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

Chapter 346 Stay calm, I can carry!

2 month 6 day.

The ninth day of the first lunar month.

After seven days of intense competition, players from all over the world are vying for the singles round of 16 and doubles quarterfinals.

At noon, the first doubles match of the day started on time.

On the large screen at the venue, the information of the two players was displayed: China's Chen Jin/Zhang Jiahao vs. Sweden's Falk/Karlsson.

As an off-field coach, Wang Hao's face showed less of yesterday's composure and more of a serious expression.

After all, today's opponents are far superior to Zhou Zheyu and Cai Shaoheng.

"The biggest variable in my opponent's game is Falk's forehand short pips rubber. When he hits a shot, it's incredibly powerful and doesn't really affect the spin."

Wang Hao glanced at Chen Jin, then at Zhang Jiahao, and said, "We must control the game well and not give him a comfortable hitting point."

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao nodded at the same time.

Last night in the hotel room, the two studied and discussed the team's playing style with Falk and Karlsson, and they already had a good idea of ​​what to do.

"Also, be careful of Falk's inverted board."

Wang Hao continued, "The ability of short pips rubber to generate spin is not as good as that of inverted rubber, but after hitting the ball, the trajectory drops, making it difficult to use the ball's power, requiring you to actively generate power..."

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao were both fully aware of this.

When Yan Sheng was with the S provincial team, he used short pips rubber on his forehand.

The three of them often train together and are quite familiar with the inverted rubber style of play.

Moreover, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao frequented the park, sparring and exchanging blows with the elderly men.

Not to mention positive glue, I've even used long glue that has been boiled in vinegar and cured with a hollow bonding method, like mushroom-shaped glue.

In comparison, it is much easier to handle.

Of course, this time the opponent is a world-class professional player.

Whether it's strength, basic skills, or the application of techniques and tactics, they are incomparable to the old men in the park; it takes some getting used to.

Wang Hao continued, "Falk and Karlsson are a long-time doubles pair, and they've won the World Table Tennis Championships doubles title before..."

At the 2021 World Table Tennis Championships in Houston, Falk and Karlsson defeated Fan Zhendong and Wang Chuqin in the quarterfinals.

Subsequently, in the semi-finals, they eliminated Liang Jingkun/Lin Gaoyuan.

In the final, they defeated the South Korean pair of Jang Woo-jin and Lim Jong-hoon.

The significance of this men's doubles gold medal is self-evident.

Although Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao seem to have good teamwork based on the World Youth Championships and training matches, they are still too young and lack experience on the field.

In addition, Zhang Jiahao's personal strength is relatively weak.

Facing a men's doubles pair who had previously won the World Table Tennis Championships doubles title, Wang Hao couldn't help but feel a little worried.

To a certain extent, Wang Hao was instrumental in enabling Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao to participate in this Singapore Grand Slam.

Furthermore, the fact that the Chinese national table tennis team only sent this one men's doubles pair to participate in the competition has attracted much attention and raised many questions.

As the head coach of the men's table tennis team, Wang Hao also faces a lot of pressure.

For Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao, especially for Zhang Jiahao, this was a rare opportunity.

If they can overcome all obstacles and win the championship, their future doubles journey will be much smoother.

But if we lose, we'll need to take at least a few years to recover.

"No matter who our opponents are, let's focus on doing our best, stay focused, and stay determined."

At this point, Wang Hao turned to Zhang Jiahao and instructed him, "The old rule applies: on the court, listen to Chen Jin. Be cautious when you need to play it safe, and strike when you need to strike."

"Don't worry, Coach Wang."

Zhang Jiahao nodded solemnly, "On the field, I will follow Jin Ge's lead."

While talking.

The referee's voice could be heard reminding them.

After high-fiving Wang Hao, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao took their towels and turned to walk towards the center of the field.

"When serving and receiving, keep an eye on the opponent's long serves."

Chen Jin speculated, "Given Falk and Karlsson's playing styles, they might try to outlast us in a prolonged battle."

After all, Falk's short pips and inverted blades can be surprisingly effective in rallies.

"Let him fight."

Zhang Jiahao's eyes flashed with a fierce glint. "We'll fight back too."

"If you don't use your brain when playing ball, you'll be Liang Jingkun your whole life."

Chen Jin glanced at him and said, "Think about it carefully."

"..."

Zhang Jiahao was silent for a moment, then said, "Either take control of the situation internally, or take decisive action."

“That’s too general.”

Chen Jin said, "For short balls, use a topspin; for long balls, use a smash. Either hit the landing point or add spin, especially when playing against Falk."

"Although short pips rubber doesn't absorb much spin, it's actually harder to control than inverted rubber if the ball has too much spin."

As if by telepathy, Zhang Jiahao immediately understood: "I understand."

"Remember, the first game is more about testing the waters; it's okay to lose."

Putting the towels into the basket, Chen Jin said in a low voice, "The key is to figure out the opponent's tactics."

"clear."

Zhang Jiahao nodded.

Soon, the four of them came to the referee's side.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao wore the iconic red Chinese team jerseys, with their names printed on the back.

Falk and Karlsson, on the other hand, wore blue and yellow Swedish team uniforms, their tall figures standing out among the Asian players.

Back in the day, Sweden was the world's dominant force in table tennis.

Waldner, Persson, Bengersen... all of them were once formidable rivals of the Chinese national table tennis team.

As is customary, a coin is tossed to determine who goes first.

Unsurprisingly, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao won the first serve in the first round of the first game.

0: 0.

Zhang Jiahao served first.

Falk receives the serve.

"Whoo~"

Taking a deep breath to calm his nerves, Zhang Jiahao stood on the right side of the table, holding a ping-pong ball.

Toss the ball upwards and flick your wrist slightly.

"laugh!"

A short ball from the side flies towards the opponent's right side of the table.

Falk, holding his racket in his right hand, was prepared. He stepped forward and smoothly executed a long topspin.

That shot had a very light, floating trajectory.

It appears weak and powerless, yet it harbors deadly intent.

If we don't exert our strength, we will inevitably fall into the trap.

If you exert all your strength, you might go out of bounds.

Fortunately, Chen Jin had anticipated this before the match.

Seeing him leap back and step back halfway, he stepped forward with his right leg, lowered his right arm, and relaxed his wrist.

As the ball descended, the player leaped up as if from nowhere, precisely controlling the ball with a topspin flick, returning it to the opponent's forehand corner. The trajectory was low and flat, with intense spin.

Karlsson quickly covered the gap, attempting to defend with a backhand.

Unfortunately, before he could even get a firm footing, he couldn't control the ball's spin.

The ball went out of bounds.

1: 0.

"nice shot!"

Wang Hao sat on the sidelines, not even moving an inch, leaning back and clapping loudly.

Watching Chen Jin play always gives me peace of mind.

Solid fundamentals, accurate judgment, and rarely make unnecessary mistakes.

In contrast, Zhang Jiahao was not so sure of himself.

Overall, however, the future looks promising.

"Choo-hoo!"

"Zhu--"

Zhang Jiahao clenched his fist and roared.

It's both a celebration of winning and an opportunity to release inner tension.

Second serve.

Chen Jin remained calm, his arm hanging down, and made a concealed gesture under the table.

With a single glance, Zhang Jiahao immediately understood.

The motion appeared to be a backspin serve, but it was actually a no-spin serve.

Falk misjudged the situation and tried to stretch it further.

As a result, he was sent flying.

"0:2."

The referee's voice was exceptionally clear.

Raise your hand to signal that it's time for the other side to serve.

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

Falk picked up the white ball and held it in his palm.

Holding the racket in his right hand, he pulled it behind him in an extremely exaggerated motion.

Having watched Falk's previous matches in advance, Chen Jin knew very well that Falk's exaggerated serve, which seemed like a ritual, was by no means just for show.

Rather, it was to mislead the opponent.

Just like a magician performing a magic trick, the movements of the right hand are merely a cover for the trickery of the left hand.

Therefore, Chen Jin simplified the process and was not drawn in by Falk's movements.

He stared intently at the moment Falk's racket touched the ball.

"red!"

Chen Jin raised an eyebrow, "Inverted rubber serve!"

According to the rules of the International Table Tennis Federation, the rubber on a table tennis racket must be different colors on both sides, usually one red and one black.

In the early days, there was no such rule.

However, at the 1983 World Table Tennis Championships, Cai Zhenhua had a sudden inspiration and wielded a racket with black rubber on both sides, which made him shine on the court.

The forehand rubber is inverted, and the backhand rubber is anti-spin. These are two different types of rubber with different characteristics. Both sides are black, so you can't tell the difference at all.

Add to that his masterful backhand flip, and he left his opponents completely bewildered.

Therefore, from then on, the International Table Tennis Federation banned players from using rackets with both sides black.

Chen Jin moved quickly, took a step forward, and returned the ball with a short push.

Carlsson swings back.

Zhang Jiahao's footwork was a little slow, he changed position, and his long, spin-heavy return shot went into the net.

1: 2.

"mine."

"I was too slow."

As he spoke, Zhang Jiahao raised his palm and gently patted his left cheek.

His words and expressions were filled with regret and self-reproach.

"fine."

Chen Jin comforted him, "Consider the first few balls as a warm-up."

"Focus your attention and don't stand still."

Zhang Jiahao did a deep squat, then jumped up high, saying, "Understood."

Falk serves again.

This time, he switched to short pips rubber and served a light, no-spin ball.

Chen Jin didn't fall for it and calmly countered, setting up a small triangle on the right side of the table.

Although he is already a veteran in his thirties, Carlsson's reaction is no less than that of his younger days.

Take a quick step and seize the point.

He flicked the ball back under the table with his backhand, looping it around.

The ball arcs high and lands on the table.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Jiahao's heart inexplicably raced, and his pupils contracted sharply: "Chance ball!"

He slid to the side, ready to charge forward.

But, unexpectedly, Carlsson secretly twisted his wrist under the table, adding more rotation.

The ping-pong ball surges forward the instant it lands on the table.

Zhang Jiahao was a little impatient and failed to keep up with the timing.

It hit the edge of the board and flew out at an angle.

2: 2.

The score is tied.

Wang Hao, sitting on the sidelines, crossed his arms and frowned.

Both points were lost due to Zhang Jiahao's mistakes.

Compared to the composed Chen Jin, Zhang Jiahao's strength is indeed far inferior.

Of course, he wasn't in a hurry.

The competition has just begun, and he has confidence in Chen Jin.

On the playing field.

After two consecutive mistakes, Zhang Jiahao shook his wrist in frustration.

Large beads of sweat poured from his forehead, like the gushing spring.

"It's okay, take your time."

Chen Jin walked over and whispered, "Stay calm, I can handle it."

"Ah."

Looking at Chen Jin's determined expression, a hint of emotion flashed in Zhang Jiahao's eyes.

With teammates like these by my side, what more could I ask for?

(End of this chapter)