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

Chapter 303 Doubles Begins

Watching the Chinese team win the team competition, Wu Juncheng, sitting in the stands, looked pale and as if he had lost his parents.

"Didn't the Polish team play really well when they played against us before?"

"Why is it that playing against the Chinese team is like touching glass, it shatters at the slightest touch?"

Wu Juncheng felt a mix of emotions.

I thought that with Chen Jin, a top-tier player, in this World Junior Championships, the singles title was already out of reach.

But winning the championship in other events is still something to dream about.

Before the competition, Oh Jun-sung had even imagined what tactics he should use to fight his way through the rounds and reach the finals to compete with the Chinese team for the championship.

But to his utter surprise, the South Korean team he led fell in the semi-finals.

They lost to Poland by a score of 2-3.

Wu Juncheng scored two points in vain, but it was ultimately not enough to turn the tide.

How could this not make him feel frustrated?
"If my teammates were a little more capable, I would definitely be able to defeat the Chinese team and win the men's team championship."

Think of this.

Wu Juncheng couldn't help but turn his head and glare at Kim Ga-on, who was sitting next to him.

Feeling a chilling killing intent rushing towards him, Kim Ga-on couldn't help but shiver.

Immediately, he saw the look in Wu Juncheng's eyes that seemed to want to kill someone.

"Xiba!"

Kim Ga-on felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly forced a smile and asked Oh Jun-sung, "Jun-sung, what... what's wrong?"

"nothing."

Wu Juncheng then looked away, but his expression remained cold. "Jiawen, do your best in tomorrow's doubles match."

Tomorrow morning, 11:00 AM.

They are about to face their first men's doubles match at the World Junior Championships.

Their opponents were Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao.

"Good, good."

Kim Ga-on swallowed hard. "Jun-sung, don't worry, we'll definitely beat the Chinese team in tomorrow's doubles match if we team up."

"Ah."

Wu Juncheng nodded.

Although Chen Jin is very strong individually, doubles requires good teamwork between the two players.

Furthermore, Wu Juncheng and the coaching staff studied the intelligence information on Chen Jin's doubles partner, the boy named "Zhang Jiahao".

Compared to Chen Jin, his individual strength is not particularly outstanding.

It's obvious that Zhang Jiahao is the burden on him and Chen Jin's partnership.

According to the barrel effect, as long as we keep an eye on Zhang Jiahao and launch a fierce attack, the opponent will undoubtedly lose.

the most important is.

Prior to this, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao had never played doubles together.

This is my first time participating in the World Junior Championships.

Coordination is also a problem.

"On the other hand, although Kim Ga-on's singles skills are average, we have teamed up in doubles a few times and we have a pretty good understanding of each other."

Wu Juncheng's eyes sharpened. "Tomorrow's battle is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Perhaps I can be the first person to defeat Chen Jin!"

Although it's just a doubles match, defeating the Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao doubles pair would be equivalent to breaking half of Chen Jin's undefeated streak, which would be equally exciting.

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and Wu Juncheng couldn't help but look forward to tomorrow's game.

Ten p.m.

We had a late-night snack at the hotel restaurant.

Just got back to the room.

Wu Juncheng felt a dull pain in his abdomen and was about to rush into the bathroom.

To everyone's surprise, Kim Ga-on glanced at her phone and suddenly became excited, as if she had discovered a treasure.

"Jun-sung hyung".

Jin Jiawen asked mysteriously, "I have some good news, do you want to hear it?"

"What good news?"

Wu Juncheng clutched his stomach, his brows furrowed slightly.

"It seems there's some internal conflict within the Chinese team."

Kim Ga-eun said in a low voice.

"what?"

Wu Juncheng was slightly taken aback. "What kind of conflict are you having?"

"It seems that someone in higher up wants Chen Jin to throw the match in the singles final."

Kim Ga-wondo.

"Singles final?"

Wu Juncheng frowned even more deeply. "Hasn't the singles competition started yet? How can you assume Chen Jin will make it to the finals?"

It's worth noting that he and Chen Jin were both in the upper half of the singles draw.

If Chen Jin makes it to the finals, wouldn't that mean he's bound to fall before the finals?

Wu Juncheng, who had never fought Chen Jin, had only heard of Chen Jin's strength.

Like a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger, Wu Juncheng always harbored a sliver of hope.

If I were to defeat Chen Jin this time, wouldn't I be able to step on Chen Jin's head and become famous in the world of table tennis?
Regardless of whether the news brought by Kim Ga-on was good or bad, it was clear that he didn't take him seriously.

"Uh……"

Jin Jiawen smiled bitterly, "They not only tacitly acknowledged that Chen Jin had made it to the finals, but also that Xie Mingyang had made it to the finals."

"This is outrageous! This is simply going too far!"

Wu Juncheng gave a heavy, cold snort.

But he quickly realized what was happening.

"Hey, wait."

Wu Juncheng frowned. "Since they tacitly acknowledged that Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang both made it to the finals, yet still allowed Chen Jin to throw the game, this means..."

He stopped talking before he finished.

He turned to look at Kim Ga-won.

"That's right!"

Kim Ga-eun nodded. "That's exactly what you think."

"interesting."

Wu Juncheng finally smiled. "What was Chen Jin's reaction?"

"No matter how he reacts, his mindset will definitely be affected."

Kim Ga-on laughed and said, "Isn't this heaven helping us?"

Admittedly, anyone would be mentally broken and have their subsequent performance affected if they were treated so unfairly.

"I thought I was the only one with such terrible teammates, but I didn't expect Chen Jin's teammates to be even worse."

Wu Juncheng smiled.

For a moment, he was completely unaware that his teammates were right beside him.

Kim Ga-won: "..."

The "pig teammate" that Junsung was talking about definitely wasn't me!

Perhaps noticing Kim Ga-on's unusual expression, Oh Jun-sung chuckled twice and patted Kim Ga-on's shoulder heavily: "If your information is true, this is an opportunity given to us brothers by heaven. If we seize it, it will definitely cause a sensation all over the world!"

"Jiawen, tomorrow's match might be the moment we make history!"

"Fighting!"

……

The next day.

I arrived at the training hall early in the morning.

Warm-up for the upcoming doubles match.

During training, Wu Juncheng would occasionally glance at the Chinese team's table tennis table not far away, whether intentionally or not.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao, with Xie Mingyang and Huang Youzheng as their sparring partners, took turns practicing forehand and backhand long-range rallies.

On the surface, nothing seemed amiss.

But Wu Juncheng still keenly sensed a subtle atmosphere: "Judging from their expressions, they're not communicating much... Hmm, something's definitely wrong."

"The chance to defeat Chen Jin has finally arrived!"

Their spirits were greatly lifted.

Even during training, they were more excited and fierce than usual.

Little did he know, Li Qian had already seen Wu Juncheng's sneaky spying and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

There is still half an hour before the match starts.

Training ended, and we waited for the match to begin.

Arriving backstage at the competition venue.

Wu Juncheng glanced at Chen Jin, who was sitting upright with his eyes closed, and then at Zhang Jiahao, who was pacing back and forth with a tense expression. He sneered inwardly.

"If you're this nervous before the competition even starts, you'll probably faint on the field."

A hint of disdain flashed in Wu Juncheng's eyes. "Chen Jin choosing someone like this as a partner clearly shows he doesn't want to win."

"If we still can't win after all this, then we might as well just swim back from the Arctic Ocean."

He wasn't the only one with this idea.

Even his coaching staff believed that Zhang Jiahao was the key to their breakthrough.

Therefore, in this doubles match, his and Kim Ga-eun's tactics were simple and resolute: to find a way to break through Zhang Jiahao's defense.

The boost to confidence from defeating the duo of Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao is self-evident.

The doubles championship is within reach.

Wu Juncheng had even planned his celebration after winning the championship. His mind was still on it.

Staff came to inform the contestants that they should prepare to enter the venue.

In terms of viewership, team events don't attract as much attention as doubles, and doubles doesn't attract as much attention as singles.

Moreover, the World Youth Championships are not very popular to begin with.

In addition, it was the first round.

The scene became increasingly deserted.

Four doubles matches for U19 were played simultaneously.

The match between Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao against Wu Juncheng and Jin Jiawen was scheduled at table number one.

"Double matches are different from singles matches. In addition to individual strength, teamwork is even more crucial."

Li Qian gave a pre-match analysis, saying, "This is the first time you two have played together, so you must pay attention to your positioning and covering for each other, and be mindful of the rhythm."

“Especially you, Zhang Jiahao.”

"Chen Jin's strength is obvious to all. Even in doubles, he is someone that people are wary of."

"Therefore, the opponent will definitely focus their firepower on you."

"What you need to do is control the pace of the game, increase your chances of getting on the table, don't attack rashly, and don't give your opponent a chance to attack."

Zhang Jiahao was well aware of this, and nodded, saying, "Understood."

"Chen Jin".

Li Qian looked at Chen Jin and said earnestly, "I have always trusted you."

"But this time, I want to remind you not to be influenced by external factors."

Although Chen Jin seemed no different from before, Li Qian still had some worries in his heart.

"Uh……"

Chen Jin smiled wryly, "Words are no proof. We'll have to watch the match later to see if I've been affected."

"it is good."

Li Qian immediately changed the subject, saying, "Zhang Jiahao, listen to Chen Jin more during the competition."

"Pay attention to teamwork and positioning."

"come on!"

Just before going on stage, Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang exchanged a glance.

Though unspoken, they understood each other implicitly.

After shaking hands with the opponent.

Toss a coin to guess who will go first.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao were awarded the right to serve.

Then, they practiced warm-up exercises.

The two sides were positioned differently.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao were one after the other, while Wu Juncheng and Jin Jiawen were in parallel.

A minute passed quickly.

The sparring session is over.

Zhang Jiahao served first.

Kim Ga-on was the one receiving the serve.

Both sides deployed their forces.

A fierce battle is about to break out.

But seeing Chen Jin clench his fist under the table, Zhang Jiahao remained calm and understood.

The forearm drives the fingers and wrist, creating a chopping motion that appears to produce a backspin.

Actually, it's not turning.

However, Kim Ga-on was not fooled and steadily maintained his position.

Chen Jin quickly chopped the opponent's left half of the table.

Wu Juncheng quickly filled in, launched a backhand topspin shot, and pressured the center line.

After serving, Zhang Jiahao stepped back from the table, adjusted his stance, and executed a forehand backhand cross-court shot.

However, he underestimated the spin of Oh Jun-sung's high-flying shot.

Pulled out of bounds.

0: 1.

Zhang Jiahao frowned, looked down at his racket, and seemed extremely dissatisfied.

"fine."

Chen Jin comforted him in a low voice.

the other side.

Wu Juncheng and Jin Jiawen exchanged a glance: "As expected, this Zhang Jiahao is indeed the breakthrough point."

Second serve.

Chen Jin's gesture remained a clenched fist.

Zhang Jiahao continued to post without forwarding.

"Not turning again?"

Kim Ga-on saw right through her.

Step forward and twist in a straight line with your backhand.

Chen Jin stood at the center line and reacted extremely quickly, taking a step to the left and tearing the diagonal line backward.

Wu Juncheng lunged forward with his forehand, counter-attacking down the middle.

"Well done!"

Zhang Jiahao was not to be outdone. He squatted down, snapped his wrist, and pulled back with his forehand, shouting, "Get on stage!"

This time, it landed steadily on the opponent's side of the table.

The arc was so powerful that it sank down hard.

Seeing this, Kim Ga-on knew he couldn't retaliate, so he backhanded him to defend.

But he forgot one thing.

In addition to Zhang Jiahao, Chen Jin is also one of their opponents this time.

This passive defense undoubtedly creates opportunities for Chen Jin to attack.

With a quick glance, Wu Juncheng saw Chen Jin slide to the side, preparing his shot and gathering power. His expression changed slightly: "Not good!"

however.

He wasn't waiting to fill in.

"Snapped!"

A loud, explosive sound of a ball being struck rang out.

If the sky were to collapse.

The small ping-pong ball, propelled by Chen Jin's explosive side-step, flew with the force of a thunderbolt towards the opponent's right side of the table with a whoosh.

No one can describe the speed of that shot, nor can anyone describe its power.

In an instant, he had already broken through his opponent's backhand position.

1: 1.

"Choo-hoo!"

Zhang Jiahao clenched his fist and roared.

"Boiled!"

Chen Jin also roared out.

In an instant, the two men's momentum surged like an unstoppable force.

In contrast, Wu Juncheng and Kim Ga-on looked rather pale.

"Too fierce!"

Wu Juncheng gasped, "This Chen Jin truly lives up to his reputation."

Previously, he had watched Chen Jin's matches and heard about Chen Jin's strength in the matches.

However, he never actually fought Chen Jin.

Now, standing on the field facing Chen Jin, he realized that Chen Jin was even more terrifying than he had imagined, both in terms of strength and aura.

In Wu Juncheng's eyes.

Chen Jin's sudden sidestep and charge was like Thor's wrath, a thunderous strike that no ordinary person could withstand.

It wasn't just the power and speed, but also the fact that this shot carried a kingly aura.

Unstoppable!

"and many more."

Wu Juncheng's heart sank. "Wasn't there supposed to be internal conflict within the Chinese team? Could Chen Jin's mentality have been affected?"

"Why is Chen Jin still so fierce when he plays basketball?"

"Could it be fake news?"

Thinking of this, Wu Juncheng looked at Kim Ga-on beside him with suspicion.

Sensing Wu Juncheng's questioning gaze, Kim Ga-on was also puzzled: "Chen Jin's momentum on that shot didn't seem to be affected by his mentality at all."

"Could that person be lying to me?"

"That's not right. Why would he lie to me for no reason?"

however.

Now is not the time to dwell on this.

The key is how to win the game.

"We still need to keep an eye on Zhang Jiahao as a breakthrough point and not give Chen Jin a chance to attack."

Wu Juncheng whispered, "When you serve later, try to limit Chen Jin's chance to attack first. I will break through Zhang Jiahao in the first three shots."

"understand!"

(End of this chapter)