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

Chapter 283 Chu Qin achieves a clean sweep! Advances to the finals!

"Go Wang Chuqin!"

"Wang Chuqin, it's okay, take it slow, catch up one point at a time!"

"You can come back from a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3! You're capable!"

……

The fans at the scene had long lost their initial unity and were now loudly comforting Wang Chuqin, who was trailing 0-3 in the score.

At this moment, Wang Chuqin sat in the rest area, his nerves taut like a bowstring, immersed in his own world, oblivious to the noise from the outside world.

Spread your legs apart and lean forward.

Large beads of sweat seeped from his forehead, slid down his cheeks, and finally gathered at his chin, dripping onto the floor.

The towel in my hand was almost dripping wet.

Wang Chuqin's eyes were unfocused as he stared at the floor, not daring to look up at the large screen.

But he knew in his heart that it was a best-of-seven series, and if he lost just one more game, he would be swept out of the competition by Chen Jin again.

In the last Macau Championship, he lost to Chen Jin, and there were still excuses he could make up for.

But what about this time?

My condition has clearly improved, and it's time to prove myself as the King of WTT.

Moreover, Chen Jin's racket blade clearly has a problem.

Even so, he was still no match for Chen Jin, trailing 0-3 in the match.

"Is the difference in strength between me and Chen Jin really that great?"

Wang Chuqin gripped the towel tightly, his knuckles turning white.

Although he lost in the singles event at the Paris Olympics, he lived up to expectations and won gold medals with his teammates in the team and mixed doubles events.

One person performs three tasks, which is commendable.

In addition, Ma Long is getting old, Fan Zhendong is recuperating, Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan are slightly inferior, and the young players have not yet emerged.

Therefore, according to the coaching staff's plan, he is the only one who can carry the banner of the Chinese national table tennis team during the Los Angeles Olympic cycle.

In other words, he has become the number one core player of the Chinese men's table tennis team.

The coaching staff has high hopes for him.

Unexpectedly, they were now being beaten so badly by a young player who was only fifteen or sixteen years old.

Where is the demeanor that a number one core player should have?

This plunged Wang Chuqin into deep self-doubt.

But the competition must go on regardless.

What tactics should we use in the fourth set?

Wang Chuqin was somewhat bewildered. "Pressing him with a backhand to force him back off the table? Pressing him left to switch to right? Fighting with the first three shots?"

After the first three rounds of their match, he had to admit that Chen Jin's skills and tactics were too comprehensive.

No matter how he targeted Chen Jin, Chen Jin was like a granite mountain, while he himself was like a wooden ear pick, unshakeable.

"Is it really true that Chen Jin has no flaws at all?"

Wang Chuqin gritted his teeth and looked up at the opposite side.

Across the table, Chen Jin sat upright, his eyes as calm as an ancient well.

They seemed completely unaffected by the score, showing no excitement or thrill at the prospect of victory.

This composure beyond his years is what's most frightening.

I sat for a little while.

There are about forty seconds left in the break.

Chen Jin suddenly took something out of his bag and walked straight to the pool table.

He picked up his racket and gestured to the referee.

After obtaining the referee's consent.

Chen Jin took his racket, walked to the side, squatted down, and seemed to be doing something.

This scene left almost everyone stunned.

"What is Chen Jin up to?"

The same question arose in the minds of the spectators and fans watching the game.

The director was also very astute and immediately turned the live camera towards Chen Jin.

Chen Jin was seen holding a racket in one hand and sandpaper in the other, concentrating intently on carefully polishing his equipment.

Seeing this, Wang Hao suddenly realized: "It's probably because the handle of the new racket wasn't properly sanded and it's a bit sharp, so they sanded it down temporarily."

Due to the grip style, the handle shoulder of a penhold racket needs to be sanded to prevent it from hurting your hand.

Especially new rackets.

Otherwise, it will inevitably affect the feel of the ball.

Wang Hao and his colleagues were used to this kind of situation.

On the court, you can see people grinding the handle and trimming the rubber.

Only Liu Guoliang noticed something amiss.

"its not right."

Liu Guoliang looked at Chen Jin from afar and asked, "If the racket really hurts your hand, why didn't Chen Jin sharpen the handle shoulder in the first three games? Why did he only sharpen it in the last game?"

It must be said that before becoming evil dragons, which one wasn't a warrior who rid the people of evil?

After listening to Liu Guoliang's words.

Wang Hao and the others then realized what was going on, and after thinking about it carefully, they found it quite reasonable.

At the same time, everyone began to wonder: "What exactly is Chen Jin trying to do?"

The break between games has ended.

Chen Jin casually stuffed the sandpaper back into his bag, blew on the handle, and rubbed it a little with his fingers. It was smooth and even, and a satisfied smile immediately appeared on his face.

Back on the field.

Wang Chuqin glanced at Chen Jin, his eyes sharp: "Attack with the first three shots, suppress the backhand, use two tactics at the same time, I don't believe I can't handle you."

0: 0.

Wang Chuqin serves.

Side down.

Halfway through the performance.

Chen Jin stepped forward, lowered his shoulders and raised his elbows, and twisted his backhand to pull the diagonal line.

Wang Chuqin leaped into the air and executed a reverse pull with his forehand.

Chen Jin quickly ripped through the middle lane with a backhand.

Wang Chuqin defended closely, and his return shot hit the net.

0: 1.

"This kind of serve is indeed very easy for Chen Jin."

Wang Chuqin frowned deeply.

The problem is that, influenced by the referee's decision in the first game, he was hesitant to use the hook shot.

Otherwise, the situation wouldn't be in such a passive position.

Thinking of this, Wang Chuqin glanced at the referee, feeling somewhat hesitant.

Before he could change his mind, he finally gave up the idea of ​​taking a risk and honestly stole a fast, long ball from Chen Jin's backhand side.

Wang Chuqin originally thought that by the fourth game, after a fierce battle, Chen Jin's mental focus would inevitably relax a little.

A long shot might have a surprising effect.

Unexpectedly, Chen Jin's level of concentration exceeded his expectations.

As long as the competition continues, Chen Jin's focus will not waver in the slightest.

"Trying to steal my height again?"

Chen Jindong saw through it all at a glance.

Turn to the side beforehand and swing your right arm.

"Snapped!"

A powerful, sharp angled shot.

Wang Chuqin took a cross step and lunged towards his forehand, making a last-ditch save.

The trajectory was arcing, and the landing point was a mess.

Without a trace of pity in his eyes, Chen Jin showed no mercy, channeling his strength into his right arm and slamming it down angrily.

"Snapped!"

This strike was powerful and heavy.

The ball hurtled towards Wang Chuqin's right side of the table like a cannonball.

Even with Wang Chuqin's fast footwork, he couldn't react in time to defend and counterattack.

2: 0.

"hateful!"

Wang Chuqin was getting impatient. "He's watching me again."

It was Chen Jin's turn to play.

The forehand is short.

Do not forward.

When it came to a life-or-death situation, Wang Chuqin showed no mercy, decisively stepping forward and using a backhand twist to pull straight ahead.

Chen Jin quickly tore through the middle lane.

Wang Chuqin pushed off with his foot, quickly turned to the side, swung his forehand, and used the momentum to rush forward, suppressing Chen Jin's backhand position.

Chen Jin Tie Fang.

Wang Chuqin had already taken a half step back, squatted down, and lowered his waist to prepare for the next shot.

While pulling back, use your fingers and wrists to increase friction.

The low, flat trajectory of the ping-pong ball, coupled with its powerful topspin, forced Chen Jin to retreat from the table to deflect the force.

Seeing Chen Jin finally retreat from the table, as if discovering a weak point in a city wall, Wang Chuqin was overjoyed and continued his forehand topspin, relentlessly attacking Chen Jin.

Soon, Chen Jin retreated to the mid-to-long range, finding himself completely on the defensive.

The drawback of insufficient power in the backhand is once again highlighted.

"While you are sick, I will kill you!"

Wang Chuqin seized the opportunity and strode forward.

Snapped!
A powerful, explosive surge.

Just when Wang Chuqin thought victory was assured.

Sudden.

Chen Jin squatted down, his wrist tucked inward, and powerfully countered the incoming ball with a backhand flick.

"Knowing full well that your racket lacks power, you still want to counter-attack me from mid-to-long range?"

A cold smile crept onto Wang Chuqin's lips.

It was initially thought that Chen Jin's shot would inevitably fail to clear the net due to insufficient power.

Unexpectedly.

The ping-pong ball flew through the air, tracing a near-perfect C-shaped arc. Its strong spin, immense power, and incredible speed suggested it wasn't lacking in power.

"what?"

Wang Chuqin was taken aback.

He really didn't expect that Chen Jin's backhand mid-to-long range shot would actually pull him back.

Moreover, the quality of his counter-attack, despite his powerful forehand smash, was far beyond expectations.

In a panic, he hastily parried the attack.

"boom!"

The ping-pong ball, like a bull in heat, crashed fiercely against the racket.

Wang Chuqin felt a sudden jolt in his hand, and half of his arm went numb, as if an electric current had passed through it.

"What a powerful force!"

Wang Chuqin's expression immediately changed, thinking to himself, "This is what you call insufficient strength?"

My mind hasn't changed.

Unable to control the spin, the ball flew out of bounds.

Feeling the power of Chen Jin's backhand mid-to-long range counter-attack, like a cannon shot, Wang Chuqin looked up at Chen Jin, his brows furrowed.

"Could it be that this kid is faking his lack of power in his backhand to mislead me?"

Wang Chuqin narrowed his eyes slightly, "Otherwise, how do you explain this shot?"

He wasn't the only one at the scene filled with doubt.

Wang Hao was also somewhat bewildered: "Chen Jin told me personally before the match that his backhand with this racket lacked power and he couldn't easily move away from the table."

"But this shot didn't show any signs of lacking power."

"What exactly is going on?"

And at this time.

Sitting next to him, Liu Guoliang crossed his arms, his expression serious, his eyes fixed on the replay on the screen.

Suddenly, he seemed to have discovered something.

"what?"

Liu Guoliang said in surprise.

"what happened?"

Wang Hao asked hurriedly.

"Chen Jin seems to have flipped the board just now."

There was a hint of disbelief in Liu Guoliang's voice.

"Invert the board?"

Wang Hao was taken aback for a moment.

As is well known, the inverted paddle style is suitable for players using long pips rubber.

But Chen Jin uses double-sided inverted rubber; wouldn't flipping the board be like taking off your pants and giving up?
"and many more!"

Wang Hao suddenly realized, "It doesn't seem like it's impossible."

After all, due to the base of the blade, Chen Jin's backhand mid-to-long range shots clearly lacked power.

But there are no problems with the forehand.

After stepping off the table, switching to a forehand grip makes sense.

Of course, the performance of two-sided rubbers differs, with the forehand rubber being tacky and the backhand rubber being non-tacky.

With Chen Jin's skill, he could easily use his superb technique to make the difference in rubber quality negligible.

This solves the problem of insufficient backhand power.

The only problem with this approach is that the reversing speed must be fast.

"Could it be that Chen Jinzhen used a reverse plate?"

Wang Hao couldn't see it clearly and had some doubts in his heart. "If it's true, this can also explain why Chen Jin just temporarily polished the shoulder of the handle."

Generally speaking, penhold players only polish the shoulder of the handle on the forehand side.

However, in order to avoid the racket being uncomfortable to hold and affecting the feel of generating power, the shoulder of the handle on the backhand side also needs to be carefully examined.

"So, before the fourth game even started, Chen Jin had already come up with the backhand reverse-grip tactic?"

Wang Hao gasped, his gaze towards Chen Jin now filled with even more admiration.

3: 0.

Chen Jin remained expressionless, unperturbed by praise or criticism.

Continue serving.

Side down.

The forehand is short.

Wang Chuqin split the long blade.

Chen Jin drives forward diagonally with a backhand stroke.

Wang Chuqin counter-attacks with his forehand.

Chen Jin stepped back half a step from the stage, kicked his leg and twisted his waist, then flicked his wrist and tore the object with force.

Wang Chuqin planted his feet firmly, stepped forward, and unleashed a powerful forehand smash, once again forcing Chen Jin to the mid-to-long range.

Chen Jin remained calm and unleashed a powerful backhand topspin.

This time, Liu Guoliang and Wang Hao, sitting in the stands, saw it clearly: "It really was a collapse!"

Both of them wore expressions of shock.

The speed at which the board was turned over was so fast, it was like magic.

If it weren't for the different colors of the forehand and backhand rubbers, they wouldn't have noticed this detail at all.

"What fast hands!"

Liu Guoliang clicked his tongue in admiration, "Such a steady hand!"

"If Wang Chuqin attacks his forehand, will he be able to react accordingly?"

However, his worries were somewhat unnecessary.

Faced with Chen Jin's powerful backhand topspin from mid-to-long range, Wang Chuqin dared not easily change direction due to its immense power, speed, and spin.

The only option is to continue attacking Chen Jin's backhand side.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

Chen Jin used his backhand mid-to-long range shot to directly counter Wang Chuqin's forehand mid-to-close range shot, holding his own against Wang Chuqin.

One board!
Two boards!

Three boards!

Wang Chuqin clearly felt that as the game went on for several rounds, Chen Jin's backhand not only showed no signs of weakening, but instead became stronger and stronger.

The force is increasing, and the rotation is becoming stronger.

Every time the ball hit Wang Chuqin's racket, it gave him a jarring, almost uncontrollable feeling.

They withstood two or three more shots.

With Wang Chuqin missing his forehand, Chen Jin won the point.

0: 4.

In such a crucial game, the world's number one player was completely overwhelmed and unable to defend himself. Wang Chuqin was so panicked that he could hardly breathe.

More importantly, he still couldn't figure it out: "If there's something wrong with the racket, why is Chen Jin's backhand mid-to-long range shot still so strong?"

Chen Jin maintained firm control over the pace of the game from then on.

Forehand, backhand, mid-range, and long-range shots all seem to have become Chen Jin's domain.

Although Wang Chuqin used all his skills and fought desperately, he was ultimately powerless to reverse the situation.

5: 0.

1:5.
1: 6.

6: 2.

7: 2.

……

Chen Jin advanced triumphantly, while Wang Chuqin suffered repeated defeats.

"2:10!"

The referee's voice was like a heavy hammer blow to Wang Chuqin's heart.

Chen Jin has reached game point, which is also match point.

As if standing on the edge of a cliff, Wang Chuqin's face grew increasingly grim, and even the hand holding the racket trembled slightly.

Cold sweat kept pouring out.

"It's over, we're going to lose again."

A buzzing sound filled Wang Chuqin's ears.

The shouts of the fans at the scene seemed to be coming from behind a thick layer of glass.

"no!"

Even if I lose, I can't lose too badly!

Wang Chuqin gritted his teeth, "We have to catch up a few more points, what if we can turn the tide?"

At this point, who cares about the referee?

He was focused solely on catching up and preserving the last shred of dignity of being "number one in the world".

Grab the ball and you have a hook shot.

"!"

Knowing that this was Wang Chuqin's last-ditch effort, Chen Jin remained calm.

Observe the landing point and the arc.

With a whoosh, he swung his forehand out, pinning the board and rushing towards the halfway point off the table.

"Snapped!"

The ping-pong ball, bursting forth like a bullet, flew towards Wang Chuqin.

Wang Chuqin hurriedly blocked the attack.

boom!
The ping-pong ball hit the edge of the paddle, bounced up, and struck Wang Chuqin's cheek hard.

Logically speaking, with such force, this ball should have caused immediate redness and swelling no matter whose face it hit.

On the other hand, Wang Chuqin acted as if nothing had happened.

As expected of the world's number one face!

11: 2.

The score is 4-0.

Following his victory at the Macau Championship, Chen Jin once again defeated Wang Chuqin without conceding a goal, advancing to the final.

(End of this chapter)