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

Chapter 307 World Youth Championship Final! A rematch against Xie Mingyang!
12 month 5 day.

World Youth Championships, final day.

There were still not many audience members present.

But that blond boy was there at almost every game, holding up a handmade support sign and cheering for Chen Jin.

If Chen Jin wins, you're sure to hear the little boy's excited cheers.

This final was no exception.

The little boy arrived at the stands early and jumped up as soon as he saw Chen Jin enter.

He held up his support sign high and shouted in his broken, childish voice, "Chen Jin, keep going!"

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Jin looked up, smiled, and extended his right hand to bump fists with the little boy.

He walked slowly to the rest area, preparing his own towel, water bottle, bananas, and other items.

On the other side, Xie Mingyang was also making final preparations.

"Whoo~"

Xie Mingyang let out a long breath to ease his inner tension.

Prior to this, he had participated in major tournaments such as the BJ Grand Slam and the Montpellier Championship.

Facing various experts, he remained calm and composed, never feeling as nervous as he did now.

Even the hand holding the water bottle was trembling slightly.

His opponent today is Chen Jin.

That genius who went from an unknown to the world's second-ranked player in just three short months!
Since suffering two crushing defeats in the qualifying rounds, Xie Mingyang has never faced Chen Jin again.

He had long yearned to have a life-or-death battle with Chen Jin on the real playing field.

Now, we finally have this opportunity.

How could he not be excited and nervous?
Since it was a civil war, neither side had any off-field coaching.

All tactics can only be relied upon by ourselves.

"Whether it's raw power or tactics, Chen Jin is a hundred times, a thousand times better than me."

Xie Mingyang pondered, "The odds of winning today's match are destined to be extremely low."

"However, I was already mentally prepared."

"As the challenger, I will go all out and give it my all to challenge Chen Jin!"

These days, training with Chen Jin, he feels that his strength has improved by leaps and bounds.

Although he hasn't achieved any results yet, he's confident that it's only a matter of time.

Now, the match against Chen Jin will be a perfect test for him.

"There were no tactics in today's game."

Xie Mingyang stretched his muscles and bones, his joints cracking and popping. "The only tactic is to fight Chen Jin with all our might!"

After a day of rest, and with the help of Wang Heng's unique massage technique, Chen Jin's physical strength has been restored.

more importantly.

At noon, Coach Liu made a video call to personally explain the World Cup qualification issue, telling the two players to play without worry and to show their best.

The implication is that the matter is over.

The two only need to focus on the competition and no longer need to be timid or hesitant.

Of course, even without Coach Liu's explanation, he and Chen Jin would never compromise.

If someone can't even handle a competition properly, what right do they have to become a professional athlete and stand on the field?

“Time!”

With the referee's reminder.

Take a deep breath.

Xie Mingyang tried his best to suppress his nervousness, grabbed a towel, and walked onto the field.

Looking up, I saw Chen Jin walking towards me.

He approached the referee.

Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang picked up their rackets and gave each other a light high five.

Their eyes met for a moment.

"Keng!"

It was as if swords were clashing, sparks flying everywhere.

Off the field, the two are good friends.

But once they step onto the field, they become opponents who fight to the death.

Toss a coin and guess who goes first.

Chen Jin was awarded the right to serve in the first game.

Warm-up with sparring.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

The deafening sound of the ball hitting the court, like firecrackers during the Lunar New Year, echoed throughout the stadium.

Li Qian, Zhang Jiahao, Huang Youzheng, and others sat in a corner of the audience, watching the game from afar.

"Brother Jin!"

Zhang Jiahao shouted, "Give Xie a good beating, don't hold back!"

"We're all teammates, why differentiate between us?"

Li Qian glanced at Zhang Jiahao.

"I'm just a casual fan now. Can't I support the players I like?"

Zhang Jiahao spoke with righteous indignation.

"Hey, you kid."

Li Qian's expression hardened. "The World Youth Championships are alright, they don't get much attention. You'd better be careful in the future."

"Watch out for what?"

Zhang Jiahao was slightly taken aback.

"nonsense!"

Li Qian said, "Have you forgotten the lesson of Liu Dingshuo at the Paris Olympics?"

After this match, Zhang Jiahao's performance, especially his effectiveness in doubles with Chen Jin, is evident to all and he is bound to catch the coaching staff's eye.

If doubles gold medals do indeed return to the competition at the Los Angeles Olympics, then doubles pairings will become a top priority.

Although the Chinese national table tennis team already has several doubles pairs that have achieved relatively good results, such as Liang Jingkun and Lin Gaoyuan, Lin Shidong and Wang Chuqin, and Xiang Peng and Yuan Licen.

However, having more choices means having more opportunities.

Moreover, the pairing of Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao has already won over the coaching staff.

If they can continue to be trained, given time, they might actually be able to win gold at the Olympics.

As a result, Zhang Jiahao will also gain more opportunities.

In this age of magnifying glasses, every word and action can potentially drown you.

Li Qian's words were undoubtedly a reminder to Zhang Jiahao to be careful with his words and actions, lest he give others ammunition to criticize him.

"understood."

Zhang Jiahao stuck out his tongue.

His gaze shifted back to the arena.

"Coach Li, who do you think will win this match, Jin or that guy surnamed Xie?"

Zhang Jiahao asked.

"Does this need to be said?"

Li Qian shrugged slightly. "Although Xie Mingyang has indeed improved a lot recently, he is still a far cry from Chen Jin."

"Unless Chen Jin throws the game, Xie Mingyang has almost no chance of winning."

Speaking of which.

Suddenly, the words Liu Guoliang had said at noon came to mind in Li Qian's mind.

—I fought hard to secure the U19 World Youth Championships singles title as a World Cup entry, hoping to give us another chance.

Of course, my consistent view is that a competition is a competition. Whether you are a veteran or a young player, once you step onto the field, you must give it your all, show your skills, and display your style.

So, you shouldn't have any reservations, especially Chen Jin.

It's okay to lose one spot; we can find other ways. After all, the World Cup is held every year. If we don't have a chance this year, we can try again next year.

—Whoever wins today's final, you'll all do a great job!
Although Liu Guoliang said this, every word he uttered was full of profound meaning.

Li Qian was somewhat worried that, for the sake of this so-called "opportunity," Chen Jin might make a mistake and sacrifice himself to help Xie Mingyang.

"Instructor Li."

Zhang Jiahao seemed to see through Li Qian's thoughts and grinned, "Are you worried that Brother Jin will throw the game?"

"Don't worry, Brother Jin will definitely not hold back."

"Firstly, this isn't Jin-ge's style, and secondly, we analyzed the pros and cons together last night."

"Once this precedent is set, the consequences will be endless."

"Especially from a long-term perspective, it is harmful in every way and beneficial in no way to either Brother Jin or the Xie family."

After listening to Zhang Jiahao's words.

Li Qian was stunned for a moment.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes some sense.

With Chen Jin's skill, he has never lost a match since his debut.

If they lose to Xie Mingyang by throwing the game this time, Xie Mingyang will certainly become famous in a short period of time.

However, Xie Mingyang's current strength is not enough to support such a great reputation.

At that point, the backlash from public opinion will be unimaginable.

It might even implicate the Chinese national table tennis team.

"Indeed."

Li Qian nodded. "I didn't expect Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang to have such a long-term vision..."

If it were any other young player of the same age, they would probably have been blinded by similar opportunities and benefits long ago.

It is truly remarkable that these two teenagers were able to remain sober.

My mind hasn't changed.

That's when.

Suddenly, Huang Youzheng, who was standing next to him, said, "The competition has begun."

On the playing field.

Chen Jin stood on the left side of the table, holding the racket in his right hand and lightly gripping the ping-pong ball in his left palm, glancing at the person opposite him.

Xie Mingyang's eyes flashed like lightning, his legs were slightly bent, and his back was hunched like a taut arrow, ready to pounce.

"call!"

Chen Jin blew a breath into his palm, then immediately bent down, stretched out his left arm, pressed it against the edge of the table, and held the white ball in his palm.

Pause for a few seconds.

With a slight effort in his arm, he gently tossed the ball up.

Turn your waist to prepare for the shot.

As the ping-pong ball fell, Chen Jin suddenly struck, a perfect coordinated attack. "Swoosh!"

Hook your hand.

Short on the lower side.

He jumped twice but didn't come out.

It was just like the first time the two fought.

However, Xie Mingyang today is no longer the same person he was back then.

Step forward.

He quickly inserted his right leg under the table.

Lower your shoulders and raise your elbows.

Wrist tucked inward.

Gather strength in your left foot, tighten your waist and hips.

In the early stages of the ball's descent.

Kick your legs and twist your waist.

The forearm drives the wrist.

Wrist and fingers, generate power with a short burst.

"laugh!"

Xie Mingyang flicked his wrist, creating a whooshing sound as he drew a crescent-shaped arc in front of him.

Like a swordsman, drawing his sword to cut through water.

This twist was both fast and ruthless.

The ping-pong ball, spinning intensely, flew towards Chen Jin's backhand side.

As the ball rose, Chen Jin unleashed a quick backhand smash.

"Snapped!"

The racket in his hand moved like a long sword drawn from its sheath.

Although this was their first encounter on the international stage, there was no probing between them.

It was as if they went straight to the point, entering a stalemate.

"Snapped!"

Xie Mingyang reversed the straight line.

This shot was extremely risky.

However, fortune favors the bold.

Xie Mingyang knew very well that he was no match for Chen Jin if he used conventional tactics.

Only through fighting can we find a glimmer of hope.

Therefore, he changed lanes first.

"Whoosh-"

With a cross step, Chen Jin pounced out like a ghost, pulling back diagonally.

"nice shot!"

Xie Mingyang had anticipated that, given Chen Jin's footwork and speed, his backhand lock-on attack would not be able to penetrate Chen Jin's forehand position in one strike.

He was always ready to take over the next board.

Take a half step back, then use the momentum to launch a counterattack.

"Snapped!"

The sound of the ball hitting the ground was like tearing silk.

The ball went out of bounds.

1: 0.

Chen Jin scored the first goal.

"What a powerful shot!"

Xie Mingyang's expression changed slightly as he felt the impact from the racket.

Unexpectedly, Chen Jin was still able to hit such a powerful and explosive shot under these circumstances.

Although Xie Mingyang had taken precautions and stepped back to deflect the force, he still felt an immense shock in his hand.

During regular training, he had become accustomed to Chen Jin's powerful forehand and backhand smashes.

Their defense is quite solid.

It wasn't as strenuous as before.

However, on the actual competition field, due to factors such as footwork and racket position, it is impossible to cope with the same ease as in training.

"It was my mistake."

Xie Mingyang silently concluded to himself, "When facing a master like Chen Jin, I shouldn't have tried to exert force on that last shot."

"A quick, easy layup, with a good landing point and arc, can be a viable strategy."

"Don't rush, take your time!"

"Roar!"

Xie Mingyang, who is usually quiet on the field, actually shouted out to encourage himself.

He bent over, his eyes sharp.

Chen Jin's second serve was also a hook shot, slightly to the right of the center line.

"Not going to repost?"

Xie Mingyang saw right through it.

With a slight flick of his wrist, he swiftly chopped Chen Jin's left half of the baseline.

Chen Jin stepped back half a step with his left leg, swung his right arm in a circle, and swung his racket forward.

Xie Mingyang quickly tore it apart with a backhand.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

Like a flash of light, like the shadows of swords flying.

The two positioned themselves in their backhand positions and began clashing at lightning speed.

The match was deadlocked, and it was difficult to determine the winner.

Sudden.

Chen Jin twisted his wrist.

"Snapped!"

Like the Tai Chi silk-reeling technique, it uses minimal force to deflect a great weight, tearing apart a straight line.

"Oops!"

Xie Mingyang's expression immediately changed.

Originally, he wanted to be the first to change to a straight line.

But the ball was too fast and too powerful, which made him somewhat hesitant.

It was precisely during this moment of hesitation that Chen Jin seized the initiative.

Xie Mingyang leaped forward, but was ultimately a step too slow.

Chen Jin's backhand lock was perfect in terms of power, speed, and trajectory.

Even with Xie Mingyang's fast footwork, he couldn't defend himself.

0: 2.

Xie Mingyang showed no sign of discouragement and reached out to grab the ping-pong ball thrown by the referee.

After a moment's thought, he served.

The forehand is short.

Side-up.

However, when serving, he deliberately made a very deceptive feint with his hand.

The racket suddenly hooked upwards.

It can easily be mistaken for a backspin generated by using a topspin fake.

But in reality, it's an upspin.

"You want to trick me?"

Chen Jin chuckled to himself.

Step forward and unleash a powerful backhand twist.

Snapped!
The white ping-pong ball, like a bolt of lightning, flew across the table and exploded on Xie Mingyang's forehand sideline.

Xie Mingyang was startled and was about to pull back.

Unexpectedly, the ping-pong ball suddenly veered sharply and slipped past his hand.

0: 3.

As the score gradually widened, Xie Mingyang frowned: "In front of Chen Jin, we really can't play these fancy tricks."

"His eyes are like an eagle's; they can see through everything instantly and distinguish truth from falsehood."

The fact that they were behind in the score was something Xie Mingyang had already expected.

Therefore, Xie Mingyang remained calm and unhurried.

During the break in the serve, I kept thinking about how to break the deadlock.

"Stealing growth?"

"Still a short ball?"

Xie Mingyang eventually sent a short, right hand.

Stealing a long distance is risky. Once Chen Jin has his eye on you, you will inevitably be met with Chen Jin's ruthless side-step charge.

It's only the beginning, there's no need to rush.

Chen Jin gently swayed his arm.

Xie Mingyang swings the ball back.

Chen Jin rubbed his hands short.

The two fought several rounds on stage, exchanging blows without a clear winner.

Suddenly, Chen Jin's wrist trembled, controlling the landing point.

A small triangle was placed on the left half of the table with Xie Mingyang's image.

Xie Mingyang quickly stepped forward and lightly slashed with his backhand.

laugh!
Chen Jin had originally prepared to rush to the halfway point of the performance.

But unexpectedly, Xie Mingyang's return shot grazed the net.

Seeing this, Chen Jin changed his tactics midway through the game.

He leaped up.

Push harder.

"Snapped!"

A single shot pierced Xie Mingyang's forehand side.

(End of this chapter)