Chapter 18.1: 2nd Round Qualifying

Translator: Pineapple

Editor: Oer_

Daniel Patterson.

Thinking about him again, I can’t remember anything. That means that this person wasn’t worth mentioning because this player probably went through the preliminaries just like I did.

The players that Han Woo Jin remembered were only high world ranking players in the future or players with special skills or circ.u.mstances like Okuta. He never remembered the players who were below the top 50 in the ATP rankings.

Of course, Daniel might be a player that was a high ranking player that he just didn’t remember. But it might also not be true. That’s why it is best for him not to waste energy thinking of these things.

‘Andrew… isn’t here.’

He looked through the bracket and didn’t see Andrew on it. Maybe he was already seeded in the top 32 or 16. Then he began to look for Choi Yeon Hyuk’s name other than Andrew Murray.

The player list wasn’t that big. After looking shortly, he soon found Choi Yeon Hyuk. He also saw his next opponent’s name.

Mark Jeffrey.

It was once again a name didn’t recognize. Right now, he could have seen all of the statuses of the players that were gathered around the tournament bracket but he didn’t want to do that.

It was enough for him to just be able to see Daniel Patterson’s status.

Han Woo Jin looked around and searched for a person that was looking at him. There were only two asians partic.i.p.ating in this tournament, him and Choi Yeon Hyuk. Therefore, his next opponent should be looking out for him.

His intuition was correct.

‘Bingo.’

His height was over 180 cm. He had blonde dyed hair and a short mustache. He looked like a northern European and was staring at him. His eyes made it extremely obvious that he was looking at him. When Han Woo Jin made eye contact with him the man slightly curled his lips upwards.

He looked like the vikings of old and his smirk reminded Han Woo Jin of a wild animal. Han Woo Jin repositioned his racket bag that was slung over his shoulder.

*grip*

He grabbed the handle of his racket without taking it out of the bag. This was another way of him being able to use his skill while holding his racket and his opponent’s status appeared.

[Daniel Patterson]

Strength 61 / Stamina 60 / Agility 57

HP 1980/2400 SP 600/600

Forehand: 10/20

Backhand: 8/20

Serve: 8/20

Volley: 8/20

Smash: 8/20

Dropshot: 9/20

Lob: 9/20

Special skill: None

He’s formidable.

Han Woo Jin had a very simple evaluation of Daniel Patterson. That was the only thing that came up to him after seeing his status.

He didn’t have any specialties but was a very well-rounded type of player. Furthermore, his stats and skills were all pretty high-leveled.

‘Isn’t he dangerous?’

While still holding onto his racket he was able to see other players’ statuses however, Daniel’s status was the cream of the crop. Han Woo Jin’s luck for his second preliminary round was pretty c.r.a.ppy.

Daniel who was staring at Han Woo Jin, looked away and looked back at the list. He looked as if he no longer cared after he got a good look at his next opponent.

Somebody’s hand came up and touched his shoulder while he was staring at the back of Daniel.

“Hey, we’re not against each other. That’s a relief.”

“…we’re lucky.”

Han Woo Jin and Choi Yeon Hyuk were located in the middle of the tournament bracket and they won’t be going against each other until they reach the top four. They were ranked eighth and ninth respectively. They were in the exact middle of the ladder that divided them.

Choi Yeon Hyuk will be playing first in the second preliminary round and Han Woo Jin after. It was the opposite of the first preliminary round.

How is Choi Yeon Hyuk’s condition? Han Woo Jin, while holding his racket looked at his status.

HP 2130/2600 SP 630/680

‘He’s still in good condition. … His SP went down. Did he use a special skill?’

It was the first time he saw a player that was able to make Choi Yeon Hyuk use SP other than himself.

That means that Choi Yeon Hyuk used his ‘Slipper’ in the first preliminary round.

That means that his first round wasn’t that easy.

The two people were already feeling the pressure and difficulty from the preliminaries of the ATP tour.

“ [All players, sit down please, now we will begin the second round of the preliminaries.] “

Han Woo Jin and Choi Yeon Hyuk could only understand “sit down please” as they sat down. As Koreans, they hardly knew any English so they could only understand simple phrases like that and couldn’t understand the rest of the sentence.

That’s why the two players were only waiting to hear their names to be called. It’s impossible to improve their English in only one month.

“ [Now we will start the first match. Players Gurt and Clark, please make your way to the court.] “

Two people that were sitting stood up. Han Woo Jin looked at the two players walking down to the court and observed their status and wanted to know which one will win. Maybe one of them will be an opponent for Choi Yeon Hyuk.

‘No. they won’t.’

Han Woo Jin turned off their statuses right away.

He didn’t have any time or energy to think about other things because of his next opponent, Daniel Patterson so he turned off his power. He made the decision to only focus on getting ready for his match while searching for Daniel in the crowd.

Untied blonde hair, rough looking mustache, Han Woo Jin sat approximately 10 meters away from Daniel. He saw Daniel’s status and immediately looked back at his own status and compared.

[Han Woo Jin]

Strength 59 / Stamina 62 / Agility 53

HP 2190/2480 SP 590/590

Forehand: 10/20

Backhand: 9/20

Serve: 12/20

Volley: 7/20

Smash: 10/20

Dropshot: 6/20

Lob: 5/20

Special Skill: Sparrow (Serve). Slug (Smash)

The only part that Han Woo Jin had an advantage over Daniel was his serve and smash. He was either equal or inferior to him in all other aspects. They could probably only attack each others’ weaknesses. Win or lose, he knew that this game would be incredibly difficult.

He was envisioning their rallies and imagined hearing the referee’s signal.

“Player Ready!”

That’s how the first game of the second preliminary round began.

Time went by fast.

The three matches went by in the blink of an eye. Each game had a winner and a loser but the two players weren’t interested in them.

As soon as the third match ended, Choi Yeon Hyuk stood up from his seat. His face wasn’t nervous at all but it looked anxious for some reason.

“I’ll go ahead first.”

“Yeah.”

Because of their anxiety the two of them didn’t speak much. Choi Yeon Hyuk didn’t look back as he walked down the court. Han Woo Jin also didn’t look at him as he concentrated on simulating rallies against Daniel in his head.

As he focused more and more the environment around him became dull. Han Woo Jin’s concentration was at a really high level and all sounds were blocked out and disappeared from his ears. Although his eyes were opened halfway he couldn’t see anything.

His consciousness only came back 50 minutes later because Choi Yeon Hyuk came back and woke him up.

“Hey, are you sleeping?!”

“… is it my turn already?”

Choi Yeon Hyuk shook his shoulder, thinking he was asleep. Han Woo Jin opened his eyes widely as soon as Choi Yeon Hyuk’s fingers touched him. His mind was clear.

Han Woo Jin looked at Choi Yeon Hyuk with a deep look because his eyes were closed for a long time. His hair was wet with sweat and his s.h.i.+rt was drenched with sweat and could see that his stamina consumption was large.

However, his face didn’t look worried.

Han Woo Jin spoke to him.

“Did you win?”

“Of course. I can’t lose without entering the top 16.”

He’s right. Eventually, everything is an excuse if they say that their opponent is strong or their condition was bad. If he couldn’t reach a good conclusion, it would be shameful. They flew all the way to France, so they won’t want to go back without even getting through the preliminaries.

Han Woo Jin stood up and looked at Daniel. He was already halfway down to the court.

“I’ll be back.”

Han Woo Jin put his racket on his shoulder as he walked down over to the court. He heard Choi Yeon Hyuk’s voice that sounded tired and high pitched.

“I’ll head over first?”

He sounded really hateful. (because he already won his match and had nothing to worried about so he was jealous.)

That’s what Han Woo Jin thought.

After you win your second match of the preliminaries, you are allowed to leave the premises. He thought Choi Yeon Hyuk was going to go watch from the stands with the audience.

The person who wins the game first no longer has any burdens, but those who are left have an increased pressure.

“Alright, I’ll see you later.”

He answered curtly. He wasn’t the type of person who was overconfident before a match. Han Woo Jin went onto the court and looked nervous. He disliked the way Daniel came onto the court all confidently with a smirk on his face.

Han Woo Jin walked over to the net with a fast beating heart. The referee made eye contact with both players and tossed up the coin.

*Ping!*

“Front.”

“…Back.”

Han Woo Jin spoke before the coin dropped and Daniel was a little annoyed that he spoke late.

The referee smiled a little as if he was having fun and uncovered his hand to reveal the coin.

It was on the front side. Han Woo Jin chose to serve.

“s.h.i.+t!”

Daniel cursed as he walked over to his side of the court. He most definitely had a temper like a viking.

Han Woo Jin thought that if Daniel played like his personality/temper then he would be easier to play against, because if a player is open with their emotions then he would be able to read the opponent.

However, his eyes don’t show any emotions. He is acting right now.

He couldn’t believe Daniel’s acting skills compared to the way he looked. His eyes were ice cold. In contrast to his viking-like exterior, inside is a cold hearted snake.

As soon as the two players got into position the referee spoke.

“Woojin Han on my right! Daniel Patterson on my left! Woojin Han to serve!”

The referee got up from his seat and waved hand.

“Love all (0:0)! Play!”

The match began but Han Woo Jin didn’t move right away.

‘My opponent is not the type of person to do a surprise attack.’

Daniel prepared to receive the serve and lowered his body before the referee even spoke. It meant that he didn’t want to be caught by surprise. He has experience and is skilled. He is a difficult opponent.

Anyway, first he had to get the first point. Han Woo Jin decided to use the sparrow.

*pang!*

The ball that was thrown up suddenly divided the air. In that short split second n.o.body could believe what just happened, that that small asian was able to hit the ball that quickly. That’s why Daniel’s reaction was too slow.

“Fifteen love (15:0)!”

One more time.

Han Woo Jin used the sparrow one more time. The serve with the scarily fast speed arrived at Daniel’s side of the court. As soon as the ball hit the ground, you could hear an explosive sound upon contact.

But Daniel didn’t just stay still. He unhesitatingly moved forward toward the ball.

*Hooong!*

“Thirty love (30:0)!”

He swung his racket widely across the air and you could hear the air vibrate. The ball hit the side of the court and Han Woo Jin got the point.

Although Han Woo Jin successfully got two service aces, his expression wasn’t great. It was because his opponent was able to somewhat adapt to the speed of his Sparrow already.

Han Woo Jin knew what was going to happen.

If he used the sparrow on the next serve, then he will definitely return it. Maybe, wouldn’t lose the game but it isn’t good for him if his opponent already figured out one of his special skills, in only three serves.

After thinking for a bit, he switched it up. He used a flat serve with some speed and accuracy.

*Pang!*

It had good speed to it. If they measured it with a speed gun it would probably be over 200 km/h.

It was a serve that if you didn’t see it coming then you would lose a point to it.

But, Daniel, expected it and was able to return it.

*Pang!*

“Thirty fifteen!”

The serve that Han Woo Jin hit was received easily by Daniel so the ball was returned back to him with even greater speed. No one could return this ball. The ball already flew out of the court after it bounced before Han Woo Jin could reposition himself.

‘This is annoying!’

Han Woo Jin could do nothing but admit it.

This man across the net who looks like a fierce viking is probably the most dangerous person in this Metz Open preliminary among all the players. He didn’t have any obvious weaknesses in skill and experience because he could respond to many sudden changes in his serve.

Han Woo Jin felt that Daniel’s body was bigger than before and more intimidating as he tossed up the ball once more.

*Pang!*

The ball sliced through the air as it hit the ground.

Chapter 18.2

Translator: Pineapple

Editor: Festive_Oer

“Game to Daniel.”

It had been about 20 minutes since the game began.

Daniel won his serve game successfully and took the fourth game.

The score is now tied at 2 – 2.

It was now Han Woo Jin’s turn to serve and he let out a sigh. It wasn’t because the situation wasn’t good, it was because of the unique frustration that he felt, because rallying with Daniel was quite the battle.

‘It’s frustrating.’

He summarized the current state of events in those words.

Although he still has plenty of strength and energy left, he still felt the pressure on his chest.

It felt like he was walking through a swamp with the water up to his waist.

Han Woo Jin was able to return the ball whenever his opponent hit it to him but his opponent was also able to do the same and the rally kept on going nonstop.

He wasn’t given any chance to hit a decisive ball and they were in a deadlock.

Some of the other matches ended in 30 to 40 minutes but they had used 20 minutes for four games. The pace of their plays were too slow.

Daniel looked as if he was used to these types of long, drawn-out games in contrast to Han Woo Jin who kept on sighing due to the pressure.

‘He’s crafty.’ though Han Woo Jin who was complaining inwardly.

If they keep on playing like this then Han Woo Jin was sure to lose.

Their physical capabilities weren’t that far apart, it was just that Daniel was more used to and experienced with these long games.

This unpleasant deadlock was because of their equal skill levels.

If one of them showed even the smallest opening and let a point through, then the game would lean to the other player’s side.

They exchanged the ball over and over and slowly figured out their opponent’s style and ability.

‘I need to change something. I have to flip the board upside down.’

Han Woo Jin bit his lip slightly. At this rate he was sure to lose. After these four games the pace of the game was leaning towards Daniel.

His rough, barbaric look and personality completely camouflaged his true colors.

On the court, Daniel was like a cunning snake waiting for his opponent to self-destruct.

“Game 5. Woojin Han to serve!”

The referee’s voice announce the fifth game to start and after a short pause, Han Woo Jin tossed up the ball.

He didn’t know what kind of serve to use.

‘I need to save the Sparrow for now and use it sparingly, if I use it, then he will figure out how to counter it.’

No matter who special a ball might be, if you continue to show it then your opponent will figure it out sooner or later. You need to be able to confuse your opponent by switching things up.

He gripped the side of his racket.

If he just uses a normal flat serve then it is sure to be returned to him. Therefore, the only thing that he can use is a spin or underhand serve.

*Tung!*

He used an underhand serve.

Han Woo Jin suddenly switched his movements from an overhand and swung his racket underhand which caught Daniel by surprise. He didn’t even attempt to move upwards to reach the ball as he just watched the ball bounce twice. He looked as if he got slapped in the face? Insulted? Something like that

“Fifteen love!”

He wasn’t satisfied although he got a point.

‘He’s completely unfazed. It’s really annoying, facing experienced players.’

After that underhand serve, Daniel took a few steps forward from the baseline, closer to the net. He put on an air as if it didn’t matter whether Han Woo Jin did an overhand or underhand serve because he will return them all.

Regardless, Han Woo Jin tossed up the ball once more. This time was an overhand serve.

No matter how his opponent responds, in regards to the serve game, Han Woo Jin had the advantage. If he wanted to get more points, then he needed to find a hole in Daniel’s style.

*Pang!*

It was a formidable drive that went straight towards the net.

The speed of the bounce was very fast where most people would respond with a drop shot instead of a rising.

*Tong!*

Daniel just casually returned the ball as soon as it bounced right back up with a drop shot. After he served the distance between himself and the ball is too far but if it is something that he expected then it’s different.

As soon as he returned the serve, Han Woo Jin ran up immediately and swung his racket. The ball swiftly traveled across the court like lightning and bounced out.

*Pang!*

“Thirty love!”

Daniel lost another point due to Han Woo Jin’s perfect response after the drop shot.

‘To think that he chose to move up without hesitation to see what I would do first.’

Daniel’s evaluation of Han Woo Jin rose a bit.

This player who he has never even heard of and even had an inferior rank than him. The only thing that he achieved was winning one Futures tournament. His experience as a pro was only considered to be a rookie. Daniel began to recognize him as a truly formidable opponent.

‘If he was ranked according to his true skills, he would around the top 200. It’s annoying to play against someone as good as him in the preliminaries.’

As Daniel annoyed Han Woo Jin, Han Woo Jin also annoyed Daniel. Daniel was not used to these long, snail’s pace games. The two of their skills and styles were at the same level.

The viewers who were watching the game felt as if these two players were like two peas in a pod and were the same person playing each other.

*Pang!*

Han Woo Jin hit the serve. This time he used a topspin serve and dropped right in front of the net. He kept on changing the rhythm of his serves which made his opponent unable to predict what he was going to do.

But Daniel was a great player. He was able to reach the ball and hit it back with a slice.

*Tung!*

“Thirty fifteen!”

He took one and gave one back in return.

Han Woo Jin and Daniel’s game was where they continually traded points.

The first set soon ended and their first set took over 40 minutes.

“Deuce!”

The referee announced and the two players grit their teeth in anger. They didn’t even realize they got to deuce so quickly.

They didn’t expect to meet such a difficult opponent in the preliminaries. If they win, then they win and if they lose, then they lose. They never expected such a tense and pressure-filled game.

The match score was currently 5-5.

It was Han Woo Jin’s turn to serve again. The two players were already exhausted so they were breathing heavily. Han Woo Jin decided to use the Sparrow.

“Game 11! Woojin Han to serve!”

The referee was also interested in seeing the outcome of this match so he announced with more gusto. Han Woo Jin glared annoyedly at the referee and tossed up the ball.

His tired muscles twisted drastically with the a.s.sistance of the system as he served the Sparrow.

As soon as the ball arrived over his head, the racket sliced through the air.

*Pabang!*

“Fifteen love!”

His response was too late. The ball hit the court and bounced out before Daniel walked even a half step. Because of Han Woo Jin’s constant changing of style, Daniel couldn’t react to it.

‘Good, his rhythm is broken.’

Both of them were exhausted physically and mentally. Their strength to immediately respond to sudden situations disappeared.

Han Woo Jin expected that and acted accordingly.

Once again the ball flew into the air. Before Daniel could prepare, he hit the second attack.

*Pang!*

Thirty love!”

As expected, Daniel couldn’t read the second Sparrow and lost the second point of the game. This was the first time he saw him unable to react to the Sparrow since the beginning of the match.

Without hesitation, Han Woo Jin used the Sparrow for the third time.

*Pang!

Daniel threw his body to the ball. He tried his best to read the direction of the ball’s bounce but his concentration was lacking.

*Tung!*

“Forty love!”

“f.u.c.k!”

The ball hit the frame of his racket which made Daniel curse aloud. This time he wasn’t acting. The referee gave him a warning for cursing.

Then Daniel indicated with his index finger to Han Woo Jin to serve again in anger.

“Ha..”

His opponent was being rude so he no longer had to be polite right?

Han Woo Jin smirked at Daniel’s actions. Daniel’s eyebrows raised up at Han Woo Jin taunt and that was the moment when Han Woo Jin served.

*Pang!*

“Game Woojin Han!”

If he didn’t have a firm control over his emotions the body would also be inhibited by it. Anger is something that can give you explosive power but it can also inhibit your control.

Daniel gave into his anger and lost the match point.

‘I got it.’

When they reach a deuce, a player needs to beat his opponent by two games. Han Woo Jin won this game, so his opponent needs to win three game consecutively.

Due to this single game, Han Woo Jin now had the high ground.

But now he had one more thing to do.

It was now Daniel’s turn to serve, so in order for Han Woo Jin to win this game, he needed to break his serve. Han Woo Jin was only able to break his serve once.

But because he was able to do it once, he can do it again. Because they were around the same skill level, it is more difficult to break during the opponent’s serve.

I have to use ‘it’ here.

‘I need to somehow make him hit the ball over my head so that I can use the Slug. If I don’t I will use up all my energy in this first set.’

Although, he hadn’t completely figured out how to use his special technique the power is sure to be great.

Han Woo Jin got into position to trick Daniel into hitting a ball overhead. Across the net, Daniel threw up the ball with an angry face.

*pang!*

The speed of his serve was incredibly fast due to his anger. Han Woo Jin ran up to the net and hit the ball.

And then he suddenly stopped his body because Daniel suddenly rushed toward him at the net. Serve and volley. It was surprising to see because DAniel has played at the base line the entire time.

‘Do I need to step back? Stay still?’

His current location was unfavorable. It was obvious that his opponent will hit the ball. The problem is that he can’t read where the ball will go. Han Woo Jin opened his eyes widely and followed Daniel’s movements. But his exhaustion interfered more than he expected.

s.h.i.+t, Han Woo Jin just stopped where he was. He didn’t know about lobs but he was at a position where he could return drop shots.

Which direction will he hit?

Daniel swung his racket.

*Pang!*

‘b.i.t.c.h!’

It was a lob. Han Woo Jin saw the ball move in slow motion with wide eyes. He might lose this point. If he loses the first point he won’t be able to break the serve.

Furthermore, Han Woo Jin’s physical strength is below half at this point. If they played the game like this it won’t matter who wins or loses, it will be too taxing on his body.

Even if he wins this game they won’t be able to play the next game.

He didn’t know what to do, but Han Woo Jin’s body naturally moved on its own.

The ball hit by Daniel flew smoothly over Han Woo Jin’s head.

That’s what Han Woo Jin wanted to happen

‘Slug!’

Han Woo Jin’s body began to move automatically without his will.

The ball was higher than expected. As soon as he thought that, his knees bent in half.

“Uch?!”

He let out a surprised sound and his body independently jumped up into the air. It looked like a heroic jump from a movie. At that moment, Han Woo Jin could see the ball.

Slug.

The system moved knew what he wanted to do and moved his body for him and hit the ball with all his strength. And the ball flew at an amazing speed.

The thing he was most surprised about wasn’t the speed of the ball but the direction of the ball.

‘Why is it going there?’

Usually the smash means that the ball will hit the ground in an area where the opponent is absent. Because the fast speed and high bounce will make it so that the opponent won’t be able to return it. However, the slug hit the ball exactly toward where Daniel was standing.

The opponent looked perplexed but had the air of a veteran and was already positioned to return the ball. He was prepared to hit the ball with an understroke. It was the perfect response.

‘s.h.i.+t, this was a mistake.’

If it’s like this then the ball will return to him before he reaches the ground.

Before he could curse aloud at this skill’s uselessness, the ball suddenly hit the ground and bounced to Daniel’s racket.

*Kang!*

It was an unthinkable sound.

“Keuk!”

Han Woo Jin who reached the ground looked over the net with a confused expression.

He couldn’t comprehend Daniel’s expression and the noise that he let out and his racket that flew away from his hand.

However, he knew one thing.

“Love fifteen!”

He got the first point of the 12th game.

Chapter 18.3

Translator: Pineapple

Editor: Festive Oer_

Just winning that single point made Han Woo Jin go crazy with joy but it immediately went away when he saw that Daniel looked to be in pain from the injury. The referee stopped the game and called for medical a.s.sistance to check on Daniel.

During that time Han Woo Jin was watching from afar while sitting on the bench.

‘It shouldn’t have been that strong?’

Obviously the speed of the ‘Slug’ was very fast. Because he hit the ball like a dunk from above and the power is strong.

However, it shouldn’t have been to the point where Daniel had to let go of his racket.

Furthermore a tennis pro’s hand strength is much greater than the average adult. A racket’s average weight is only about 300 grams, but because of its volume/surface area, while swinging there is more weight and resistance to it. The usual occurrence when a racket falls out of someone’s hand is when they have a loose grip on it.

A tennis player, who had swung their racket tens of thousands of times have thick wrists and strong grip strength. It shouldn’t be at the level where just because his racket was knocked out of his hand from a smash will injure him.

That’s why he was confused and questioning what was happening.

Daniel’s expression showed that he was in pain. He was letting out groans while they were putting an ice pack on his wrist. He also didn’t look like a crybaby.

But time won’t wait for him. If a player receives an injury during a game, he can only ask for a single three minute break during the match.

That means that he had to come back onto the court after three minutes.

‘Will he come back?’

It seemed like there was a fifty percent chance he comes back to finish the match. Same as other sports, tennis players also do their best to avoid injury. Some players who receive even the slightest injury forfeit.

They might keep on playing if it was one of the four major tournaments. Why would they want to possibly end their career in a small tournament like ATP 250?

After the medical time was up, Daniel came back onto the court. He wanted to keep playing. The referee looked at Daniel with a worried expression. But the player insisted that he was fine so he couldn’t refuse him.

“Daniel, serving play!”

Daniel frowned when he threw up the ball because of the discomfort from gripping his racket. Even through the pain he was able to barely swing his racket.

His serve was a mess.

*Pang!*

Han Woo Jin hit the serve that arrived slowly and returned it fiercely.

Daniel, who had the advantage throughout most of the game was now at a disadvantage because of his injury.

Han Woo Jin realized that he can win this game.

“Love thirty!”

It was over. Even if he didn’t want to give up, he knows that he will lose.

It is tennis etiquette to play his best against his opponent.

Daniel served again and Han Woo Jin moved quickly to return the ball and hit it.

*Pang!*

He tried to receive the ball but Daniel faltered and couldn’t extend his arm due to the pain.

The ball touched the frame of the racket and dropped to the ground.

“Love forty! Set point!”

Finally, the end was in sight. There was only one point left.

After this set ends, that meant the end of the game. Daniel’s wrist will only continue to hurt even more the longer this match goes on.

With a face full of anger Daniel served once again.

*Tung!*

His serve which was fast and sharp was now dull and slow. His wrist injury was unable to grip his racket properly.

Han Woo Jin returned the ball in a direction where Daniel wouldn’t be able to return it.

*Pang!*

“Game set! Set won by Woojin Han! Score 7-5!”

He listened to the referee announce the score and he also heard the system’s voice in his head.

[Amazing play! Your stat has increased by one due to winning your first deuce game in an ATP 250 league!] [Amazing play! Your skills that you used gained experience.] [Volley level has increased by one.]

The game ended just as expected.

Daniel’s wrist pain hurt more and more, so he finally gave up and Han Woo Jin won the second preliminary match. Han Woo Jin’s body was exhausted and was screaming out to him for food and nutrition.

‘I used too much energy.’

The cause was simple. He met a really strong opponent. If Daniel was able to return the ‘Slug’ and wasn’t injured. n.o.body knows what the outcome would be. Han Woo Jin was reminded of Daniel Patterson’s skilled play style and trembled.

Anyway, it was a relief that his next game was going to be tomorrow. If he played a third game today, he might lose.

Han Woo Jin went up to the stands and everyone shouted at him.

“How could you win like that? It’s your fault that was almost scared to death!”

“Is that my problem?”

Choi Yeon Hyuk hit Han Woo Jin’s back and returned a hit to his abdomen. Regardless of how tired he was, it was a great feeling to come back with a victory. s.h.i.+n Sae Yeon handed him a towel and a bottle of water. She searched her bag but couldn’t find anything to eat.

She found out that all of the calorie bars were eaten and stared at Coach Jeon.

“Coach Jeon, did you by any chance eat these calorie bars?”

“Ke, keheum. Because Woo Jin’s game made me very nervous, that’s why…”

That was proof that he ate all of them. He ate them as if they were popcorn while at the movies. He did his best to avoid her death glare and cough awkwardly and spoke to Han Woo Jin with a low voice.

His voice sounded light hearted but the contents were serious.

“You worked hard. He was probably the best player in the preliminaries, good job on winning.”

“Thank you coach.”

Han Woo Jin thank him. Coach Jeon Sang s.h.i.+k wasn’t the type to freely give out compliments so it was rare to hear him say these things. And Coach Jeon continued speaking.

“You know that you’re still lacking right? You need to train more.”

It was true. It wasn’t something he could deny.

Han Woo Jin nodded his head. Daniel Patterson was someone who pushed him to his limits and made him realize that he was very lacking in skill. If he didn’t have ‘Slug’ he would have needed luck to win.

“That last smash you used was weird. Why did you hit it like that? You definitely didn’t do it on purpose.”

Even Coach Jeon wouldn’t have known the reason for Han Woo Jin for doing that. Because Han Woo Jin wasn’t the type of player who hit the ball intentionally to injure his opponent.

Also even if he hit the ball with all of his power, he wouldn’t have been able to injure his opponent’s wrist like that. He could probably only make his opponent bruise. It was difficult to injure a player’s wrist or other ligament. Things like a player’s bone breaking or their racket breaking from the ball only happens in anime or cartoons.

But Han Woo Jin couldn’t refuse him. He didn’t fully understand the ‘Slug’ and he accidentally injured Daniel because of it. But who is Daniel? He is a player without any flaws. That shows how strong it is.

Because he was replying, Coach Jeon tilted his head and spoke again. He thought that his silent meant yes.

“Anyway, let’s go back to the hotel and eat a lot of meat and rest. I took a picture of the match list and we can see your next opponent.”

“Yes!”

They were only waiting for Han Woo Jin, so their movements were fast. They all got into the rental that was parked outside. The hotel wasn’t that far from the stadium but they didn’t want to make their players walk who just finished a match.

They got in the car and as soon as the two players sat down, they closed their eyes. They let go of their pressure and stress at the same time as fatigue kicked in.

Coach Jeon stepped on the gas very softly to let them rest for the short ten minute car ride.

The car began driving with light trembling across the road.

The two preliminary games made the day go by quickly.

The party who arrived at the hotel couldn’t wait to eat and immediately looked for the restaurant. They received complete support from the company so they can eat as much as they want. Therefore, they ate until they were full.

One of the special cuisines in the Europe area was a calf’s head, which was a traditional meal that they ate during Christmas.

Tete de veau was what it was called. It was chewy and had a unique taste and Han Woo Jin and Choi Yeon Hyuk destroyed it. It would have been perfect if there was wine but it was crazy to drink during a tournament.

Not even ten minutes pa.s.sed until the ordered more and ate Quiche lorraine and ate everything. It was chopped bacon and egg tart with cream and went down their throats very smoothly.

“Thank you for the food.”

“Me too.”

They both looked at how many plates the two people stacked up. Although they used a lot of energy during the game, how could they eat this much? It was quite amazing to see them eat so quickly, and chew so quickly.

Coach Jeon spoke to them with beef in his mouth. His p.r.o.nunciation was a little weird but they could still understand him.

“Don’t run off anyway and just go straight to your room and rest. It doesn’t matter if you go to sleep right away, but I recommend you wait an hour for your food to digest first.”

If they go to sleep right after dinner, they might get indigestion. Coach Jeon advised them to not have a bad condition for their games. The two agreed and stood up from their seats. The others would probably take thirty more minutes to finish their meals.

After they exited the restaurant, the two people’s bodies trembled because of the cold air. August in France was different from Korea.

“Euh, it’s cold. I shouldn’t have just worn a short sleeved s.h.i.+rt.”

“I should have brought a jacket.”

It was probably around 15 degree celsius. They ran to the hotel right away. When they were about to enter their rooms Han Woo Jin spoke.

“Yeon Hyuk ah.”

“What?”

He replied while opening his door halfway. Han Woo Jin thought about bothering him for a bit to digest their food so he suggested that they play a game and gestured swinging a racket with his hand.

“Do you want to lightly practice? Because I have a ball to play with.”

“Mmm… Let’s go after ten minutes, I ate too much and have to go to the restroom.”

“You don’t have to tell me that much. Then do you want to meet at the front?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Thankfully, Choi Yeon Hyuk agreed to play with him. Han Woo Jin closed the door behind him. He turned on the light and saw his racket on the table. He picked up his racket and saw his present status.

[Han Woo Jin]

Strength 59 / Stamina 62 / Agility 54

HP 1650/2480 SP 410/600

Forehand: 10/20

Backhand: 9/20

Serve: 12/20

Volley: 8/20

Smash: 10/20

Drop shot: 6/20

Lob: 5/20

Special skill: Sparrow, Slug

‘I used a lot.’

He consumed a lot of HP and SP. Even after he ate a lot, he only got around two thirds of recovery. If he played two sets, he might have the exhaustion status.

Han Woo Jin stopped to check his status and checked his special skills on the bottom. It was Slug.

The skill that injured Daniel Patterson’s wrist.

Smash.

Jumping smash?

Body shot.

He guessed many theories on what it was. But he wasn’t able to come to a solid conclusion. Also he couldn’t know exactly what that skill does because he only used it once. That’s why he asked Choi Yeon Hyuk to practice with him to examine the Slug.

Of course he had no intention of injuring Choi Yeon Hyuk’s wrist. He just wanted him to help him set up a smash.

‘Shall we see?’

To test out his new skill.