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

Chapter 358: A clean sweep against Lin Shidong! Advancing to the finals!

The game continues.

The serve returned to Lin Shidong.

"laugh!"

Whether it spins or not, the forehand is short.

Having played against Chen Jin several times, Lin Shidong knew very well that Chen Jin's first three moves were as powerful as thunder, extremely fierce.

Its power, speed, spin, and landing point are so great that few can defend against it.

Not to mention retaliating.

The key point is that Chen Jin's backhand, whether it's a topspin flick or a backspin attack, is in no way inferior to Wang Hao's at his peak.

To avoid Chen Jin's first three moves, we must limit his ability to take the initiative.

However, Lin Shidong clearly overlooked one point.

Chen Jin's table tennis skills are enough to rival those of a rhythm master like Ma Long.

"I was just about to go to sleep when someone brought me a pillow?"

Chen Jin stepped forward and gently swung his arms.

The ball control within the table is exquisite; the spin, arc, and landing point are all at your fingertips, allowing you to hit exactly where you want.

Lin Shidong originally wanted to restrict Chen Jin, but unexpectedly, he was controlled by Chen Jin instead.

Knowing that his own position was weaker, he knew that if he continued to fight Chen Jin, he would definitely be the one to suffer.

So, seizing the opportunity, they forced their way in.

"Snapped!"

Lin Shidong performs a powerful backhand twist.

Using too much force, the ball went out of bounds.

3: 4.

Am I out of my mind?

Lin Shidong stomped his foot, filled with frustration. "Why did I have to serve like that? I actually wanted to compete with Chen Jin in the short distance. Wasn't that just asking for trouble?"

Compared to other techniques and tactics, his handling of short balls near the table is inherently weak.

Encountering a master like Chen Jin from within the organization is simply asking for trouble.

"To fight Chen Jin in the Taiwan arena is certain death."

"The only way to win is to fight him in a prolonged and continuous battle."

Think of this.

Lin Shidong immediately adjusted his tactics and strategies.

Second serve.

He launched a direct attack on Chen Jin's backhand.

Chen Jin seemed to have already seen through his intentions.

Step forward with your right leg, leap backward, and create space to hit the ball with great speed.

At the same time, lower your center of gravity and lower your right arm.

He tucked his wrist inward, secretly gathering his strength.

As the ball begins its descent, push off with your feet and spin, then unleash a powerful backhand flick.

"Snapped!"

The body's whipping force is perfectly matched with the point of impact.

A deafening roar, like tearing silk.

The ping-pong ball flew like a cannonball, bombarding Lin Shidong's backhand.

Standing firmly on the left half of the platform, Lin Shidong used the momentum to tear back.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

The two exchanged blows with backhands, each strike powerful and forceful, both determined to kill the other.

The power is increasing, the speed is increasing, and the rotation is becoming stronger.

Even though Lin Shidong is known for his powerful backhand strike, he was finding it somewhat difficult at this moment.

"no!"

"Chen Jin's backhand doesn't look like a penhold grip at all... How come I can't beat him?"

During closed training, Lin Shidong felt that his game was not stable enough, so he strengthened his backhand training.

The power is spinning, even more so than before.

Especially during the stalemate phase.

I thought that this time, when facing Chen Jin, at least my backhand wouldn't be at a disadvantage.

But to my surprise, once I got on the field, it was a completely different story.

Chen Jin's backhand had exceeded his expectations.

A head-on confrontation is not the solution.

If I continue to fight like this, I will definitely be the first to be exposed.

For now, we have no choice but to take the risk.

With a slight turn of the body and a gentle flick of the wrist, he forcefully pressed the board into a straight line.

歘!
The ball went out of bounds.

5: 3.

Lin Shidong ultimately failed to suppress Chen Jin's power and topspin.

The next few balls.

They will either be controlled and killed by Chen Jin inside the table, or they will be defended and countered by Chen Jin.

The scoreline surged like a burst dam, unleashing a torrent of water.

6:3.
3: 7.

3: 8.

……

In the blink of an eye, the score had reached 3:10.

The huge point difference felt like a heavy boulder pressing down on Lin Shidong's chest.

The newly ignited flame was gradually extinguished by the cold reality.

The cheers from the crowd sounded increasingly ironic to Lin Shidong at that moment.

"This can't go on like this."

"Since we can't compete with the domestic players and it's too difficult to maintain the status quo, we might as well try to compete with the first three boards."

A resolute glint flashed in Lin Shidong's eyes.

When Chen Jin served another short forehand side-short ball.

Lin Shidong decisively stepped forward and twisted the pull in a straight line.

"laugh!"

The ping-pong ball, like a long sword, flew towards Chen Jin's backhand.

Chen Jin quickly tore through the middle lane, taking advantage of the situation.

At that moment, Lin Shidong pushed off with his foot and had already returned to defense.

"Snapped!"

A powerful backhand tear.

The ball, like a beast breaking free of its restraints, slammed into the right corner of the table with a piercing shriek as it tore through the air.

Chen Jinfei lunged at his forehand, but couldn't save the ball.

10: 4.

Lin Shidong managed to turn the tide and win a game point.

Despite the huge point difference, Lin Shidong did not give up, but continued to seek ways to break the deadlock.

"good."

Chen Jin cast a slightly approving glance at Lin Shidong.

Losing a game is not terrible.

What's terrifying is losing on your knees.

Subsequently, Lin Shidong once again launched a fierce battle in the first three rounds.

He actually managed to prolong his life.

6: 10.

Chen Jinfa went to the ball.

Lin Shidong followed suit, twisting and pulling with his backhand.

Chen Jin tore the diagonal line.

Undeterred, Lin Shidong forcefully turned to the side and unleashed an even more violent counter-attack with his forehand.

The ping-pong ball, with terrifying spin and speed, hurtled straight towards Chen Jin's center.

"Snapped!"

Chen Jin reacted quickly, unleashing a powerful forehand cross-court shot.

The ball moves extremely fast and is placed at tricky angles.

Lin Shidong's reaction was also top-notch.

As if his feet were made of springs, he made an extreme cross-cutting save, his body almost parallel to the ground, barely managing to block the ball back.

However, the quality of the return shot was not high.

Opportunity ball!
Chen Jin's eyes instantly sharpened like knives.

Without giving Lin Shidong any time to adjust his center of gravity, he pounced on the platform like a tiger.

With a forehand raised high and wrist power generated, a thunderous overhead smash is delivered.

"Snapped!"

The ball, like a cannonball, slammed into Lin Shidong's forehand side of the table, leaving a trail of afterimages.

Lin Shidong retreated to the mid-to-long range, flicked the ball upwards with his forehand, and placed it high.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

Chen Jin's powerful spikes, combined with variations in the landing point, left Lin Shidong exhausted from running.

In the end, with a right-to-left adjustment, the angle was so large that even with Lin Shidong's fast footwork, he could only watch helplessly as the ball flew out.

11: 6.

Chen Jin scores another goal.

The score is 2-0.

In the third game.

Chen Jin executed his tactics flawlessly, keeping a close eye on Lin Shidong's short balls on the forehand side of the table.

This made Lin Shidong quite wary and extremely uncomfortable.

Lin Shidong dared not easily try to play on the inside of the table, for fear of repeating the same mistake as in the previous game.

Left with no other option, I had to grow the ball.

However, while this move avoided the traps within the platform, it also handed over the initiative to Chen Jin.

This was the moment Chen Jin had been waiting for.

With agile footwork and accurate anticipation, Chen Jin reacted instantly upon sensing Lin Shidong's long shot. The ball had barely crossed the net and was still rising when Chen Jin's racket, whistling through the air, fiercely met it.

Or he could quickly rip a straight shot with his backhand, aiming straight for Lin Shidong's open forehand.

Or, use a quick forehand cross-court shot to attack Lin Shidong's right side of the table.

It is fast, has a tricky landing point, and is powerful.

Lin Shidong was forced into a stalemate with his forehand.

Relying on his excellent footwork and tenacious willpower, he charged left and right on the court, making one difficult return shot after another.

It must be said that Lin Shidong's ability to maneuver in the mid-to-long range is truly exceptional.

The rotation is intense, and the arc is low and flat.

However, Chen Jin stood firmly on the mid-range platform, like an unshakeable reef.

Lin Shidong pulled back a high-quality mid-to-long-range topspin shot with all his might, but Chen Jin advanced instead of retreating, meeting the incoming ball with his body. During the ball's rising phase or at its peak, he either quickly pushed or quickly tore the ball.

The ball speed suddenly increased.

The return trajectory is even more varied.

The pitches shifted erratically, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right, sometimes long, sometimes short, keeping Lin Shidong firmly pinned to the mid-to-long range and constantly being moved around.

Even if he was forced to step down from the stage, Chen Jin was not intimidated at all.

After all, his ability to rally from mid-to-long range is equally solid.

The footwork is swift and the forehand and backhand transitions are smooth.

The topspin shot, executed by counter-looping, combines power, spin, and speed, with equally precise placement.

Lin Shidong's proud mid-to-long-range rallies were completely outmatched by Chen Jin's comprehensive and consistent technique.

In the third game, the score was 11-5.

In a best-of-seven match, Chen Jin holds four match points.

Resting on the sidelines.

Lin Shidong sat on the sofa, holding a water bottle in his hand, staring blankly at the stadium dome.

At this point, the cheers and encouragement from the crowd were noticeably weaker than when he first appeared.

Even a blind man could see that Lin Shidong had given his all in the first three games, but was still completely outmatched by Chen Jin.

The idea of ​​relying on Lin Shidong to stop Chen Jin is about to fail.

"Lin Shidong's mentality is a bit broken."

Liu Guoliang's eyes were sharp and piercing.

There's no way around it. When you encounter an opponent like Chen Jin and are beaten so badly that you have no chance to fight back, who wouldn't break down mentally?
"We need to increase our efforts because we haven't had enough experience."

Li Xundao.

The middle generation of men's table tennis players, such as Lin Shidong, Xiang Peng, Xu Yingbin, and Xue Fei.

Only Lin Shidong stood out from the crowd.

Everyone else is slightly inferior.

If Lin Shidong cannot develop, then men's table tennis will truly lose a generation.

The fourth game was a do-or-die situation.

Deep in Lin Shidong's eyes, the last embers of resentment were driven into a desperate, mad gamble by the overwhelming disadvantage.

From the outset, he completely abandoned any attempts at probing or roundabout approaches.

Like a cornered beast, baring its sharpest fangs.

—Backhand!
His most powerful and confident backhand.

When serving, the focus is no longer on controlling spin and landing point, but rather on better connecting with the opponent's attack.

When receiving serves, whether Chen Jinfa's serve is short or long, as long as the trajectory is close to his backhand, he will not hesitate to smash it with his backhand.

The explosive sound of the ball hitting the ball was sharper and more piercing than ever before.

The ball moves faster and spins more intensely, carrying a desperate, do-or-die momentum.

This all-out, desperate style of play did put tremendous pressure on Chen Jin in the first few points.

A powerful backhand shot grazed the edge of the table and flew out at such a tricky angle that Chen Jin couldn't reach it.

"Choo-hoo!"

Lin Shidong clenched his fist and growled.

However, Chen Jin's expression remained as calm as a frozen lake, without the slightest ripple.

"A frenzied battle, a desperate gamble?"

Chen Jin remained calm and unhurried.

Because he was well aware that this kind of fighting style inherently carried enormous risks and instability.

Moreover, Lin Shidong's opponent is a rhythm master who is no less skilled than Mataki.

Seeing through Lin Shidong's intentions at a glance, Chen Jin quickly adjusted his countermeasures.

The return shot should primarily land in the middle, slightly towards the forehand side.

This forced Lin Shidong to exert force by holding his body in place.

The tactical adjustments quickly proved effective.

Chen Jin receives the serve and gently pushes it with a quick chop.

The ball landed precisely in the middle of Lin Shidong's backhand position.

Relying on his powerful core strength, Lin Shidong forcefully twisted his body and used his wrists to try to tear it back.

However, the movements have already become distorted.

"Snapped!"

The ping-pong ball burst out.

Full of power.

Unfortunately, the trajectory was completely out of control and flew directly off the left side of the table.

Making a deliberate mistake is like opening Pandora's box.

The more eager Lin Shidong was to use his backhand, his only weapon, to break through the situation, the more he sank into a quagmire of mistakes.

Mistakes began to occur one after another: distorted movements, excessive force, loss of control over the trajectory.

A forceful shot hit the net, a desperate effort went out of bounds, a chance shot was missed... the score fluctuated mercilessly.

1: 3.

1: 4.

5: 1.

6: 1.

2: 6.

2: 7.

8: 2.

8: 3.

……

Every mistake was like a heavy hammer blow to Lin Shidong's heart.

His signature backhand, which made him famous, now seemed to have betrayed him, becoming his biggest weakness.

In contrast, Chen Jin remained as steady as a rock.

He no longer rushed to attack, but instead firmly controlled the situation and the pace.

Lin Shidong fought hard, while he played a steady defense.

Lin Shidong made a mistake, but he calmly scored.

Like an experienced hunter, he coldly observes and quietly watches his prey exhaust its last bit of strength in the trap.

10: 3.

The game has reached its final moments.

Lin Shidong stood at the receiving position, his hand holding the racket trembling slightly.

The noise of the entire venue seemed to have been muted, leaving only his own heavy, drum-like heartbeat pounding against his eardrums.

"Whoo~"

Lin Shidong took a deep breath and reminded himself, "Don't panic, and don't rush."

"As long as the ball hasn't hit the ground, no matter how far behind we are, there's still a chance to catch up, point by point."

"Lin Shidong, you can do it."

Chen Jinfa went to the ball.

Lin Shidong's backhand long chop.

Chen Jin glides to the side, fully preparing his racket with a smooth and fluid movement.

Facing the incoming ball, all his strength poured out like a raging river.

"Snapped!"

Forehand smash.

The ball, with strong topspin and sidespin, drew a low, flat arc, like a precision-guided missile, heading straight for Lin Shidong's right side of the table.

Lin Shidong leaped and pounced.

Unfortunately, he was a step too slow.

The ping-pong ball, hurtling out of the air, barely grazed the edge of his racket, whistling slightly, before slamming into the white line on the side of the table and bouncing away.

"boom!"

The sound was crisp yet cold.

It was like a final, decisive blow.

"11:3."

The referee raised his hand, signaling that Chen Jin had scored.

"Fourth set, Chen Jinsheng."

"The score is 4-0."

"Chen Jin advances to the finals."

The referee's calm voice carried throughout the stadium via microphone.

In an instant, all the noise ceased.

Quiet as a chicken.

"it's over……"

Lin Shidong stood by the table, maintaining his diving posture, like a sculpture whose soul had been instantly drained.

Sweat dripped down his hair, cheeks, and chin, large drops falling onto the dark blue floor mats, leaving a small, dark stain.

"Still can't beat it."

A bitter smile appeared on Lin Shidong's lips.

the other side.

Chen Jin's face did not show much excitement or joy at the victory.

He walked around the table tennis table and approached Lin Shidong.

"You made quite a few backhand mistakes today."

Chen Jin extended his right hand and shook hands with Lin Shidong, "Ruthless but unsteady."

"You're just too strong."

Lin Shidong gave a helpless, bitter smile.

Hear the words.

Chen Jin didn't say much.

But deep down, she felt a vague sense of unease about Lin Shidong.

(End of this chapter)