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

Chapter 373 My goal is to beat you!

"Won!"

"Xie Mingyang, awesome!"

The entire Universiade Center Gymnasium was completely engulfed in frenzy.

Cheers, screams, applause... swept through every corner as if it were a joke.

The deafening roar continued for a long time.

A red wave surged and roared in the stands.

Even Xie Mingyang didn't expect that there would be so many fans cheering and shouting for him at the scene.

Across from the pool table.

Tomokazu Harimoto lowered his hand that was holding the racket.

Standing still, head slightly bowed, sweat dripped from his chin onto the dark blue table tennis table.

He didn't look at his opponents celebrating wildly, nor at the boisterous stands.

Some unfocused gazes fell on the little white ball lying quietly.

The final shot, Xie Mingyang's deceptive long chop, was indeed exquisite.

But what truly broke him was that domineering and unparalleled twisting motion.

That trajectory, imbued with an aura of destruction, seemed to transcend time and space, merging with an indelible figure from my memory.

The shadow left by that man at his peak, the nightmare that once haunted his youth.

At this moment, in this way, I was reawakened by this young man in front of me with a sharper and more domineering attitude.

Tomokazu Harimoto slowly raised his head and looked at the young figure in front of him at the net.

It was as if one could see that man's will, through this brand-new, sharp body, crossing the river of time, casting a cold and challenging glance at oneself.

After a brief absence.

His instincts, honed through years of professional experience, allowed him to quickly suppress his dejected emotions.

Take a deep breath, straighten your back, and force a smile onto your face.

Take a step forward and reach out your hand across the net to the opponent who just defeated you.

"Congratulations."

Tomokazu Harimoto's voice was somewhat low and hoarse, but clear and powerful, carrying a sincere respect.

He is by no means a sore loser, and he would never throw an axe at his opponent after losing a game.

The young man in front of us won the game through sheer skill, a clean and unpretentious playing style, and unwavering determination in crucial moments.

Such an opponent deserves respect.

"Thank you."

Xie Mingyang also suppressed his excitement and gripped Zhang Benzhihe's hand with a little force.

Although they are opponents, they are passionate about the game and play cleanly, which is admirable.

Their eyes met briefly.

No words were needed; they both understood the respect that top athletes share for pure skill and fighting spirit.
Unfortunately, in the cruel world of competitive sports, there can only ever be one winner.

The applause and screams at the scene continued to surround Xie Mingyang.

Xie Mingyang waved to the stands in all four directions and strode towards the sidelines.

Won!

I really beat Tomokazu Harimoto!
My hands were trembling slightly.

The score is 3-2.

Every entanglement in the game, every battle for a crucial point, flashed back in my mind like sharp fragments.

That suffocating stalemate, that feeling of being on the verge of death, that desperate gamble in the final moments...

"Whoo~"

Xie Mingyang let out a long breath.

At this moment, the sharpness in his eyes had not completely faded, but he had regained his usual calm.

"calm!"

"This is just the group stage!"

A stern voice exploded in my heart, like cold water being poured over my head.

Defeating Tomokazu Harimoto is certainly a crucial step on the road to the main tournament.

But this is by no means the end.

Following them are Oh Jun-sung and Nima Alamian.

Any mishap could turn this hard-won victory into nothing, transforming all the cheers into harsh mockery.

Xie Mingyang clenched his fist tightly, his nails digging deep into his palm.

The distinct pain dispelled the dizziness and excitement brought on by the great victory.

The road ahead is still long.

Not far away, in the coaching area.

Liu Guoliang, Qin Zhijian, and Li Xun sat side by side, all focusing their attention on Xie Mingyang.

"Although Xie Mingyang is young and still has a long way to go compared to Chen Jin, he is brave, resourceful, and full of fighting spirit, showing the potential to become a Grand Slam champion."

Liu Guoliang's voice was not loud, but it carried a kind of confidence that came from having seen it all.

Watching Xie Mingyang quickly regain his composure amidst the noise and shake hands with his opponent with such calmness, one can see the remarkable mentality of this young player.

"Indeed."

Qin Zhijian nodded in agreement, "A strong backhand, a powerful forehand, and the courage to fight on crucial points. His mental fortitude is also quite good."

"Although he is not as good as Chen Jin now, given time, he may be able to form a future duo with Chen Jin in the Chinese national table tennis team."

"Perhaps, these two can recreate the dominance of the 'Two Kings and One Horse' 'Three Musketeers' of yesteryear."

Hear the words.

A glint of light flashed in Liu Guoliang's eyes.

But he quickly regained his usual composure.

"It's a bit too early to talk about dominance at this point."

Liu Guoliang laughed and said, "Especially for Xie Mingyang, winning against Zhang Ben is just the beginning. It can only prove the present and cannot indicate the future."

"Zhang Ben's fluctuating form, injuries, and even the element of luck in this match all objectively exist."

"Xie Mingyang needs more tough battles to hone his skills, more consistent performance, and championships to prove himself."

"correct."

Liu Guoliang changed the subject, "How's the situation with Zhang Jiahao?"

So far, it's been pretty good.

Li Xun said, "I participated in three events and didn't lose a single one."

"Ah."

Liu Guoliang seemed to be deep in thought.

In the current men's team, only Wang Chuqin remains from the older generation of players to carry the team. As for the middle generation of players, apart from Lin Shidong, the performances of others such as Xiang Peng, Xu Yingbin, and Xue Fei are mediocre and can only be described as "barely satisfactory".

Like chicken ribs, they are tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away.

They are unlikely to be able to support the future of the Chinese men's table tennis team.

The national table tennis team's once-proud talent development system is facing an unprecedentedly difficult situation, and may even face a crisis of a lack of young talent.

The hidden worry of a gap in the talent pool is not only a concern from the outside world, but also a huge weight on the minds of the Chinese national table tennis team.

Fortunately, Chen Jin's sudden emergence completely patched up this rift.

And now, Xie Mingyang's performance is equally gratifying.

Recalling the controversial U16 selection tournament after the Paris Olympics last year, Liu Guoliang couldn't help but feel secretly fortunate.

At the time, he defied public opinion and broke with conventional selection methods, directly giving the most outstanding newcomers the opportunity to participate in top-level competitions.

I thought it was going to be an adventure.

But now it seems that this was perhaps one of the wisest decisions I've ever made.

Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang emerged from that selection competition.

It's hard to imagine how difficult it would be for the Chinese national table tennis team to develop its talent pool without these two individuals.

……

The match has just ended.

The hashtag #XieMingyangVSZhangBenZhihe# skyrocketed, instantly topping the trending search list.

The live stream clip, especially that domineering and fierce "overlord twist," was wildly reposted by countless marketing accounts.

The comments section was buzzing with excitement.

"Holy crap, the newcomers in the 09 generation are amazing! Chen Jin suddenly appeared out of nowhere, becoming the youngest and fastest world number one, and now a sixteen-year-old newcomer has emerged out of nowhere... The Chinese men's table tennis team is practically guaranteed to win for the next ten or even twelve years!"

"Xie Mingyang didn't just appear out of thin air! Last year's BJ Grand Slam and the recent Singapore Grand Slam, he actually made it to the quarterfinals and almost upset Liang Jingkun."

"Tears welled up in my eyes! Seeing Xie Mingyang's powerful topspin, damn, I got goosebumps! It's so similar... to that man's shadow... the future of Chinese table tennis is bright!"

"His technique is superb, his forehand and backhand are well-balanced, and his mental fortitude is even stronger! Despite being so far behind in the deciding game, he withstood the pressure, chased and fought back, and turned the tide... This big heart is definitely the future superstar born for major competitions."

"The development of China's national table tennis team has finally shown real hope! Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang, this new generation of twin stars, are so promising!"

"09line Gemini, charge!"

"A clean and pure battle of skill, so satisfying to watch! A rising star in Chinese table tennis, with a promising future!"

……

Of course, people have different opinions.

Among them were also calm, even slightly critical, voices.

"Keep bragging! What does winning against Zhang Ben mean? Zhang Ben was just out of form. You're praising a young man to the skies just because he won one game? Be careful he doesn't fall flat on his face! Wait until he wins a major championship before you start bragging."

"It's just a group stage match, they only won one game, is it really necessary to buy so much trending information? Whether they can even make it to the knockout stage is still a question, are they already celebrating at halftime?"

"09line? Gemini? Let's get past Liang Jingkun first."

"I thought this newcomer was really good, but when I looked at the score, it turned out he only beat Zhang Ben by two points."

……

Regardless of praise or criticism, one undeniable fact remains: Xie Mingyang's name will resonate throughout the entire table tennis world, accompanying this exhilarating victory.

At the same time, it is also a resounding clarion call for the rise of a new star.

All the excitement from the outside world was kept out of the players' passage.

In the lounge.

Xie Mingyang vigorously rubbed his wet hair with a towel. The blush of victory on his face had faded, replaced by an almost cold calm.

"Beating Zhang Ben is commendable, but we shouldn't be too complacent."

Wang Hao handed him a bottle of energy drink, "Wu Juncheng is coming up next, it's going to be another tough battle."

"Securing a stable qualification from the group stage is the key."

Xie Mingyang nodded solemnly: "Understood."

At that moment, the door to the lounge was pushed open.

Chen Jin and Lin Shidong walked in.

"Well done, Xie Mingyang."

Lin Shidong gave a thumbs up, "In the last game, you turned the tide and probably broke Zhang Ben's mentality."

"You still have the nerve to say that."

Wang Hao deliberately put on a stern face, "Look at your own record against Zhang Ben."

"..."

Lin Shidong stuck out his tongue somewhat awkwardly.

"Congratulations."

Chen Jin smiled slightly. "A beautiful win."

"good."

Xie Mingyang looked at Chen Jin and said, "Zhang Ben is just one of my many rivals."

"Actually, I don't think there's anything particularly proud about beating her, since I'm not the champion."

He paused, his gaze intense, looking directly into Chen Jin's eyes, and said calmly, word by word, "My goal is to beat you."

This statement came out.

The lounge fell silent instantly.

Lin Shidong's smile froze for a moment.

To anyone else, Xie Mingyang's words sounded like a provocation and a declaration of war.

Wang Hao raised an eyebrow slightly.

But Xie Mingyang stood still in front of Chen Jin.

The two are of similar height.

But at this moment, Xie Mingyang had just gone through a life-or-death battle, and his breathing had not yet fully calmed down. His eyes were as sharp as a drawn blade.

Chen Jin, on the other hand, had a steady breath and a relaxed posture, yet his eyes were so deep that they seemed to absorb all light.

That's an absolute aura that can only be forged through countless peak battles and standing at the top of the world.

Chen Jin's smile deepened; instead of being displeased, he seemed to have been ignited with some kind of interest.

"Then you have to work harder."

Chen Jin's voice was steady.

Instantly.

An invisible sense of oppression, belonging to an absolute king, quietly spread out.

It was as if the entire lounge space was tilted slightly toward him.

The smile remained on his lips, gentle and harmless.

However, deep within those dark pupils, two cold stars seemed to suddenly gleam, carrying a disdainful look down upon the mountaintop, awaiting challengers.

(End of this chapter)