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

Chapter 394 Four Major Tournaments Arrive in Succession
The following afternoon, we flew directly to Beijing.

The plane landed smoothly at Daxing Airport, where a special car was already waiting.

Back to the Training Headquarters.

Outside the dormitory building.

As Chen Jingang got out of the car, he suddenly heard an excited voice.

"Brother Jin!"

The words had not yet finished.

A figure, arms outstretched, pounced from a great distance.

Anyone with a brain could guess that this person was Zhang Jiahao.

Before Chen Jin could react...

Zhang Jiahao clung to Chen Jin's waist like an octopus.

"I go!"

Chen Jin was almost knocked to the ground by him, but fortunately his lower body was more stable, which allowed him to regain his balance. "Don't you know how much you weigh?"

However, Zhang Jiahao's excitement was not diminished, and he hugged Chen Jin tightly: "Brother Jin, in this Turkish branch tournament, I participated in three events and won three championships."

"Just one question: am I awesome or not?"

Chen Jin smiled wryly, "Hanging, hanging, hanging... But even if you're hanging, you can't wrap yourself around my waist."

At this moment.

Xie Mingyang got out of the car.

Surprisingly, Zhang Jiahao didn't say anything to belittle Xie Mingyang when he glanced at him.

Thinking about it carefully, it's quite normal.

Zhang Jiahao competed in three events this time, winning the men's singles, men's doubles, and mixed doubles titles, but it was ultimately just the WTT Turkey tournament.

Compared to the Asian Cup, the tournament's level is somewhat lower, making it less prestigious.

After all, the Asian Cup involves raising the national flag.

The Turkish branch tournament was just a small commercial event.

Moreover, Xie Mingyang fought his way from the group stage to the finals, defeating not only Tomokazu Harimoto but also top players like Wang Chuqin.

In comparison, Simon Gortz is utterly insignificant.

Even if Zhang Jiahao wanted to make fun of him, he couldn't find a way to do so.

"When did you arrive?"

Chen Jin asked.

"We were only an hour or two earlier than you guys, Brother Jin."

Zhang Jiahao grinned, "Brother Jin, you promised to treat me to dinner..."

"rest assured."

Chen Jin patted his chest, "I'll arrange it tonight."

"Great!"

Zhang Jiahao slapped his thigh suddenly, "I fucking miss Chinese food so much!"

"Hot pot! Chongqing-style hot pot, the nine-compartment pot, I have to have it!"

As they spoke, it was as if they could already smell the sizzling hot pot aroma that seemed to reach the very top of their heads.

Saliva involuntarily seeped from the corner of his mouth.

"Since it's a Chongqing-style hot pot, you can only find the most authentic version by going to Chongqing."

Xie Mingyang suddenly said, "The Chongqing Championship is next month, and we're going to have hot pot then, so why don't we save it for then?"

"Right."

Chen Jin nodded in agreement.

"Does that mean we have to wait another half month?"

Zhang Jiahao slumped down almost completely, muttering, "I just want to eat this tonight..."

"Same as usual tonight, this time it's on me."

Xie Mingyang said, "Dongxinglou."

"Dongxinglou?"

Zhang Jiahao's eyes lit up, and he immediately regained his energy. "I've heard of it. This is something I can do."

"You, surnamed Xie, are smart to know what's good for you."

Immediately, I put my luggage back in the dormitory.

After a short rest.

The three of them hailed a ride-hailing car and headed straight for Dongxinglou.

Chicken slices with egg white filling, deep-fried meatballs, braised sea cucumber with scallions, shark fin soup...

While enjoying his meal, Zhang Jiahao vividly described the interesting things he encountered during the competition in Türkiye, as well as the local customs.

Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang listened quietly.

Although he didn't say much, his eyes were gentle, and he was enjoying the time together without the pressure of the competition.

There are no training sessions scheduled for the evening.

After eating and drinking to our hearts' content, we returned to our dormitory to rest.

The next day, ten o'clock in the morning.

The core members of the Chinese national table tennis team gathered in the conference room for a closed-door debriefing meeting.

"In this Asian Cup, our men's and women's teams swept the gold, silver, and bronze medals, a remarkable achievement that deserves recognition."

Liu Guoliang sat at one end of the long table, looking around at the coaching staff and key players present, and said, "We should applaud ourselves."

The voice just fell.

A round of enthusiastic applause erupted in the conference room.

As the applause gradually subsided.

Liu Guoliang then continued, "However, once the competition is over, all the results are in the past."

"The most important thing right now is the four tough battles that will follow next month."

Speaking of which.

He paused for a moment.

The projection screen behind me lit up.

A PowerPoint image immediately appeared.

Above, the four major competitions are listed.

1. WTT Chongqing Championship, March 11-16.

2. WTT Incheon Championship, April 1-6.

3、2025年国际乒联男子及女子世界杯，4月14日——20日。

4、2025年第58届世界乒乓球锦标赛，5月17——25日。

Looking at the schedule on the projection screen, almost everyone in the room focused their attention on the World Cup and the World Table Tennis Championships.

"Do you see it?"

Liu Guoliang's voice rose slightly, "In less than two months, four major events were held seamlessly. The intensity and density are unprecedented."

"This will be an extreme test of your physical reserves, tactical adjustments, and psychological resilience."

"The World Cup and World Table Tennis Championships can be put aside for now, but the Chongqing Championships are imminent. We must win them on home soil."

immediately.

The scene changed.

It was changed to another PTT (Public Telephone Platform).

—WTT Chongqing Championship Participant List.

The men's team roster is as expected.

Chen Jin, Wang Chuqin, Lin Shidong, Liang Jingkun, Lin Gaoyuan, and Xie Mingyang.

"The goal of the Chongqing Championship is, in addition to winning the championship, to sweep the top four positions as much as possible."

Liu Guoliang said in a deep voice, "We must ensure our points advantage to lay the foundation for seeding in subsequent competitions."

"In addition, there is the Incheon Championship."

"Considering the workload of continuous combat, the coaching team decided to adopt a rotation strategy after research."

Liu Guoliang's gaze swept over everyone, "The main players are preparing for the World Cup, while the younger players will participate in the Incheon Championship."

talking.

Another slide appeared.

Men's team roster: Lin Gaoyuan, Xie Mingyang, Zhang Jiahao, Huang Youzheng.

When Zhang Jiahao saw his name on the list of participants for the Incheon Championship, his heart skipped a beat, as if a flame was about to burst forth.

With his current points, he wouldn't normally be able to participate in a tournament of this caliber.

However, the coaching staff promoted him despite the usual circumstances.

Without a doubt, they saw Zhang Jiahao's potential.

Especially in doubles.

However, singles is the foundation of doubles.

If one cannot accumulate more experience and achievements in singles, it will inevitably affect doubles.

"The coaching staff only gave me this opportunity because of Jin Ge."

Zhang Jiahao was very clear in his mind, "I must seize the opportunity in this Incheon Championship, achieve good results, and show the coaching staff my strength before they will let me team up with Kim in doubles."

After all, the World Table Tennis Championships are just around the corner.

The doubles spots have not yet been finalized.

Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the coaching staff was willing to give him a chance.

"Isn't Chen Jin in the Incheon Championship?"

Xie Mingyang's gaze darkened slightly, and his heart skipped a beat. "This is an excellent opportunity to compete for the championship."

Since the Paris Olympics, Chen Jin has won the championship in every competition he has participated in.

Chen Jin did not participate in this Incheon Championship.

The outcome of the championship remains uncertain.

It's not just Xie Mingyang.

The other players shared the same thought.

It's important to know that, given the level of the championship, even setting aside the prize money, the points alone amount to a thousand.

If you can get these 1,000 points, it will greatly help your world ranking.

The higher your world ranking, the more and better competitions you can participate in.

For any athlete, the allure is undeniable.

Even Wang Chuqin was somewhat tempted, secretly frowning: "The coaching staff isn't going to arrange for Chen Jin to participate in the Incheon Championship? Isn't that the best opportunity to win the championship?"

Although he was reluctant to admit it, it was the truth.

He hasn't won a championship in six months now.

Even the WTT champion.

As the number one player in men's table tennis, such results are bound to be criticized.

He desperately needs a championship to prove himself.

Without Chen Jin, the Incheon Championships present a good opportunity to potentially break his "championship drought."

Unfortunately, his name was not on the list of participants.

"And then there's the World Cup..."

Liu Guoliang continued, "According to the World Cup participation rules, the spots have basically been finalized."

"Chen Jin has earned a spot in the competition as the U19 World Championship winner, the Asian Cup winner, and the world number one ranked player."

"Xie Mingyang, Wang Chuqin, and Liang Jingkun have qualified for the Asian Cup as the four semifinalists."

"In addition, Lin Gaoyuan secured the last qualifying spot based on his world ranking."

"As for the World Table Tennis Championships..."

Liu Guoliang picked up his teacup, took a sip, and moistened his slightly chapped lips. "The list is pending."

"Besides Chen Jin and Wang Chuqin, the men's team still has three singles spots left."

"One of them will be adjusted in the final decision based on the world ranking and recent performance."

"The other two spots will be determined through the group's direct qualification competition."

"The women's team is the same."

Upon hearing the words "direct qualification competition," everyone present, except for a few individuals such as Chen Jin, Wang Chuqin, and Sun Yingsha, had their eyes light up with excitement.

"Direct qualification competition?"

Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao exchanged a glance. "We must seize this opportunity!"

"Next, time is tight and the task is heavy."

Liu Guoliang's gaze, as if it were tangible, pressed heavily on the shoulders of everyone present. "From today onwards, put away all your pride and complacency, and forget all your past achievements."

"I want you to treat every training session like a final, and use every bit of your strength wisely!"

"any questions?"

"no!"

The responses were clear and uniform, resounding throughout the entire conference room.

The next two days.

Take a break and recharge.

However, Chen Jin, Xie Mingyang, and Zhang Jiahao still spent most of their time in the training hall.

Zhang Jiahao needs to use even better skills and tactics to consolidate the confidence gained from winning three titles in one competition.

Xie Mingyang needs to capitalize on the inspiration from his Asian Cup silver medal and bridge the gap between him and Chen Jin.

Chen Jin, on the other hand, must defend his throne and face even fiercer challenges.

The three players fed each other the ball, exchanging tips and techniques without holding back.

(End of this chapter)