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

Chapter 354 Lin Yunru: As long as you don't get your head shaved, you've succeeded!

The game is over.

In the stands, Liu Guoliang stood with his arms crossed, leaning slightly forward, his gaze fixed on the table tennis table in the center of the court.

At this moment, Xie Mingyang and Liang Jingkun were shaking hands amicably, preparing to leave.

"This Xie Mingyang has made great progress."

Liu Guoliang's face remained relatively calm, but a hint of approval flickered in the depths of his eyes.

"Yes."

Li Xun smiled and said, "Last time it was 2:4, this time it's 3:4, and you even managed to push Liang Jingkun to this point. It's truly remarkable for someone so young."

"However, we still lack some mentality and experience in handling crucial points."

Qin Zhijian nodded. "Of course, Xie Mingyang is still young, he will have plenty of opportunities in the future."

These three individuals are in charge of the Chinese national table tennis team.

Apart from Liu Guoliang, Li Xun and Qin Zhijian both came from the Beijing team.

As a traditional powerhouse in Chinese table tennis, the Beijing team boasts a wealth of talent.

Only the former Bayi team could rival them.

Now that the Bayi team has disbanded and the Shanghai team has become a retirement home, the Beijing team boasts top players from three generations, including Ma Long, Wang Chuqin, and Huang Youzheng, making them the undisputed leader of the Chinese national table tennis team.

With Ma Long gradually retiring, although Wang Chuqin is at the peak of his career, the Beijing team still needs fresh blood and should plan ahead.

Originally, the Beijing team had placed their hopes for the future on Huang Youzheng.

However, in this Singapore Grand Slam, Huang Youzheng was eliminated in the round of 32, performing far worse than Xie Mingyang.

Comparing the two, it goes without saying which one has more potential for development.

"Last year, who could have imagined that a U16 selection competition would actually produce two promising talents?"

Li Xun laughed.

"No, there should be three."

Liu Guoliang's eyes were sharp. "That young man named Zhang Jiahao has a pretty good foundation. He's also left-handed, so he's a good prospect for doubles."

It must be said that Liu Guoliang, as a coach, has a good eye for talent.

"Zhang Jiahao?"

Qin Zhijian smiled and said, "If I partner with Chen Jin in doubles, even if we're not the best, we can still guarantee a top-four finish. I think if we switch to Huang Youzheng, we can still win the doubles championship."

The implication couldn't be clearer.

"How about we try it next time?"

Liu Guoliang laughed.

Anyway, I think it's worth a try.

Qin Zhijian turned to look at Li Xun, "Coach Li, what do you think?"

"It's all right."

Li Xun smiled slightly and immediately turned his gaze to Xie Mingyang, who was leaving the stage. "Among his peers, Xie Mingyang's performance is already quite outstanding."

"But compared to Chen Jin, he's still far behind."

The two of them came all the way from the selection competition, starting from almost the same point.

However, in just six months, Chen Jin had already defeated all the main players of the Chinese national table tennis team.

Including Liang Jingkun.

For a young player who is only sixteen years old, such strength and such a record are unimaginably terrifying.

To date, no one has been able to match it.

Even Fan Zhendong, who was known as the "Heavenly Star," wasn't this extraordinary.

"It is undeniable that Chen Jin is very strong, but there is no invincible general in the world."

Qin Zhijian said in a deep voice, "Moreover, this may not be a good thing for Chen Jin."

Everyone present was shrewd and astute; how could they not understand the meaning behind Qin Zhijian's words?

The reason is simply that Chen Jin has achieved such remarkable results at such a young age, and if he loses, he might not be able to withstand the setback and blow.

"It's always better to win than to lose."

Liu Guoliang said, "As long as you get proper psychological counseling, there shouldn't be any problems."

His inclusion in the top 32 at the Paris Olympics and his withdrawal from the world rankings have caused him significant public criticism.

Public opinion, like a raging flood, is bound to shake his position.

The only way forward is to lead the Chinese national table tennis team to more victories in order to gain more leverage.

Especially the World Cup and the World Table Tennis Championships.

From the current perspective, the development of the women's team's talent pool is relatively stable.

The men's team, on the other hand, is somewhat weak.

Without Ma Long and Fan Zhendong, these two pillars of strength, relying solely on Wang Chuqin, Liang Jingkun, and Lin Shidong is clearly not enough.

Wang Chuqin was ruthless but unstable, Liang Jingkun was stable but not ruthless, and Lin Shidong was still inexperienced.

On the contrary, it was the young player Chen Jin who made Liu Guoliang feel more at ease.

"come on."

Liu Guoliang turned his gaze and spotted Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao sitting in the back corner diagonally opposite him.

After Xie Mingyang and Liang Jingkun's match, Lin Shidong and Alex took over.

The outcome of their match will directly determine who Chen Jin's opponent will be in the next round.

However, Chen Jin had no interest in watching the game.

Because his quarterfinal match is at 6 PM, against Lin Yun-ju, he needs to prepare in advance.

They left directly together.

lounge.

Xie Mingyang, looking somewhat tired, pushed open the door and entered.

"Played well."

Chen Jin reached out and patted him on the shoulder.

The voice wasn't loud, but it was clear, carrying a simple affirmation, not a consolation.

As a young player, how many players of his age in the Chinese national table tennis team, besides Chen Jin, could push Liang Jingkun to the brink of life and death?

A simple word of approval warmed Xie Mingyang's heart.

He was just about to say something.

"Tch, losing after leading 2-0, is that not bad?"

Zhang Jiahao pursed his lips, his voice a little hoarse, "You surnamed Xie, don't you feel ashamed?"

What's wrong with your throat?

Xie Mingyang frowned. "Did you eat too many chili peppers?"

"I want you to take care of it!"

Zhang Jiahao turned his head and said, "Mind your own business. You lost even when you were leading 2-0..."

"As long as I can beat you, that's enough."

Xie Mingyang said it casually.

"Yo ho!"

Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Zhang Jiahao rolled up his sleeves and said, "You've got quite the nerve!"

"Let's go, let's go to the training hall, find a table, and have a one-on-one match!"

Xie Mingyang scoffed disdainfully: "You're trying to challenge me to a one-on-one match right after I finished my game. You've got a pretty good plan."

After a grueling seven-game match against Liang Jingkun, he was at his physical and mental limit.

How could he possibly fight back at this moment?

Moreover, Zhang Jiahao's physical strength has improved considerably recently.

Even at his peak, Xie Mingyang might not be entirely confident of defeating Zhang Jiahao.

Not to mention those with low health.

"Pigs have too many excuses!"

Although he knew Xie Mingyang was telling the truth, Zhang Jiahao still wouldn't let it go.

"okay."

Chen Jin said, "What's the point of a private duel? Only on the competition field can we see the real test."

"Brother Jin is right."

Zhang Jiahao immediately seized the opportunity to back down, saying, "Hey Xie, let's see who's better on the field."

Wasn't it you who just said you wanted to have a private duel?
Can someone change their mind faster than turning the pages of a book?
Having spent a long time with Zhang Jiahao, Xie Mingyang had already figured out his personality. He snorted coldly, "How many times have you lost to me in total?"

"What the hell..."

After Xie Mingyang finished showering and changing his clothes.

The three went to the restaurant.

After eating, I went back to my room to rest for half an hour.

Half past four.

We arrived at the training hall.

Wang Hao had been standing next to a pool table for a long time.

Tonight, there are two games that require him to be present at the stadium.

At 6 o'clock, Chen Jin vs. Lin Yun-Ju.

At 7:35, Wang Chuqin will face Francesca.

"Chen Jin, although you and Lin Yun-ju haven't faced each other in singles competitions in international tournaments, you two are teammates in the Chinese Super League, so you should know a bit about his playing style, right?"

Wang Hao's gaze was fixed on Chen Jin, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny and examination. "Yes."

Chen Jin nodded.

In the Chinese Table Tennis Super League, he and Lin Yun-ru teamed up side by side, playing doubles with excellent teamwork, and won the championship for the S Province team.

We train together regularly and exchange ideas and techniques.

Lin Yun-Ju's playing style is characterized by "full-court topspin".

Twisting and pulling techniques have existed for a long time.

However, at the beginning of the century, it was not mature.

Later, through Wang Hao's hands, the reverse twisting and pulling technique gradually became a system.

Later, Zhang Jike's emergence further popularized the backhand topspin technique, which remains popular in the world of table tennis to this day.

In today's table tennis world, everyone can do a backhand topspin.

Lin Yun-ju, however, is unique in that he uses the backhand topspin as his primary offensive tactic across the entire Taiwan region, earning him the title of "King of Backhand Topspin".

Back then, although Zhang Jike's backhand topspin was strong, he still relied mainly on his forehand to score points, unlike Lin Yunru.

Lin Yun-Ju's backhand topspin is not only an all-around attack, but also features fast ball speed, low and flat trajectory, flexible landing point, and elegant variation, resulting in a very high success rate and a great threat.

Makes it difficult for the opponent to defend.

With this skill, he even defeated Mataki, shining brightly.

However, Lin Yun-ru's shortcomings are also quite obvious.

--strength.

Compared to top-ranked players in the world, Lin Yun-Ju's strength is relatively weak and his explosive power is insufficient, making it difficult for him to deliver a fatal blow in a match.

Once the game enters a stalemate, the weaknesses in forehand and backhand power will be fully exposed.

"Because of his lack of strength and explosive power, Lin Yunru's topspin is difficult to execute like Fan Zhendong and Liang Jingkun's in one stroke. He relies more on spin, trajectory, and placement. As long as you can defend against it and enter a rally, Lin Yunru has no advantage at all."

In response, Wang Hao devised a strategy: "Therefore, there are two key points in this match."

"First, control within the station, restricting Lin Yun-ru's ability to manually twist and pull."

"Whether it's serving or receiving, keep a firm grip on the table and don't give him an easy opportunity to topspin."

“Use spin and placement to either keep him inside the table or give him long balls to force a rally.”

"If you can't pull out quality, half of Lin Yun-ru's offensive system will be wasted."

He believed that with Chen Jin's abilities, achieving this would be a piece of cake.

"Second, the first three shots must be powerful, and the forehand must be targeted accurately."

Wang Hao continued, "Since we are a penhold grip player, we must play to the characteristics of a penhold grip player. Whenever we have an opportunity, we should take the initiative and firmly grasp the offensive control in our own hands."

"Even if the game gets into a stalemate, we must concentrate our firepower and relentlessly attack his forehand, using variations in shot placement to disrupt his positioning and break his rhythm..."

Wang Hao's tactical analysis was like an incredibly precise scalpel, dissecting Lin Yunru's playing style and revealing all his weaknesses.

Followed by.

Wang Hao then walked away and stood to the side, quietly watching Chen Jin's training.

The sparring partner was Zhang Jiahao.

After all, both Zhang Jiahao and Lin Yunru are left-handed.

Simulated combat training.

Chen Jin strictly followed Wang Hao's tactical arrangements.

When placing a short ball, it should be low and twisting, firmly controlling the table and not giving the opponent a chance to twist or pull.

When chopping long, it's fast and deep, heading straight for the baseline of the table, leaving the opponent with no choice but to rally.

The first three moves were fierce and sharp.

Forehand and backhand, a barrage of powerful attacks.

Zhang Jiahao cried out in pain, "Brother Jin, could you go a little easier?"

"I'm imitating Lin Yun-ru, but I'm not Lin Yun-ru, you know."

Snapped!
Snapped!
Snapped!
……

The crisp sound of hitting the ball, the explosive sound of the ball hitting the ground, and the screeching sound of the shoes rubbing against the rubber floor all blended together.

Sweat quickly soaked through their clothes.

Wang Hao stood on the sidelines with his arms crossed, watching the details of each round intently, occasionally issuing short and precise instructions.

"Very good, this short swing is good."

"The angle of the reverse twist can be a bit more tricky, and the wrist can be a bit heavier."

"Put your feet firmly on the ground and concentrate your power!"

"Connectivity, continuity, speed, and even faster..."

Time passes quietly.

It's almost six o'clock.

Chen Jin packed his things and headed backstage.

Waiting area.

The lights were soft, and the air was filled with the unique atmosphere of the stadium.

There are ten minutes left before the match starts.

Backstage, a dozen or so staff members were moving around busily, Zhang was extremely busy.

"Chen Jin".

Lin Yunru arrived late.

He waved from a distance, his signature gentle smile on his face, his steps light and easy.

"finally come?"

Chen Jin smiled and gave Lin Yunru a high five, saying, "I'm a few minutes late."

"I need to do more preparation before competing against you."

Lin Yunru smiled.

"It seems you came prepared this time. I'd better be on my guard."

Chen Jin smiled.

As one of the F4 members of the foreign aid group, Lin Yun-Ju's world ranking has dropped significantly, but his strength has always remained consistent.

For Chen Jin, no matter who his opponent is, he will treat them all equally and will never take them lightly.

"Anyway, I'm prepared to lose."

Lin Yunru laughed and said, "As long as you don't shave my head, it's a success."

"If I'm lucky enough to win a game against you, I'll go to the Mazu Temple and kill a chicken to thank the goddess."

These words, though seemingly a joke, were actually Lin Yun-ru's heartfelt words.

Chen Jin's strength is evident to all.

To date, they have never been defeated.

Moreover, those who have lost to him include world-class players such as Ma Long, Fan Zhendong, Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Felix, and Moregard.

In contrast, Lin Yun-ju's winning percentage against Chinese national table tennis players is already very low.

For him to defeat Chen Jin would be an impossible task.

Moreover, having trained with Chen Jin in the Chinese Table Tennis Super League, he knew very well that Chen Jin's strength was even more terrifying than he had imagined.

Now, as an opponent, he has no extravagant desires.

"Exaggerated."

Chen Jin smiled.

The two then chatted for a few more minutes.

The atmosphere was relaxed and harmonious.

It's impossible to tell that the two are about to engage in a life-or-death battle on the field.

However, both of them knew each other very well.

Once on the field, all personal friendships will be left behind.

All that remained was the purest desire for victory.

At this moment.

A staff member stepped forward to remind the contestants to prepare to enter the venue.

"See you at the stadium."