Ferreira didn't chase the ball.
He stood there, watching the ball fly out of bounds, then looked down at his hands.
My palms were sweaty.
He returned to the service line, bounced the ball twice, and took a deep breath.
Then he made a double fault.
"Fifteen to forty, Cheng Che has a break point."
In the stands, Pei Jingshu's fingers tightened around the mineral water bottle.
Her friend next to her whispered, "It's a break point," but she didn't reply, her eyes fixed on the court.
Ferreira missed his second serve.
On his second serve, Cheng Che launched a direct attack, unleashing a powerful cross-court shot with his forehand. Ferreira lunged forward but couldn't reach it.
Cheng Che breaks serve, 1-0.
Lin Yan's voice came from the live broadcast room:
" Ferreira lost this service game too quickly. From 'it's over' to double faults, his mentality has clearly wavered. Cheng Che hasn't even had a chance to exert his strength yet, and Ferreira has already collapsed."
A barrage of comments flooded the screen.
I knew this game was over when Ferreira said "It's over".
[For a professional player to say something like that, their mentality has completely collapsed.]
Cheng Che's pressure is too strong; he won before the fight even started.
[It's not that we haven't fought yet, it's that we only realized we couldn't win after we fought.]
In the remainder of the first set, Ferreira only managed to hold serve once.
Six to one, Cheng Che did it in less than forty minutes.
In the second set, Ferreira changed his strategy, moving his receiving position two meters back.
This move did indeed allow Cheng Che to return several serves, but in the fourth and sixth games, Cheng Che broke serve consecutively, and the score quickly reached 5-2.
In the seventh game, Cheng Che served for the match and won four consecutive points.
The final shot was an ace in the outside corner.
Ferreira stood behind the baseline, watching the ball hit the service area, bounce, and fly towards the advertising boards.
He didn't move.
He looked down at his racket, then walked to the net and shook hands with Cheng Che.
"I did my best," Ferreira said. "You played exceptionally well."
Cheng Che nodded. "Thank you."
Ferreira released his grip and turned to leave.
His steps were neither fast nor slow, his back was straight, but his shoulders were lower than at the beginning.
Lin Yan's voice contained a calm emotion:
Cheng Che won in straight sets 6-1, 6-2 to advance to the second round. His next opponent is the tournament's 16th seed, world number 19, Berrettini. This will be a completely different challenge.
The comments section immediately shifted direction.
[ Berrettini! 19th in the world! This is the real battle!]
[ Ferreira is ranked 83rd, Berrettini is ranked 19th, the gap is too big]
Cheng Che played very easily today, but the next game will definitely be different.
Berrettini's serve and forehand are top-notch; Cheng Che needs to be careful.
I still believe he can win. Look, he barely broke a sweat after the game today.
Pei Jingshu stood up from the stands.
She originally came to watch "that really good-looking person play tennis," but after watching one match, she realized that she remembered more than just that face.
The way Cheng Che moved on the court, his focus when hitting the ball, his composure between every point—all these things combined made him more captivating to her than a handsome face.
My best friend remarked from the side, "He's so handsome when he plays basketball."
Pei Jingshu didn't reply, but she silently said "hmm" to herself.
On the other side of the stands, Yan Ruanning stood up from her seat and pulled down the brim of her hat.
Xiao Zhou followed beside her, and the two of them walked out together in the crowd leaving the venue.
"That was a great play," Xiao Zhou said softly.
Yan Ruanning nodded, a slight smile playing on her lips.
She recalled watching him play tennis for the first time a few months ago at the Hang City Tennis Hall, when he was just a part-time worker who had been temporarily brought in to fill in.
Now he stands on the Master Tournament court, sending the world's 83rd-ranked player home with a decisive victory.
"He's even faster than last time," Yan Ruanning said.
Xiao Zhou glanced at her sideways, a slight smile playing on his lips, "Are you watching the game, or are you looking at the person?"
Yan Ruanning didn't reply and quickened her pace.
In the mixed zone after the game, several reporters surrounded him.
"Congratulations to Cheng Che on winning the first round of the Master Tournament. What are your thoughts on your performance today?"
"I played normally," Cheng Che said. "My opponent was very strong, but his playing style wasn't well-suited to hard courts, and I capitalized on that."
"Your next opponent is the tournament's 16th seed, world number 19, Italy player Berrettini. What do you know about him?"
Cheng Che thought for a moment, "He's a very strong opponent; his serve and forehand are both top-notch. I need to be prepared to receive his serve."
"This is your first time playing in the Master main draw, and you've already made it to the second round. What are your expectations for yourself?"
Cheng Che smiled and said, "Let's take it one game at a time. We'll talk about it after we win the next one."
Back at the hotel, Qin Lie sent Cheng Che's information about his second-round opponent to his email.
Berrettini, an Italy, is 26 years old and 1.96 meters tall. His serve speed often exceeds 220 kilometers per hour, and his forehand smash is his main weapon on hard courts.
He reached the semifinals in Cincinnati and the quarterfinals at the US Open this year, showing excellent form.
Cheng Che looked at the data for a while and then opened the system panel.
He went through Berrettini's technical characteristics in his mind.
He's tall, has a good serve, and a powerful forehand, but he's relatively slow. If you can get him moving and make him run around, his advantages will be diminished.
Tactically, you can use wide-angle shots to move the ball around and combine them with slice shots to change the rhythm.
The next afternoon, Hall 2.
When Cheng Che walked onto the court, the cheers were even louder than yesterday.
It's not the weekend, but the stands are still packed.
Lin Yan's voice rang out in the live stream:
"Welcome to the second round of the Magic City Masters, everyone. Today's featured match in Hall 2 is a highly anticipated game between China player Cheng Che and the tournament's 16th seed, world number 19, Italy player Berrettini."
" Berrettini is 1.96 meters tall, and his serve and forehand are world-class. He reached the semifinals of the Cincinnati Masters this year and the quarterfinals of the US Open, showing excellent form on hard courts. For Cheng Che, this is the toughest opponent he has faced so far in his career."
The comments section exploded with messages.
[Nineteenth in the world, that's truly a top-tier player]
Berrettini's serve is a level faster than Ferreira's, putting Cheng Che under a lot of pressure when receiving it.
[But Berrettini's slow movement is his weakness.]
[Let's see if Cheng Che can exploit this weakness.]
Pei Jingshu and her best friend sat in the same seats they had used yesterday.
Yan Ruanning and Xiao Zhou also arrived, and they sat on the other side.
Both of their gazes fell on the white figure warming up on the court.
Berrettini was already behind the baseline.
His height of 1.96 meters is very conspicuous on the court. Wearing a dark blue tracksuit, his shoulders are as broad as a wall.
He patted the ball and looked up at Cheng Che on the other side.
In the first set, Berrettini serves.
The first ball traveled at a speed of 227 kilometers per hour.
Cheng Che returned a deep ball down the middle after receiving the serve. Berrettini turned and hit a wide cross-court forehand. Cheng Che ran over and sliced a backspin ball with his backhand.
Berrettini rushes to the net and scores with a volley.
"Fifteen to zero."
Lin Yan's voice immediately followed:
" Berrettini played very aggressively in his first service game. This forehand cross-court shot was close to 180 kilometers per hour and landed extremely difficult. Cheng Che got into position, but his return was not of high quality, and Berrettini seized the opportunity to volley at the net."
A few worried comments scrolled across the screen.
Berrettini's forehand was incredibly powerful.
[ Cheng Che seemed to be struggling to catch it.]
[Don't rush, it's only the first point.]
Cheng Che remained calm.
He activated [ Total Concentration ].
He returned to his receiving position, lowering his center of gravity even further.
On the second ball, Berrettini served to the outside corner, Cheng Che moved two steps to the side and hit a forehand down the line.
The ball flew past Berrettini's forehand sideline and landed inside the baseline.
Berrettini took two steps, but couldn't reach it.
"Fifteen to fifteen."
Lin Yan's voice rose:
"Great shot! Cheng Che smashed a forehand down the line straight through Berrettini's defense! Berrettini's movement is definitely a problem; he couldn't keep up with the rhythm of this shot at all!"
The comments section instantly reversed.
[pretty!!!]
[ Berrettini can't run anymore]
Cheng Che's reaction was too quick.
[Target his slow movement!]
Berrettini dribbled the ball twice and stood up straight again.
He served a body shot, which Cheng Che dodged to the side, and then hit a long cross-court shot with his backhand.
Berrettini blocked with his forehand, the ball landed in the middle of the court, bounced but lacked power.
Cheng Che was already standing at the net. With a gentle backhand stroke, the ball rolled across the net.
"Fifteen to thirty."
Lin Yan spoke a beat faster than before:
" Cheng Che has scored two points in a row! His serve return and attack were too decisive; Berrettini's body serve had no effect whatsoever. Thirty to fifteen, Cheng Che is in the lead!"
In the stands, Pei Jingshu couldn't help but clench the mineral water bottle in her hand.
She didn't know much about the rules of tennis, but she could tell that the Italy player's expression was off.
On the fourth ball, Berrettini added a sidespin, landing it in the inside corner.
Cheng Che returned a deep ball down the middle, and Berrettini responded with a wide cross-court forehand.
Cheng Che ran over, flicked a backspin shot with one hand, and the ball landed in front of the net.
Berrettini rushed up and lobbed the ball high. Cheng Che retreated to the backcourt and hit a wide cross-court shot with his forehand, the ball landing in the corner of Berrettini's backhand side.
Berrettini lunged forward, extending his racket to its maximum extent. He missed.
"Fifteen to forty."
Lin Yan's voice carried a kind of excitement that followed being stunned:
"This ball! Cheng Che used a one-handed slice to bring Berrettini to the net, then unleashed a powerful forehand cross-court shot that pierced his opponent's backhand! Berrettini tried his best to reach it, but he couldn't. 15-40, Cheng Che has two break points!"
The comments section went crazy.
[Break point!!!]
Cheng Che's bottom line is outrageous.
Berrettini's forehand was completely unusable.
[Ranked 19th in the world, getting completely dominated?]
[Don't rush, Berrettini hasn't even started yet.]
[Why are you using so much force? We're almost losing our serve.]
On the fifth ball, Berrettini took a desperate shot.
Cheng Che received the serve and launched an attack, hitting a backhand shot that Berrettini couldn't reach.
Cheng Che breaks serve. One to zero.
Lin Yan took a deep breath, his voice filled with emotion:
" Berrettini's first service game was broken by Cheng Che. This was his first break of serve in this year's Master tournament. Cheng Che used his precise returns and agile movement to keep the world number 19 behind the baseline."
In the stands, Pei Jingshu instinctively stood up.
Then she realized everyone around her was staring at her, so she quickly sat back down, her ears turning red. Her best friend was chuckling beside her, and she glared at her.
On the other side of the stands, Yan Ruanning leaned back in her chair, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Xiao Zhou glanced at her sideways and whispered, "What are you laughing at?"
"It's nothing," Yan Ruanning, pulling her hat down further. "I just think he plays really well."
On the pitch, Berrettini stood behind the baseline and took a deep breath.
In his last service game, his first serve percentage was only 50%.
This is his worst start to the season so far.
Cheng Che stood on the opposite side, quietly waiting for the next ball.
His expression remained unchanged throughout.