Due to Nakamura Takuma's withdrawal due to injury, Cheng Che Cheng Che has won this match and advances to the second round of the qualifying tournament."
The Japan spectators in the stands fell silent.
Then someone shouted.
" Cheng Che--!"
More people joined in the chant.
This time, no one hesitated, and no one held onto old feelings.
They were conquered.
It wasn't because of Cheng Che's nationality, nor because of his ranking.
It was his skill, his serve, and the oppressive feeling he created by simply standing there and doing nothing that made his opponents collapse.
Nakamura Takuma left the court with the help of his coach.
His back was very thin, and he looked smaller than when he arrived.
He didn't turn around.
Cheng Che walked to the net and bowed towards the stands.
Then he slung his tennis bag over his shoulder and headed toward the players' tunnel.
Qin Lie was waiting for him at the entrance of the passage and patted him on the shoulder.
How are you feeling?
"Not bad." Cheng Che put the racket back in its bag. "It was easier than I expected."
Qin Lie chuckled. He glanced at the data panel on his phone, and his smile deepened.
"Your next opponent has been drawn." He turned the screen around. "He's also Japan. His ranking is a little lower than the one you played against today."
Cheng Che glanced at the name.
"Then let's continue."