Even if she loses this match, she still has her doubles match next.
No matter the situation, she always appeared calm, composed, and indestructible.
Jian Changnian smiled, took the mineral water from her hand, unscrewed the cap, took a big gulp, wiped his lips, and said loudly.
"I'm leaving."
In the second half, the two sides resumed their back-and-forth battle. Jian Changnian, with his strong resilience and never-give-up spirit, kept the score from widening too much.
Her opponent also demonstrated strong individual ability, playing a back-and-forth game with her until she took a two-point lead before making a mistake, allowing Jian Changnian to win the game 19-21.
When the last ball landed, she braced herself on her knees, panting heavily, her back soaked with sweat.
The other team wasn't in much better shape; they had to be reviveed by their teammates.
Yan Xinyuan handed her a white towel.
"Here, wipe your sweat. It's the last game. Don't be nervous, just relax and play. Pull the ball diagonally against her and don't give her a chance to control your backcourt. You're guaranteed to win."
The head coach of the Zhejiang team is also giving his players final instructions.
"Maintain your own rhythm, keep your distance from others, don't let her gain control, be steady, and don't serve balls you're not confident about."
"Did you understand?"
The two nodded at the same time.
"clear."
Yan Xinyuan took the towel from her hand and gave her a high five.
"Okay, go for it, good luck!"
Chapter 40 National Competition (4)
The final battle, a battle of destiny.
She won, securing a crucial point and sending the Binhai Provincial Team into the group stage finals; she lost, and although there were still two matches left—one singles and one doubles—there were many more uncontrollable factors.
What's worse for the Jiangsu team is that they absolutely had to win this match. If they lost, they would have virtually no chance of winning the next doubles match against Xie Shi'an and Qiao Yuchu, and their journey in the national competition would come to an end.
Therefore, for honor, for victory, and for a higher podium, both sides must fight with all their might to compete for this crucial point.
The third game started with a long and drawn-out battle, even more intense than the previous game, and the score was 10-11 before the break.
At this point, it really comes down to the physical strength and willpower of both sides. When the national competition reaches this stage, apart from a few national team players, the level is about the same. There is no absolute strength or weakness. It mainly depends on the state and performance on the court. The tactics arranged by the coach can not help them much at this time.
So during halftime, Yan Xinyuan didn't say much to her, so as not to put too much pressure on her.
Soon, the second half of the game began in full swing.
Zhou Mu, sitting in the audience, gripped his cheering props tightly, looking even more nervous than Jian Changnian.
"What should we do? It feels like Chang Nian is being suppressed the whole time. I think she seems to be running out of energy."
Sitting next to him, Cao Rui had been playing badminton for many years and was very experienced. He also had a keen eye for people.
"Actually, both sides are a bit exhausted. You can see that the score has been very close, basically one point for you and one point for me, without a big gap. Now it's just a matter of who can hold on until the end."
17:18
18:18
18:19
19:20
Jian Changnian was temporarily behind by one point. When it was the opposing player's turn to receive the serve, Zhou Mu desperately covered his eyes with a toy hand.
"Waaaaah, I can't watch anymore. Let me know when the results are out so I can think of a way to comfort her..."
Before he finished speaking, the whole audience cheered.
Jian Changnian tied the score with a beautiful backhand slice.
20:20
Cheng Zhen jumped up from her seat in excitement.
"That's incredible!!! Zhou Mu, look! The score is tied!!!"
Zhou Mu snapped out of his daze and started slapping her hand frantically, shouting encouragement at the top of his lungs.
According to the competition rules, when the scores are tied, the side that wins must be two points ahead of the opponent. When both sides have 29 points, the side that reaches 30 points first wins.
The next few balls kept the nerves of everyone in the stadium on edge.
20:21
21:21
21:22
22 square meters.
With each flash of the scoreboard, Zhou Mu frantically did sit-ups in his seat, feeling like he was about to either die from a cerebral hemorrhage or a myocardial infarction.
A group of people were standing in the corridor on the second floor. The Zhejiang team, who didn't have a game today, had come to watch the match.
Yin Jiayi leaned on the railing with her bag on her back, watching the game below with a look of surprise in her eyes.
"I always thought Xie Shi'an was the strongest member of the Binhai Provincial Team, but I didn't expect her to improve so quickly in just a few days."...
Keep in mind that their opponent was a seeded player from the national youth team, while Jian Changnian was just a newcomer.
The head coach was standing next to her.
"It seems we need to go back and prepare for our final battle with them."
Yin Jiayi kept her eyes glued to the situation on the sidelines.
23:24
24:24
24:25
...
One teammate exclaimed, "Are they going to keep playing until 30 minutes?!"
In the final few balls, Zhou Mu held his breath nervously, deeply worried for Jian Changnian. Yan Xinyuan also stood up, frowning as he observed the situation on the field.
Having fought to this point, it's fair to say that both of them have persevered solely through extraordinary willpower.
Every time they made a last-ditch save, it drew cheers from the crowd. Their competitive spirit of never giving up until the ball hit the ground deeply moved every spectator present.
Everyone is eagerly awaiting the final result.
25:26
"It's tied at 26!"
"27-27!"
"This young rookie from the Binhai Provincial Team is amazing!!!"
"Jiangsu's team isn't bad either. Look, she fell and flew out of bounds, but she was still trying to save the ball!"
"Is the Binhai Provincial Team going to win?!"
"No, no, they're still hitting! That ball went over the net!!"
"Caught it! Caught it! That newbie actually caught that incredible net shot and rallied back!"
"28 points!"
The instant Jian Changnian received that tricky net shot and smashed it successfully, Zhou Mu jumped up and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Changnian, awesome!!!"
Cheng Zhen took out a megaphone that she had prepared in advance and took the lead in shouting.
"Binhai Team—"
From just a handful of people in the stands near their side on the first day of the competition, the stands are now more than half full.
Everyone shouted at the top of their lungs, "Go for it!!!"
Eloquent voices also came from the stands next to them.
"Jiangsu Team—"
"come on!!!"
In an instant, the entire venue erupted in cheers and excitement, completely boiling over.
Among those cheering her on were her familiar friends, her teammates with whom she spent every day, her teachers who had carefully guided her, her grandmother sitting on her hospital bed, and many more strangers who were moved by her.
Jian Changnian's eyes welled up with tears. At this moment, she had only one thought: she had to win, she had to make it to the finals, and she absolutely could not let down the people who were eagerly waiting for her.
29:29.
It's the last point, and it's her turn to serve.
As Jian Changnian raised her racket, stretched out her long arm, and jumped to the side, preparing to end this long tug-of-war with a decisive smash, she heard a faint sound of the racket string snapping the instant the racket struck the shuttlecock.
"Zheng—"
Jian Changnian's expression changed drastically. His raised hand was too late to retract, and he could only watch helplessly as the ball, weakened by the loss of power, flew crookedly towards the net.
No--
The boy screamed inwardly, ready to pounce.
The scoreboard lights up.
29:30
Jiangsu team wins.
There was a moment of silence in the stadium, then... a deafening roar erupted from the stands on the Jiangsu team's side.
Yin Jiayi clicked her tongue: "That's a bit of a pity."
Head coach: "It's a bit of a pity, but luck is also part of ability. Let's go."