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

Chapter 360 Men's Singles Final! Chen Jin VS Liang Jingkun!
Singapore Sports Centre.

Eight Extreme Fields.

The lights cascaded down like a waterfall, illuminating the central table tennis table.

The women's singles final has just finished.

Sun Yingsha defeated Ye Sijia 4-1 to win the 2025 WTT Singapore Grand Slam women's singles title.

Next.

That was the men's singles final.

Chen Jin vs. Liang Jingkun.

Red flags fluttered in the stands, which were packed with people.

Not only fans, but also players like Felix and Tomokazu Harimoto were present to watch the game.

Douyin.

Xuperman's live stream.

Having just finished commentating on the women's singles final and hurriedly returned from the restroom, Xu Xin squinted at the screen: "Chen Jin's match hasn't started yet?"

"almost."

Cheng Jingqi smiled.

"I was thinking about the game even when I went to the bathroom. I was worried that missing even a second would be a loss."

Xu Xin put on his glasses and plopped down.

"Brother Xin, you didn't wash your hands, did you?"

Cheng Jingqi disliked the local dialect.

"I haven't retired yet, why should I wash my hands?"

Xu Xin coughed twice and then pushed up his glasses.

That's when.

The live broadcast camera then switched to a fan holding a light stick.

"Chen Jin, Chen Jin, number one in the world..."

Xu Xin was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed "Holy crap!" in a clear and resonant voice, "When did Chen Jin become number one in the world?"

"what?"

Cheng Jingqi said, "Brother Xin, when did your internet switch to 2G?"

"Yesterday, Chen Jin advanced to the final, while Da Tou was eliminated in the semifinals. This means that it is a foregone conclusion that Chen Jin will become the world number one."

Hear the words.

Xu Xin's eyes widened in surprise.

His eyes revealed a hint of shock, as if he was having trouble accepting it for a moment.

"no!"

Xu Xin opened his mouth, looking incredulous. "I remember Chen Jin only joined the national team not long ago, how did he become the world's number one so quickly?"

"Back then, I spent six years in the Chinese national table tennis team before I was lucky enough to become number one in the world."

"Has Chen Jin taken off like a rocket?"

Cheng Jingqi had made ample preparations long before the show started airing.

Knowing that "Chen Jin has newly become the world's number one" will definitely be one of the topics of today's live broadcast.

Immediately, he took out his phone and placed it on the table.

"I saw that someone online has compiled statistics on this."

Cheng Jingqi said, "From the time Chen Jin joined the national team until yesterday, it only took 177 days to unlock the achievement of 'world's number one'..."

"Take the young master?!"

Xu Xin thought he had misheard, "177 days?!"

"Yes."

Cheng Jingqi nodded solemnly.

"What the hell."

Xu Xin stared in disbelief. After a long while, he finally spoke, "Chen Jin must have broken the record for the fastest time to become number one in the world, right?"

"It's hard to say whether there will be anyone like him in the future, but he is definitely unprecedented."

Even for someone like Fan Zhendong, who was born with extraordinary talent, it still took him several years to reach the top of the world rankings for the first time.

Like Chen Jin, who reached the top of the world rankings in just 177 days.

Not only is this unprecedented, but it's likely that future generations will also find it difficult to break such a record.

"Not only did it take the shortest time, but Chen Jin also broke several other records."

Cheng Jingqi continued, "The youngest world number one in history, the world number one who never loses a single match..."

Hear this.

Xu Xin's mouth had already turned into an "O" shape.

"Also, after you, Brother Xin, after eleven years, another penhold player has reached the top of the world number one ranking."

At this point, Cheng Jingqi paused, looking at Xu Xin with a half-smile.

"Hey, how did this get back to me?"

Xu Xin sighed, “Back then, I was the world's number one. In Coach Liu's words, I was the ‘uncrowned king,’ and I didn’t have as many qualifiers as Chen Jin.”

"What does a bald-headed world number one have to compare with Chen Jin?"

He hasn't finished speaking yet.

The live stream assistant's voice came from off-screen: "Someone in the comments said that Chen Jin becoming number one in the world is simply a case of 'when the cat's away, the mice will play'..."

"what?"

Xu Xin and Cheng Jingqi exchanged a glance and couldn't help but laugh out loud. "What do you mean by that?"

"It might mean that, uh... Chen Jin was able to become number one in the world because his opponents weren't strong enough."

The assistant hesitated.

"My God, aren't Chen Jin's opponents strong enough?"

Xu Xin counted on his fingers, "Ma Long, Da Tou, Da Pang, Gao Yuan, Xiao Shi Tou, Felix, Morrigard, and even Xiao Pang, aren't these guys strong?"

"Don't say that Ma Long is too old. Xiao Pang hasn't played a match in a long time. Chen Jin's victory is not fair."

"Didn't you guys watch the match between Chen Jin and Ma Long? Ma Long was already using hair gel, isn't 'Hair Gel Dragon' strong enough?"

"Last year in the Chinese Super League, Fatty did not play for a period of time, but after losing to Chen Jin, he spoke highly of Chen Jin and wanted to play against him again."

"Friends, the value of Chen Jin's world number one ranking is definitely higher than you imagine."

"The real power grab was taken from the hands of the older generation, through sheer force."

Xu Xin's voice was not loud, but it carried a heavy weight of power.

Like a stone thrown into a noisy pond, it temporarily suppressed the ripples of doubt.

Instantly.

The barrage of comments filled the screen.

"Brother Xin is right."

"Chen Jin is undoubtedly the world's number one."

"After all these years, finally another penhold grip player has become the world's number one. I'm so excited!"

"Coach Zhang from next door said something similar in the live broadcast room."

"Looking forward to another match between Little Fatty and Chen Jin."

……

Cheng Jingqi reminded them, "The competition is about to begin."

Immediately, they turned their attention to the competition.

Above the stadium.

The final matchups were clearly displayed on a huge electronic screen.

——CHEN Jin (CHN) vs LIANG Jingkun (CHN).

Followed by.

Amidst the host's enthusiastic voice and the cheers of the audience, Liang Jingkun and Chen Jin took the stage one after the other.

There are no off-fields in civil war.

The two could only fight alone.

He approached the referee.

Toss a coin to guess who will go first.

Liang Jingkun has the right to serve.

Then, they practiced warm-up exercises.

One minute later, the match officially began.

There was silence.

All that could be heard was a crisp "tap tap tap" sound, exceptionally clear within the venue.

It was like the final silence before the war drums sounded.

But Liang Jingkun was seen

He hunched his body slightly, keeping his center of gravity low, like a fully drawn bow.

With his left hand, he tossed the ball high into the air. Just as the ball reached its highest point and was about to begin its descent, Liang Jingkun suddenly unleashed all his strength.

Twisting the waist, rotating the hips, swinging the arms... all done in one smooth motion.

"laugh!"

A short, sharp friction sound pierced the air.

Side down.

The forehand is short.

Chen Jin stepped forward and gently stopped him.

Arcs, falling lines, rotations... the control is exquisite.

Knowing that Chen Jin's skills on the field had reached their peak, he had no chance of winning.

Liang Jingkun had no intention of fighting within the platform at all.

Anticipate the landing point and move forward quickly.

Lower your shoulders and raise your elbows.

Twist and pull in a straight line with your hand in the opposite direction.

The spin was so strong and the speed so fast, it was like a venomous snake suddenly leaping out of the grass, tearing at Chen Jin's backhand. In the blink of an eye.

"Snapped!"

Chen Jin retaliated with a fierce tear.

The ping-pong ball struck Liang Jingkun's left side of the table like lightning.

fast!
Liang Jingkun was so fast that he only had time to move half a step before the ball hit the table like lightning and then bounced away rapidly.

"Fuck!"

Xu Xin's voice rose sharply in surprise, "What a powerful backhand!"

0: 1.

There was no roar after scoring; Chen Jin simply adjusted his grip on the racket slightly, his eyes remaining calm and composed.

It was as if that earth-shattering point just now was nothing more than the most ordinary practice.

Bend over and lower your center of gravity.

They were already in position for the next serve.

"Whoo~"

Liang Jingkun stood still, his chest rising and falling slightly.

He habitually picked up his racket, fanned himself, and looked up at his frighteningly calm young opponent.

The opening move is a decisive one, intended to be aggressive and decisive.

What was originally a sure goal was saved by Chen Jin with ease and force.

This put Liang Jingkun under immense pressure.

"We can't be cowards when facing Chen Jin."

"You have to fight him hard to have a chance to win the match."

Think about this.

Liang Jingkun regained his spirits.

The will to fight erupted once again.

Every shot he makes is infused with the strength of his entire body.

The sound of the soundboard was dull, like the beating of a drum.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

Using his superior physical abilities, Liang Jingkun repeatedly tried to drag Chen Jin into a pure power exchange and rapid-fire close-quarters combat.

The racket in his hand was like a heavy hammer; he swung it up with great force and slammed it down, trying to break through all defenses with sheer force and crush Chen Jin's defense.

However, Chen Jin was like a bottomless swamp.

His steps were as swift as a whirlwind, and his predictions as accurate as radar.

No matter how fiercely Liang Jingkun attacked or how he changed his attack point, he could always appear in the most appropriate position in time to counterattack.

A backhand flick can neutralize immense force without it even being felt.

With swift, powerful strikes, it tears apart weak points with lightning speed.

In a backhand tug-of-war with Liang Jingkun, Chen Jin held his own.

When exchanging forehand blows with Liang Jingkun, Chen Jin remained as steady as a rock.

The mid-to-long-range rallies precisely controlled Liang Jingkun's running range, wearing down his stamina and eroding his spirit.

Liang Jingkun's violent offensive was like a heavy punch hitting cotton.

Or perhaps the surging tide crashes against the unmoving reef, silently dissipating, or even being submerged by a more deadly counter-attack wave.

Sweat trickled down Liang Jingkun's temples, and his breathing grew heavier and heavier.

After each powerful swing, the speed at which one regains balance seems to be half a beat slower.

10: 4.

It was Chen Jin's turn to play.

Standing on the left side of the table, he gently held the ball in his left palm and glanced sideways at Liang Jingkun opposite him.

Toss the ball high into the air.

Turn your waist.

Intro.

His movements were steady and meticulous, without the slightest tremor.

"laugh!"

The ping-pong ball, carrying a strong spin, hurtled towards Liang Jingkun's backhand side in the middle of the table.

The landing point was neither too deep nor too shallow, and the rotation was unpredictable.

Although the speed is not fast, it is extremely deceptive.

Liang Jingkun reacted very quickly, striding forward with his center of gravity very low.

Twist and pull diagonally with a reverse grip.

The moment Liang Jingkun made his move.

As if springs were in his feet, Chen Jin strode across the left side of the platform.

Their movement speed is as fast as a ghost.

The shift in center of gravity was incredibly smooth.

As soon as the ball flew over the net, Chen Jin had already positioned himself sideways.

Sink your body and twist your waist to gather strength.

The right arm draws back to the starting position, like a fully drawn bow.

The whole body has stretched out and appears relaxed, but the strength in the feet is secretly accumulating.

next second.

As the ball bounces, at the highest point of its bounce, the core muscles of the waist and abdomen suddenly explode.

As you kick and turn, your waist and abdomen drive your arms, which swing out like a whip.

"call--"

The air is torn apart wherever the racket goes.

Snapped!
The sound was more explosive than any previous shot.

The moment the racket makes contact with the ball, it's as if sparks fly.

A white streak of light tore through the void with overwhelming force, carrying terrifying spin and speed, and hurtled toward the farthest and most extreme edge of Liang Jingkun's forehand position.

straight line!

A powerful forehand smash down the straight line from the side!

fast!
weight!
change!
The angle is extremely tricky.

The moment Chen Jin turned to the side to prepare for the shot, Liang Jingkun realized the immense danger.

Like an enraged bull, it unleashes its full potential and leaps towards its forehand side.

Its sprint speed is undeniably fast.

With his arm outstretched as far as he could, he slammed the racket down towards the trajectory of that deadly streak of light.

At my fingertips, I could almost feel the slight airflow disturbance caused by the ping-pong ball tearing through the air.

Unfortunately.

His pace slowed down after all.

The edge of the racket was less than a centimeter away from the trajectory of the landing point.

"Break!"

The ping-pong ball grazed the tip of Liang Jingkun's desperately outstretched racket and slammed hard onto the wide-angle sideline of his forehand side, making a crisp impact sound.

Then, like a cannonball, it shot out and crashed into the advertising barrier behind it.

boom!
A muffled thud was heard.

11: 4.

Chen Jin won the first game.

There was no celebration, no shouting.

Chen Jin simply used his hand, as was his habit, to gently wipe away the few sweat stains on the rubber of his racket.

The movements were gentle and focused, as if it were the most important thing in the world.

Sweat streamed down his forehead, outlining his youthful yet resolute features, shimmering faintly under the spotlight.

He then put down his racket, picked up a towel, and slowly walked towards the rest area on the sidelines.

the other side.

Liang Jingkun remained frozen in place, still in the action of making the save, like a solidified statue.

His mouth was slightly open, his chest heaving violently, and his heavy breathing was clearly audible.

Sweat had already soaked through his dark blue jersey, clinging tightly to his broad back.

He stared intently at the white mark that landed inside the sideline, his eyes filled with disbelief, astonishment, immense frustration, and a hint of... bewilderment from being crushed by absolute speed.

That mere centimeter seemed like an insurmountable chasm between him and victory.

In the end, all the emotions turned into a helpless, bitter laugh.

"Defeating Chen Jin is indeed not an easy task."

Liang Jingkun let out a long breath.

Originally, he was a leisurely prince of the Chinese national table tennis team, the fifth-ranked player, and one of the five tigers of the men's table tennis team in the Paris cycle, but he was overtaken by Wang Chuqin.

They have an aggressive playing style, especially their backhand, and possess strong physical attributes, but their tactics are relatively limited.

After the Paris Olympics, his form has been poor, and he has lost many matches.

Especially the Asian Championships and the WTT Finals.

However, during the closed training period, they learned from their mistakes and continuously adjusted their mindset.
Because he knew that as he approached thirty, his opportunities would only dwindle, so he had to make a concerted effort.

Otherwise, it won't be long before they're swept away by the next generation and left stranded on the beach.

This Singapore Grand Slam is a chance for him to prove himself.

"In any case, for me, making it to the finals is a good thing."

Liang Jingkun put down his racket, adjusted his mindset, and his fighting spirit ignited again in his eyes. "Relax and give Chen Jin a good fight."

(End of this chapter)