Table tennis: Swinging the racket billions of times, achieving a grand slam

Chapter 246 He is already so strong, but he is still working so hard

"Is the opponent in the finals Chen Jin?"

In the audience seats, Lin Shidong sat alone among the crowd, watching the game silently.

As early as two hours ago, he defeated Lin Yun-ju and advanced to the finals.

After a short rest, we came to the stadium.

Look up at the large live broadcast screen hanging in the middle of the stadium.

But Chen Jin and Anton smiled at each other and shook hands in a friendly manner. The expression on Lin Shidong's face was a little complicated.

If tomorrow's final is included, Lin Shidong counted on his fingers and realized that this is the third time he and Chen Jin have faced off.

The Macau Championship and BJ Grand Slam both ended in his defeat.

Chen Jin seemed to be his nemesis.

Having said that, for now, the unrivaled Chen Jin is the nemesis of all contestants.

To know.

Since Chen Jin joined the national team, he has played in only five international competitions, including this Frankfurt Championship.

However, Lin Shidong fought with Chen Jin three times.

"Is this what they call a duel of fate?"

Lin Shidong smiled bitterly, feeling that since there is Yu, why is there Liang?

After the Paris Olympics and before Chen Jin appeared, according to the coaching team's plan, if nothing unexpected happens, Lin Shidong will be one of the absolute main players to succeed Ma Taki.

How high-spirited he was at that time.

Full of longing for the future.

But the appearance of Chen Jin completely disrupted everything.

With Chen Jin's current strength and achievements, the coaching staff values him highly and he has already come from behind and secured his position as an absolute main force.

As a result, Lin Shidong's position in the national table tennis team is a bit awkward.

Becoming a main force may not be a problem.

If you want to become the absolute main force, I'm afraid it's unlikely.

At least, there is no hope during the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.

Unless, the Paris Olympics really becomes Fan Zhendong’s last dance.

But if you think about it carefully, it doesn't seem likely.

According to the traditional configuration of the national table tennis team in the Olympics, it is "two veterans and one newcomer".

So far, there has been no precedent of “one old leading two new”.

Although Fan Zhendong has withdrawn from competitions one after another in recent times, it does not necessarily mean that he has been banned by the coaching staff as the outside world speculates.

At this time, there are still four years to go before the Los Angeles Olympics.

Echelon building is imminent, and the national table tennis team is in urgent need of fresh blood.

If Ma Long and Fan Zhendong had not retired temporarily, the newcomers would have no chance and it would have been difficult for them to succeed.

After all, not everyone can grab the position like Zhang Jike, and not everyone is a natural talent like Fan Zhendong.

What's more, after the Tokyo Olympics, Ma Taki withdrew from the competition for more than half a year.

Looking at the entire Paris cycle, Fan Zhendong has consumed a lot of energy.

Especially during the Paris Olympics, the mental pressure they bore was beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

It is reasonable to take a rest and adjust.

As long as the 27-year-old Fan Zhendong is not troubled by injuries, he will still be in his prime in four years.

In addition, Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan and others are in unstable conditions, sometimes acting weird and sometimes not.

The new generation of players, except Lin Shidong, such as Xiang Peng, Xue Fei, Zhou Qihao and others, are still in the growth stage.

What if during the Los Angeles Olympics, someone unexpectedly makes a big mistake again, just like in the Paris Olympics?

Therefore, the Chinese national table tennis team still needs a stabilizing force like Fan Zhendong.

In the current situation, there are obstacles from the front such as Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin, and there are up-and-coming young talents such as Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang chasing from the back.

Lin Shidong felt an unprecedented pressure.

Just thinking about it.

His eyes turned.

On the big screen again, Wang Hao was smiling, his eyes full of doting, and he gently hugged Chen Jin.

Lin Shidong twitched his lips, and felt as if someone had forced a few big lemons into his heart.

"Tomorrow is the final, go all out!"

Lin Shidong clenched his fists, his eyes determined, "Give it a try, and the bicycle will become a motorcycle."

The schedule of this Frankfurt Championship is not as tight as that of the Montpellier Championship.

The men's and women's finals were scheduled for the next afternoon.

As usual, we have training in the morning.

Since it was a civil war, neither Chen Jin nor Lin Shidong had any off-field guidance.

It is a test of each other's ability to adjust tactics.

Even so, Wang Hao still arrived at the training venue early in the morning.

"Coach Wang, so early?"

As soon as Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang stepped into the empty venue, they were surprised to find that Wang Hao was also there.

"I couldn't sleep, so I came to take a look."

Wang Hao looked at the two teenagers with a smile, "You two are up pretty early too."

"My opponent in the final is Brother Shitou, so I can't afford to be careless or slack off."

Chen Jin said seriously.

Although he won both battles with Lin Shidong, he knew very well that Lin Shidong's strength should not be underestimated.

If you take it lightly, there may be a risk of failure.

After all, Lin Shidong's backhand explosion and his ability to play from mid-range to long range are world-class.

At the beginning of the year, at the Singapore Grand Slam, Lin Shidong even defeated Fan Zhendong unexpectedly.

Even Fan Zhendong found it difficult to cope with that terrifying backhand ability.

more importantly.

Although Chen Jin uses a straight-blade, his backhand also draws on and incorporates Lin Shidong's explosive tearing technique.

"Ah."

Wang Hao smiled and nodded, "Good luck in the game."

After saying this lightly, he didn't say anything else.

After all, Lin Shidong and Chen Jin can now be considered his disciples.

When the two meet in the final, they are bound to fight to the death.

No matter who wins or loses, Wang Hao feels a little difficult to decide.

"Yes!"

As if seeing through Wang Hao's thoughts, Chen Jin didn't say much.

Together with Xie Mingyang, I found an empty table, put down my bag, and stretched to warm up.

Just as the two were practicing against each other.

Lin Shidong was alone, carrying a backpack, walking slowly with his head lowered.

When he saw Wang Hao, he was suddenly stunned.

He obviously didn't expect that Wang Hao would show up in the training hall so early.

When I looked again, Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang had already started their daily training.

"You're so strong, yet you're still working so hard."

A hint of sadness flashed across Lin Shidong's eyes, "No wonder Coach Wang likes him so much."

Let me ask you, is there any teacher in the world who doesn’t like students who have good grades and work hard?

Just when Lin Shidong was daydreaming.

Wang Hao heard asking, "Why are you alone? Where is Wang Chuqin?"

In this Frankfurt Championship, Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin served as each other's sparring partners.

Because the two were in different half areas.

We won't meet before the final.

Ever since Wang Chuqin was eliminated in the round of 16, he has become Lin Shidong's sparring partner.

"what?"

Lin Shidong came back to his senses, lowered his head, and did not dare to look directly into Wang Hao's eyes, "The boss is behind us, he should be here soon."

"That's it..."

Wang Hao looked at Lin Shidong and frowned slightly.

He always felt that there seemed to be something wrong with Lin Shidong.

But he couldn't answer what was wrong.

Among the younger generation of national table tennis players, Lin Shidong is definitely one of the best.

His backhand explosive move, with small movements, great power, fast speed and enough burst, can be regarded as one of Lin Shidong's signature techniques.

His continuous forehand and backhand shots from mid-range and long range have such strong penetrating power that he is rarely matched.

The only weakness is that the technology inside the platform is relatively crude.

After comprehensive consideration, the coaching staff's original plan was to build Lin Shidong into an absolute main force to take over from Ma Taki.

The Macau Championship should have been the stage for Lin Shidong to show and prove himself to the outside world.

As a result, plans cannot keep up with changes.

Chen Jin's sudden appearance shattered everything.

With an invincible attitude, he defeated world-class players such as Ma Taki, Wang Chuqin, Zhang Benzhihe, and Felix.

At such a young age, he became a "quadruple champion".

Such terrifying talent and strength are obviously superior to Lin Shidong.

The coaching staff, including Wang Hao and Liu Guoliang, unanimously decided to transfer all the resources and opportunities that originally belonged to Lin Shidong to Chen Jin.

Of course, making such a decision does not mean that Lin Shidong is not good enough, but there are people who are better than him.

In Wang Hao's opinion, Lin Shidong is still a rare and talented person.

Besides, Lin Shidong is not very old, only nineteen years old.

As long as he can continue to maintain this level, he may become the absolute main force of the national table tennis team in the future.

It depends on whether Lin Shidong himself can endure it.

As the head coach of the men's table tennis team, Wang Hao may also have his own preferences.

But his gaze is never focused on just one person.

"Something's wrong. Lin Shidong's condition is not right."

Wang Hao frowned, feeling worried.

Immediately, he reached out and gently pressed Lin Shidong's shoulders, staring at Lin Shidong's face.

"Little Stone, relax."

Wang Hao whispered, "Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just play normally in today's game."

The original intention of these words was to remind Lin Shidong.

But to Lin Shidong, he thought Wang Hao was implying that he was no match for Chen Jin.

"Ah."

Lin Shidong lowered his eyes.

Deep in my heart, a voice kept echoing: "Coach Wang, I will prove to you that I may not lose to Chen Jin!"

That's when.

Wang Chuqin arrived late.

Then, the two of them started training.

……

Three o'clock in the afternoon, waiting backstage.

Chen Jin and Lin Shidong did not communicate at all throughout the whole process, as if they were two strangers who did not know each other, immersed in their own world.

Before going on stage, Lin Shidong stole a glance at Chen Jin. Deep in his dark pupils, a sharp edge was revealed, as if emitting the light of a sword.

The game has not started yet.

Wang Hao, Liu Guoliang and others had already appeared in the audience.

"what happened?"

Liu Guoliang turned his head to look at Wang Hao, and saw that there was a worry between his brows that he could not get rid of, so he asked with a smile, "What's on your mind?"

"I always feel that Lin Shidong's recent state seems to be a little bit wrong."

Wang Hao said in a deep voice.

"Oh?"

Liu Guoliang crossed his arms and said, "Maybe it's because I'm not feeling balanced."

"Feeling unbalanced?"

Wang Hao was stunned for a moment, "What's wrong with him?"

"It's very simple."

Liu Guoliang smiled slightly, "We originally wanted to train Lin Shidong, but now we have turned around and trained Chen Jin, which makes him feel quite threatened."

"Also, in the Montpellier Championship, he lost to Felix in the semi-finals. Did you scold him after the game?"

"Did you use Chen Jin as an example to describe him?"

Hear the words.

Wang Hao was stunned again.

As Liu Guoliang expected, in the Montpellier Championship, Lin Shidong was defeated by Felix in the semi-finals with a score of 0:4.

In the last game, Felix beat them 11:3.

This made Wang Hao surprisingly angry at his lack of fighting spirit.

After the game, Wang Hao did blurt out: "Tomorrow you will see how Chen Jin beats Felix."

Wang Hao didn't take it to heart at all as it was just an unintentional remark.

Now, Liu Guoliang reminded me of this.

Wang Hao suddenly realized: "Did I destroy Lin Shidong's confidence?"

The mind has not changed.

Liu Guoliang continued, "You said you found something wrong with Lin Shidong, but I found another force in him."

"Look at his eyes. It seems like he really wants to prove something to others through this game."

at this time.

Players from both sides enter.

The camera was just focused on Lin Shidong.

Lin Shidong turned his head and looked towards the audience, as if he was looking for something.

Seeing this, Wang Hao fell silent.

"Lin Shidong is a talented and capable guy. If it weren't for Chen Jin's appearance, he would have been the perfect choice to be the main force."

Liu Guoliang said, "From his appearance, he wants to treat this match as a battle of proof."

"It depends on whether he can pose a threat to Chen Jin and snatch the trophy from Chen Jin after firing on all cylinders."

While talking.

Chen Jin and Lin Shidong packed their things, walked onto the field with determined eyes and firm steps, and stood face to face.

From Lin Shidong's eyes, Chen Jin saw a hint of fierce fighting spirit and a desire to defeat himself.

"Ok?"

Chen Jin's lips curled up slightly, "You are very eager to fight."

For him, no matter who it is, even his rival, as long as they meet on the field, he will never let up.

The moment of shaking hands.

Their eyes crossed.

"boom!"

It's like Mars hitting the Earth.

The murderous intent quietly spread between the two of them.

Toss a coin and guess who will go first.

Lin Shidong got the serve.

After adjusting their jerseys, the two men had expressionless faces as they practiced before the game.

"Snapped!"

……

Lin Shidong put all his strength into it, rushing forward with his forehand and tearing with his backhand.

During the sparring session, he wanted to defeat Chen Jin.

However, Chen Jin's fixed-point defense was as solid as a solid wall of steel.

No matter how fiercely Lin Shidong attacked, he could not force him to retreat even a single step.

I didn't expect that the atmosphere was already so tense before the game even started.

Seeing this, Chen Jin not only did not retreat, but became more excited.

After two encounters, they are already familiar with each other.

Lin Shidong knew very well that if he didn't give his all in this match, he would definitely lose.

Therefore, if you want to prove yourself, you must burn everything.

The two minutes of sparring passed quickly.

The game is about to begin.

"Whoo~"

Lin Shidong took a deep breath.

He walked to the referee's table, picked up the towel from the frame, and gently wiped the sweat from his forehead and the cold sweat from his palms.

He took the ping-pong ball handed to him by the referee.

He returned to the court, stood in front of the table, and tossed the ball up a few times.

"Hoho harho."

A sound came out of Lin Shidong's mouth.

Turn around and look.

But Chen Jin was seen standing on the left side of the center line, holding a racket, with his legs slightly bent, his waist and back hunched, staring at Lin Shidong with eyes as sharp as an eagle's and a wolf's.

everything's ready.

The scene suddenly became quiet.

Like a silent bird.

Everyone's eyes were focused on the two people on the field.

"Da da da, da da da..."

The sound of the ping-pong ball bouncing on the desk was like Lin Shidong's heartbeat.

Hold the ball in the palm of your hand with your left arm extended.

Lin Shidong's body was almost touching the edge of the table, and he was silent for a while.

Sudden.

Use your arms to throw the ball high up, creating an arc in the air.

At the same time, turn your waist and lead the racket.

"Break!"