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

Chapter 350 Men's Singles Quarterfinal Match Schedule

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

Wang Chuqin stood on the right side of the platform and engaged in a backhand tug-of-war with Xie Mingyang.

Each strike delivers force, penetrating the bottom plate.

It seemed like they wanted to beat Xie Mingyang into submission.

Xie Mingyang seemed to have also sensed Wang Chuqin's thoughts, and stood firm on the platform, determined not to back down.

Power, speed, and arc strokes... he is in no way inferior to Wang Chuqin.

Soon, the two had been tearing at each other for dozens of rounds.

Seeing that Xie Mingyang not only did not back down, but instead went all out against him, Wang Chuqin suddenly twisted his wrist and tore open a diagonal line.

His change of direction came suddenly.

It caught me off guard.

If it were Huang Youzheng, he probably would have given up long ago.

But Xie Mingyang is different.

The figure flashed by, moving as fast as lightning.

Xie Mingyang took a step and a cross step, and with unimaginable speed, pounced on the forehand like a cheetah hunting its prey.

"Snapped!"

He actually pulled the ball back in a straight line.

This was contrary to Wang Chuqin's expectations.

Wang Chuqin was stunned for a moment, his face expressionless.

Before Xie Mingyang could return to his original position, Wang Chuqin took out a training ball from his pocket and served a short underspin serve.

Xie Mingyang understood and rubbed a half-tablet position for Wang Chuqin.

Wang Chuqin used a backhand topspin to initiate a series of backhand flicks.

Xie Mingyang played a steady defense.

The two remained silent, with only the crisp, rapid sound of the ball being struck audible.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Chen Jin and the other two never returned to the training hall.

A sense of unease lingered in Xie Mingyang's heart: "I wonder if Chen Jin won?"

Logically speaking, given Chen Jin's strength, Ahn Jae-hyun would definitely not be his match.

However, the charm of competitive sports lies in the fact that the outcome is never certain, and anyone could become a dark horse.

What if Chen Jin pulls off an upset?

Thus, Xie Mingyang was physically in the training hall, but his mind was on the competition field.

Several times he wanted to put down his racket, pick up his phone, and check Chen Jin's match results.

But Wang Chuqin showed no sign of stopping.

Left with no other choice, I had to endure it.

Another half hour passed before Wang Chuqin finally got tired of practicing, took a short break, wiped his sweat and drank water.

Xie Mingyang then took his phone out of his bag.

The first thing that catches the eye when the screen lights up is a message from Chen Jinfa.

"We'll be waiting for you in the lounge."

Those five simple words immediately put Xie Mingyang at ease.

In addition, upon checking the sending time, it was exactly three o'clock.

This means that the match between Chen Jin and Ahn Jae-hyun ended in about twenty minutes.

Given Chen Jin's strength, even if Ahn Jae-hyun were to win by chance, it would be impossible for him to achieve such a quick victory in such a short time.

The only explanation is that Ahn Jae-hyun lost to Chen Jin cleanly and decisively.

Xie Mingyang immediately went online to check, and it was indeed the case.

"Chen Jin's performance was as steady as ever."

With a slight upturn of his lips, Xie Mingyang put his phone back in his backpack, stood up, and looked refreshed.

Turning to Wang Chuqin, he asked, "Shall we continue?"

"Ah."

Wang Chuqin nodded.

Following that, with Xie Mingyang's assistance, Wang Chuqin focused on strengthening his practice of short ball attacking techniques on the forehand side.

At both ends of the table, the white balls traced sharp arcs in the air.

Until 4:30.

End of training.

As Wang Chuqin packed his things, he said, "Shall we have dinner together?"

"no need."

Xie Mingyang didn't even look up. "Chen Jin and the others are still waiting for me in the lounge."

"It's already this late, Chen Jin has probably already gone back to the hotel to rest."

Wang Chuqin said.

After all, a best-of-five match only lasts forty or fifty minutes at most.

At this point, nearly two hours had passed since the match between Chen Jin and Ahn Jae-hyun.

Even if Chen Jinzhen was waiting in the lounge, it was impossible for him to wait this long.

"I believe he is still waiting for me."

After saying this, Xie Mingyang slung his backpack over his shoulder, ignored Wang Chuqin, and walked straight towards the lounge.

Watching Xie Mingyang's departing figure, Wang Chuqin felt a mix of emotions.

I quickly walked to the lounge.

As expected, when I pushed open the door...

Zhang Jiahao was seen leaning back on the sofa playing on his phone, while Chen Jin and Li Qian were chatting.

On the table were several bottles of sports drinks, half-empty.

"Feel sorry."

Xie Mingyang raised his hand. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"Oh my, you finally decided to come?"

Putting his phone back in his pocket, Zhang Jiahao stood up, stretched, and deliberately drew out his words, "My butt's about to burst from waiting."

"It's actually not bad."

Chen Jin laughed and said, "Let's take this opportunity to study our opponents for tomorrow."

"Tomorrow's opponent?"

As was his habit, Xie Mingyang gently placed his backpack beside Chen Jin, and with a rustling sound, took out clean clothes from it. "Aren't you still not out?"

"Double."

Chen Jin added, "Tomorrow at noon, the Lebrunn brothers."

"They're already facing off against the Lebrunn brothers?"

Xie Mingyang took off his shirt, revealing his toned abs. "The Lebrunn brothers are the world's number one men's doubles pair."

"good."

Chen Jin nodded.

These two brothers, one horizontal and one vertical, both right-handed, ultimately became the world's number one men's doubles pair thanks to their strong individual skills, complementary tactics, and tacit cooperation.

"Ranked number one in the world?"

Zhang Jiahao said confidently, "That's because I haven't met Brother Jin and me yet."

"Sooner or later, the world will know who is the real world's number one men's doubles pair."

"Hey Xie, once I win the men's doubles gold medal at the World Table Tennis Championships, I'll be a real world champion. Let's see if you dare to show off in front of me again."

At this point, Zhang Jiahao couldn't help but start daydreaming.

Xie Mingyang snorted coldly, picked up his clothes, and walked into the shower room.

I quickly took a shower and changed my clothes.

Another twenty minutes or so passed.

"Hey Xie, can you hurry up and wash?"

Zhang Jiahao looked dissatisfied and couldn't help but complain, "I can take a shower in three minutes, but you have to take half an hour? Are you trying to stretch your legs or something?"

"The timing is perfect, let's go eat first."

Chen Jin said, "Tonight's match is going to be pretty exciting. Want to watch it together?"

Besides Liang Jingkun and Wang Chuqin, there is also a match between Lin Yunru and Hugo.

Chen Jin's opponent in tomorrow's singles match will be the winner between the two.

What time does the match start?

Xie Mingyang asked.

"Eight o'clock."

Chen Jin recited the names with great familiarity, "First Liang Jingkun, then Wang Chuqin took over."

"If you can watch Lin Yunru a little later, then watch; if not, you can go back to the hotel to rest earlier."

All three matches were highly anticipated.

How could Xie Mingyang possibly miss this opportunity?

"Look."

Xie Mingyang's answer was simple and clear.

"Look at the treatment they get for their matches, 8 PM, prime time."

Zhang Jiahao sighed resentfully, "Look at us, it's either noon or two or three in the afternoon..."

"Who can blame them for having so many fans?"

Li Qian laughed and said, "When you become famous and have so many fans, you can also dominate the prime-time 8 o'clock slot."

"I have little hope."

Zhang Jiahao put his arm around Chen Jin's shoulder and chuckled, "However, as long as we stick close to my brother Jin's coattails, even if things don't go well in the future, we'll still have a few CP fans."

Amidst laughter and conversation, they headed to a restaurant for a meal.

After eating and drinking to our hearts' content, we went back to our rooms to rest.

At 7:30, they finally agreed to take the shuttle bus back to the stadium.

The stands were packed with people.

Chen Jin and the other three chose a slightly quieter corner and sat down one by one.

Looking around, all the people there were girls, holding up signs supporting Wang Chuqin.

"These fans are really rich."

Zhang Jiahao said in a low voice, "I almost thought I had walked into a concert of some popular celebrity."

"Stop complaining."

Li Qian said, "You still rely on them to support you."

"..."

Zhang Jiahao wanted to refute, but couldn't find a reason. He was speechless.

The first match started on time.

When Liang Jingkun entered the venue, he was greeted with cheers from the audience.

He waved in greeting, his expression calm.

Liang Jingkun's off-court coach was none other than Coach Liu Zhiqiang.

"Coach Zhiqiang's life is also a life."

Li Qian said sympathetically, "I hope Liang Jingkun will spare Coach Zhiqiang's heart this time."

The match proceeded unexpectedly smoothly.

11: 6.

11: 6.

11: 6.

Liang Jingkun won decisively, taking three straight sets.

The scores in each game were almost identical, making people suspect that Liang Jingkun was deliberately manipulating the score.

In other words, Xie Mingyang's opponent tomorrow has already been decided: Liang Jingkun.

"Liang Jingkun is indeed in good condition."

Xie Mingyang crossed his arms, his brows slightly furrowed. "His backhand is of very high quality."

With each shot, he combined power, speed, and spin, leaving Walther helpless.

"But the landing point was still a bit off."

Chen Jin sighed softly, "He doesn't have the audacity and courage of Fan Zhendong to tear through straight lines during backhand rallies."

"really."

Xie Mingyang recalled the three matches and found that Liang Jingkun's backhand rallies mostly landed within the opponent's left half of the table.

They rarely take risks and prefer to take the direct route.

"Is Chen Jin reminding me of the tactics and strategies for tomorrow's match against Liang Jingkun?"

Xie Mingyang immediately reacted, "Bear the brunt of Liang Jingkun's backhand, and change his landing point..."

Although this approach is very risky.

However, as a philosopher once said, the bigger the storm, the more expensive the fish.

Facing a key player like Liang Jingkun, Xie Mingyang knew very well that only by fighting hard could he have a chance of winning.

Followed by.

The second match was a seamless transition.

Wang Chuqin made his first appearance.

The fans at the scene were like madmen, their shouts almost lifting the entire stadium off its feet.

His opponent was Anton Karlberg.

The two last met at the Frankfurt Championship last year.

Wang Chuqin, who is known for his tendency to beat those he knows well, unsurprisingly lost to Anton by a score of 0:3, failing to advance to the quarterfinals.

Therefore, this rematch is also seen as Wang Chuqin's revenge battle.

This match was even more intense than expected.

Especially the first game.

The two players were tied 10-10.

In the end, Wang Chuqin won two points with a hook serve and a forehand topspin that went halfway off the table.

They won the first game without any major incident.

After that, Wang Chuqin gradually took control of the game.

11: 4.

11: 8.

They captured two cities in quick succession.

They defeated Anton 3-0 and advanced to the quarterfinals.

Wang Chuqin finally avenged himself by striking the arrow that struck him.

The fans at the scene became increasingly frenzied.

"Chu Qin, Chu Qin, number one in the world!"

"Wang Chuqin, you're the best!"

Instantly.

Sharp cheers filled the stadium and lasted for a long time.

"Still holding onto the title of number one in the world."

Zhang Jiahao sneered, "They simply don't respect Brother Jin at all."

Based on the current points standings of Chen Jin and Wang Chuqin, if Chen Jin makes it to the finals and wins the championship, his world number one ranking will be a sure thing.

If Wang Chuqin can win the championship, then the title of world number one will remain unchanged.

Therefore, Wang Chuqin felt immense pressure facing the challenge from the young player Chen Jin.

More importantly, he had lost all of his previous encounters.

Although during the closed training, Wang Chuqin focused on making up for his technical shortcomings.

However, he still wasn't entirely confident that he could beat Chen Jin.

"Wang Chuqin's backhand is quite threatening, especially his topspin."

Chen Jin nodded and said, "Although there are still some mistakes with my forehand, I have improved a lot compared to last year."

"normal."

Xie Mingyang said, "The closed training wasn't for nothing."

"But he got too impetuous during crucial points."

Chen Jin said, "Compared to Dragon Team and Dong Ge, they are still a bit lacking in depth, making them look less stable."

"Brother Jin has a keen eye."

Zhang Jiahao laughed and said, "Could it be that Teacher Chu Qin won't make it to the finals?"

"Hey Xie, you're in the upper bracket, you should really give it your all."

Xie Mingyang remained silent.

But his eyes were full of anticipation.

Of course, if you really want to encounter Wang Chuqin, you have to get past Liang Jingkun first.

The last match.

Lin Yun-Ju vs. Victor Hugo.

Since his defeat at the Paris Olympics, Hugo's ranking has remained firmly in the world's top ten for the past six months, but his form has fluctuated and he has suffered repeated defeats.

I still haven't been able to regain my touch.

This match was no exception.

11: 7.

8: 11.

11: 5.

11: 9.

Lin Yun-Ju defeated Hugo 3-1 to advance to the quarterfinals.

"what?"

After watching the match, Li Qian was somewhat surprised, "Lin Yun-Ju's forehand seems to have improved."

Chen Jin, however, remained quite composed about this.

During the Chinese Table Tennis Super League, he trained with Lin Yun-ju every day.

The two exchanged techniques without holding back, and Lin Yun-Ju's forehand is bound to improve.
"It seems that after the battle in Paris, Brother Guozi's mind was shattered and he has not yet recovered."

Li Qian sighed, "My condition has been off for the past six months."

As the top table tennis player in Brazil and even South America, Hugo's strength is by no means limited to this.

"It's just a commercial competition, there's no need to take it so seriously."

Zhang Jiahao casually remarked, seemingly unintentionally, "Maybe Brother Guo is biding his time, waiting until the World Cup and World Table Tennis Championships to unleash his full potential."

Regardless, the result is already decided.

The matchups for tomorrow's men's singles quarterfinals are already displayed on the big screen at the venue.

Chen Jin VS Lin Yun-Ju

Xie Mingyang VS Liang Jingkun

Wang Chuqin VS Franziska

Lin Shidong VS Alex Lebrun

"What the hell."

Zhang Jiahao's eyes widened. "Our national table tennis team occupies more than half of the men's singles quarterfinals."

What's most gratifying is that Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang, two young players who have only been in the professional scene for half a year, have actually made it into the top eight.

With three generations of players from different generations appearing together, who would dare to question the development of the men's table tennis team?

As the head coach of the men's table tennis team, Wang Hao looked up at the quarterfinal matchup on the big screen and couldn't help but smile: "The older generation has Wang Chuqin and Liang Jingkun, the middle generation has Lin Shidong, and the new generation has Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang... With such a lineup, as long as nothing unexpected happens along the way, we can at least be worry-free for the time being during the Loong O cycle."

(End of this chapter)