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

Chapter 273 AI Strategizes Tactics! This thing seems to be pretty good!
With Lin Shidong's decisive 3-0 victory over Qiu Dang, the four semifinalists for the men's singles finals of the Fukuoka World Tour Finals have been determined.

Upper half: Chen Jin, Wang Chuqin.

Bottom half: Lin Shidong, Zhang Benzhihe.

Without a doubt, among the four, Tomokazu Harimoto is under the most pressure.

Fighting alone on home turf, they are surrounded by the Chinese national table tennis team.

He had previously faced off against Lin Shidong several times, with Zhang Benzhihe winning three and losing one.

Even so, Zhang Benzhihe dared not be careless in the slightest when facing the world's second-ranked Chinese table tennis player of the new generation.

Just like his famous saying: There is no "should" in table tennis.

In a game like this, until the ball hits the ground, no one can say for sure what will happen.

For example, before the Paris Olympics, Wang Chuqin had a perfect record against Moregard.

But losing just once condemned him to shame, making him a permanent stain on his reputation.

Similarly, although his record against Lin Shidong was pretty good, he couldn't guarantee that he would win this match.

Moreover, with Tomokazu Harimoto playing on home turf, he became the last hope for the entire village.

The pressure they bear is self-evident.

They need to at least make it to the finals to give the fans and the nation a satisfactory answer.

In the quarterfinals, he defeated Zhang Yuzhen 3-0 to advance to the semifinals. Zhang Benzhihe rested for a while in the locker room.

He then called his sparring partner and went straight to the training hall.

He trained from nine o'clock until nearly eleven o'clock. After his sparring partner left, Tomokazu Harimoto was still alone in the empty training hall, practicing his serves and preparing for the semifinals.

Sweat had already soaked through his jersey.

One, two, three... training balls were scattered all over the ground, so densely packed that there was almost no place to step.

But Tomokazu Harimoto showed no sign of stopping.

I do not know how long it has been.

Sudden.

Footsteps sounded.

A familiar male voice broke the silence of the training hall: "You really are here, kid."

Looking in the direction of the sound, Zhang Benzhihe, holding a ping-pong ball, smiled and called out, "Dad."

"It's so late, and they're still practicing."

Zhang Benyu walked over slowly, looking at the young man in front of him with some pity.

At this moment, the huge training hall was empty except for the father and son.

"My opponent tomorrow is Lin Shidong. I can only win, I cannot lose."

Zhang Benzhihe said in a deep voice.

Looking at that stubborn face, Zhang Benyu paused for a moment, tears glistening in his eyes.

Perhaps only he, as a father, truly understands the hard work and pressure that Tomokazu Harimoto has endured over the years.

He debuted as a teenager and was burdened with countless insults.

Sometimes, Zhang Benyu also wonders whether his decision to change his nationality was right or wrong.

"Zhihe."

Zhang Benyu patted Zhang Benzhihe on the shoulder, "Relax a bit, don't put too much pressure on yourself. Just do your best in the game, and as long as you have a clear conscience, that's enough."

"I see."

Tomokazu Harimoto nodded.

"When I first came to Japan, I wanted to fulfill my own dream of becoming a champion, which is why I led you down the path of table tennis."

Zhang Benyu took a deep breath, "But now, seeing you so tired every day, I..."

Before she could finish speaking, her voice choked with emotion.

"dad."

Zhang Benzhihe held a racket in one hand and gently put his arm around Zhang Benyu with the other, saying, "When we were kids, you forced me to practice tennis, which was indeed to fulfill one of your dreams."

"But things are different now."

Speaking of which.

He looked down at the racket in his hand, his eyes shining, and a flame burning brightly in his heart. "I'm doing this for my own dream."

"Dad, thank you for letting me find a passion that I can fight for."

Listening quietly, Zhang Benyu felt as if something was stuck in his throat, something he couldn't swallow or spit out.

There was a pause.

Zhang Benzhihe asked, "Dad, why did you decide to come to the training hall to find me? Is there something you need?"

"Correct."

Zhang Benyu then remembered and came to his senses, "There really is something."

The father and son arrived at the conference room.

Zhang Benzhihe then noticed that coaches Kunifumi Tasei, Seiya Kishikawa, and Minamoto Tōzaki were all present. Even Yoshihito Miyazaki, the head of the intensive training department, was there.

"It's so late, and they're still having a meeting?"

Zhang Benzhihe found it strange and quickly stepped forward to bow and greet him.

"Zhihe-kun, you've worked hard in the competition."

Yoshihito Miyazaki smiled slightly and said, "Please sit down."

Despite having a thousand questions in his mind, Tomokazu Harimoto still sat down.

"Zhihe-kun, tomorrow is the semi-final. What are your thoughts on your opponent, Lin Shidong?"

"I asked Yoshihito Miyazaki."

"Uh……"

Zhang Benzhihe pondered for a moment, "Lin Shidong is an excellent player with strong skills, especially his backhand single-stroke quality and his mid-to-long-range rallies."

What are your chances of winning tomorrow's match?

Yoshihito Miyazaki continued to ask.

"Uh……"

After thinking for a moment, Zhang Benzhihe said, "Let's say it's fifty-fifty."

The competition hasn't started yet, so he doesn't dare to draw any conclusions.

Making promises too confidently can easily lead to being proven wrong.

"Fifty-fifty"?

Yoshihito Miyazaki laughed and said, "Tomokazu-kun is still too modest. He's not like you at all on the field."

Based on the previous head-to-head record between Tomokazu Harimoto and Shi Dong Lin, this match was not evenly matched.

Of course, being cautious is a good thing.

In this way, we will not lose Jingzhou due to carelessness.

After Miyazaki Yoshihito finished speaking, he leaned back and turned his gaze to Kishikawa Seiya beside him.

Kishikawa Seiya immediately understood, stood up, and said to Zhang Benzhihe, "Zhihe-kun, what do you think of the tactics used to defeat Liang Jingkun yesterday?"

"very nice."

Zhang Benzhihe paused for a moment, then answered casually.

He didn't understand why Kishikawa Seiya would bring up his match against Liang Jingkun the day before.

"Do you know that the tactical suggestion was not made by Coach Tian or Coach Dong, but by someone else?"

Kishikawa Seiya deliberately kept everyone in suspense.

"what?"

Zhang Benzhihe was taken aback again. "Someone else? Who?"

"It is..."

Kishikawa Seiya's expression and tone suddenly became serious and solemn. In the uniquely Japanese chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur) tone, he loudly proclaimed, "Great God!"

Then, a "click" sound was heard.

He slammed his finger into the button.

The AI ​​software is already running.

"Omikami?"

Zhang Benzhihe was completely bewildered, increasingly confused. What the hell was this?

Sensing Zhang Benzhihe's doubts, Kishikawa Seiya immediately began to explain: "Omikami is an AI I developed. It can help you analyze your opponents, find their weaknesses, and formulate corresponding tactics to improve your chances of winning..."

talking.

With a few more clicks, Kishikawa Seiya's fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed a string of text into the laptop.

"Please give me a reliable tactic for Zhang Benzhihe to defeat Lin Shidong."

It was sent immediately.

AI display: Thinking...

After waiting for more than ten seconds, lines of text appeared smoothly, like flowing water.

"...Given Lin Shidong's technical characteristics and Zhang Benzhihe's playing style, I would like to offer a few tactical points for your reference."

"1. In a game of billiards with Lin Shidong, limit Lin Shidong's initiative in taking the initiative."

2. Strengthen the attack in the first three rounds.

3. Defend against their backhand and attack their forehand.

4. Keep an eye on the middle lane and strengthen your flanks.

5. Stand firm near the table and defend against counterattacks.

……

As he watched the text continuously appear on the screen, Tomokazu Harimoto's expression gradually changed from indifference to seriousness.

This thing... seems to have some merit!
(End of this chapter)