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

Chapter 397 Even without Chen Jin, we should still be able to win the World Cup... right?

Huaxi LIVE. Fish Cave.

The huge venue was filled with the roar of tens of thousands of people, like a giant cauldron boiling over.

Although it was only March, the atmosphere at the scene was comparable to that of the mountain city in August or September.

A circular screen, suspended in mid-air, clearly displays the two main characters who are about to appear.

Xie Mingyang VS Wang Chuqin.

VIP Management Area.

It's like a deserted island, isolated from the hustle and bustle.

The Chinese national table tennis team's coaching staff, including Liu Guoliang, Qin Zhijian, Li Xun, Wang Hao, and Liu Zhiqiang, had already taken their seats.

"I really didn't expect that."

Looking at the name on the big screen, Liu Zhiqiang spoke first, his voice filled with admiration, "That kid Xie Mingyang actually made it all the way to the semi-finals."

“Anton Carlberg, Tomokazu Harimoto, Hiroto Shinozuka… none of them were easy to deal with, yet he still managed to cut them all down.”

During the Asian Cup group stage, Xie Mingyang defeated Zhang Benzhihe.

While this match certainly showcased Xie Mingyang's strength, some questioned whether Zhang Benzhihe was simply out of form and had underestimated his opponent.

Xie Mingyang's victory was purely by chance.

But this time, defeating Tomokazu Harimoto twice finally silenced some people's criticisms.

"They fought their way through, and their fighting spirit was certainly formidable."

Li Xun leaned back in his chair, his hands clasped together and placed on his lower abdomen. "I just don't know if I can maintain my form from the Asian Cup and advance to the final?"

"This time it'll probably be a bit difficult."

Qin Zhijian said, "Wang Chuqin's performance at this Chongqing Championship was evident to all. It seems he's aiming to end his championship drought."

The phrase "championship drought" reached everyone's ears, causing them to suddenly realize something.

Thinking about it carefully, Wang Chuqin hasn't won a single championship in the past six months since the Paris Olympics.

It was thought that with Long Pang's retirement, the title of the top male table tennis player would fall on Wang Chuqin's head, and that Wang Chuqin would surely surpass the old guard.

But now it seems that Chen Jin is more suitable for the title of "number one in men's table tennis".

Therefore, Wang Chuqin is eager to win the Chongqing Championships to restore his confidence and prestige as the top male table tennis player.

In the previous rounds, Wang Chuqin's dominant performance against Aruna, his stable control over Alex, and his fierce attack against Moregard last night all demonstrated his determination to win the championship.

This semi-final is destined to be a crucible for refining true gold.

"Is the semifinal match in the upper half of the bracket between Chen Jin and Lin Shidong?"

Liu Guoliang, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, "What do you think Lin Shidong's chances of winning are this time?"

Li Xun, Wang Hao, and the others exchanged glances.

Without prior arrangement, a knowing, bitter smile appeared on their faces, and they shook their heads helplessly.

In the round of 32, Chen Jin easily defeated Gao Chengrui, maintaining his consistent level and form.

In the following two matches, they crushed Ahn Jae-hyun and Lin Yun-ju.

Its sharp edge is unstoppable.

On the other hand, Lin Shidong defeated strong opponents such as Zhao Dacheng, Liang Jingkun and Felix to advance to the semifinals against Chen Jin.

However, compared to Chen Jin, he is ultimately inferior.

In particular, Lin Shidong's control over the station can only be described as "utterly chaotic".

As for the backhand, it's powerful, but the error rate is too high.

"That means there's really no suspense about who will advance to the finals from the upper bracket."

Liu Guoliang crossed his arms, his gaze becoming even more profound. "The key is this match: who will make it to the finals, Xie Mingyang or Wang Chuqin?"

"Correct."

Wang Hao nodded.

According to the coaching staff's arrangement, this Chongqing Championships is the last major tournament before the World Cup for the main players of the Chinese national table tennis team.

It's perfect for training troops, allowing them to identify and address weaknesses through real-world combat.

Judging from the current situation, the dominance of the Chinese national table tennis team does not seem to have declined at all.

After all, all four finalists are from the Chinese national table tennis team.

"The World Cup should be a sure thing now..."

Liu Guoliang thought to himself, "Even without Chen Jin, if you single out Wang Chuqin or Lin Shidong, they should be able to win the World Cup."

With Long Pang dropping out of the world rankings, no male table tennis player has won a single one of the three major tournaments.

This clearly demonstrates just how important the World Cup title is.

Because it is so important, we must consider how to maximize the benefits of winning the championship.

Liu Guoliang looked up and saw that the audience seats were filled with Wang Chuqin's cards.

He immediately seemed to be deep in thought.

My fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of the seat.

At this moment.

The lights suddenly dimmed.

With the host's enthusiastic introduction, a figure strode out and appeared on the field.

"Wang Chuqin!"

"Wang Chuqin!"

"Wang Chuqin!"

"Big Head, keep it up!"

……

The cheers at the scene were deafening, as if the earth were collapsing.

Wang Chuqin was expressionless, his cheeks taut as if carved by a knife, and his lips pressed into a cold, hard line.

His eyes swept indifferently over the stands where people were cheering wildly for him, without excitement or response, only unfathomable focus and calmness.

He walked briskly to his rest area.

Subsequently.

Xie Mingyang makes his appearance.

The cheers subsided, and there were even a few boos.

Suddenly, a sharp female voice rang out from the corner: "Big Head, revenge!"

The implication couldn't be clearer.

In the Asian Cup semi-finals, Wang Chuqin lost to Xie Mingyang and missed the final.

This was Wang Chuqin's chance to get revenge.

Xie Mingyang frowned slightly, and a hint of gloom flashed deep in his dark and cold eyes.

However, it was not affected by this.

With steady steps, he arrived at the rest area by the field and began to organize his things in an orderly manner.

Water bottle, towel, banana...

everything's ready.

He stretched his muscles and bones before stepping onto the field.

He stood facing Wang Chuqin.

As they shook hands, their gazes clashed silently in the air, like swords locked in combat.

The air seemed to freeze at that moment, and even the deafening shouts seemed to be blocked out.

Toss a coin to guess who will go first.

Wang Chuqin was awarded the right to serve.

Immediately following was the pre-match practice session.

Taking this opportunity, the host steered the atmosphere: "Audience members, cheer and scream for the two contestants!"

"Wang Chuqin—"

The crowd chanted in unison, "Go for it!"

"Wang Chuqin—"

"Rise up!"

……

"Okay, now let's cheer for Xie Mingyang! Xie Mingyang—"

"..."

"Xie Mingyang—"

"Get up!"

Someone let out a strange cry.

This caused the fans at the scene to burst into laughter.

Wang Hao and the others frowned deeply at this.

Liu Guoliang, however, remained unmoved.

Before the two minutes were even over, Wang Chuqin chopped the ball with his backhand.

Xie Mingyang walked to the referee's table, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat from his hands.

Then return to the left side of the table.

Take small steps in place to move around a little.

He bent over, his gaze focused, his aura as imposing as a rainbow, his eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

Wang Chuqin, holding a ping-pong ball, gently twirled it between his fingertips, standing on the right side of the table, glancing sideways.

As he lowers his center of gravity, he prepares to serve.

The once bustling venue instantly fell silent.

Silence fell.

Throw the ball.

Turn your waist to prepare for the shot.

Just as the ping-pong ball was falling.

Wang Chuqin suddenly moved.

The forearm drives the wrist, and the friction explodes instantly.

"laugh!"

A strange white light, with a strong downward spin, flew past the net in a low, flat arc.

The shot landed precisely in Xie Mingyang's forehand corner.

This ball had strong spin and a tricky landing point.

Without any probing or hesitation, it was clear that they wanted to limit Xie Mingyang's initiative.

Xie Mingyang reacted extremely quickly, pushing off the ground with his left leg and lunging to the right.

Shift your body weight onto your right leg.

Seize the opportunity during the early descent of the ball and execute a high loop drive.

However, the landing point of the arc was perfectly controlled.

He charged straight at Wang Chuqin's left sideline.

A sharp glint flashed in Wang Chuqin's eyes.

Like a cheetah, he lunged forward with a crossover step towards his forehand side, executing a counter-attack down the crosscourt. Even Xie Mingyang had to admit that Wang Chuqin's speed at mid-to-close range was worthy of his world number two ranking.

However, while Wang Chuqin was fast, he was not slow either.

Anticipate problems and quickly retreat to defend.

Facing Wang Chuqin's forehand counter-attack, Xie Mingyang used the momentum to counter-attack down the middle lane.

Wang Chuqin defends with a backhand flick.

"Chance!"

A surge of murderous intent flashed in Xie Mingyang's eyes.

A sliding step to the side creates space for hitting the ball.

Push off the ground and twist your waist.

The force originates from the ground and is instantly transmitted to the right arm.

The racket in his hand transformed into a heaven-splitting axe, bursting forth with unparalleled power.

"Snapped!"

The deafening explosion was like a shattering sledgehammer.

The small ping-pong ball, with the force of thunder, pierced through the air and slammed heavily into Wang Chuqin's backhand corner.

The force was so great that it left a clear white mark on the table.

0: 1.

Xie Mingyang secured the first blood.

"They're going this hard right from the start?"

Wang Chuqin glanced at Xie Mingyang, who was as cold as an iceberg, and his gaze darkened slightly.

It's clear that Xie Mingyang came prepared for this semi-final.

"Do you want the Asian Cup story to repeat itself?"

"No way!"

Second serve.

The middle path is short.

Do not forward.

Xie Mingyang stepped forward and twisted the handle.

Wang Chuqin sprinted sideways and charged straight ahead at extremely high speed.

"Snapped!"

Before Xie Mingyang could react, a white shadow flashed past him on the edge of his forehand side.

1: 1.

Wang Chuqin's serve and attack are masterful.

Decisive and firm, leaving no room for compromise.

"Wow!"

The fans at the scene cheered like a mountain collapsing.

However, Xie Mingyang's journey to the finals was a dark horse, and he was by no means an easy opponent.

There was no trace of panic on his face.

Instead, an even more intense flame surged in his eyes.

Next serve.

Xie Mingyang followed suit, retaliating in kind.

The match quickly became intense.

Wang Chuqin attempted to use aggressive attacks and fast, mid-to-close-range shots, each shot carrying immense power, landing with tricky placement and lightning speed, forcing Xie Mingyang into a passive defensive posture.

However, Xie Mingyang's response was an even fiercer, more ruthless, and more unreasonable fight.

His aggressive playing style reminded Wang Chuqin of someone else.

"Snapped!"

Wang Chuqin quickly ripped a cross-court shot with his backhand, attacking Xie Mingyang's open forehand.

Xie Mingyang seemed to have springs in his feet, executing an extreme crossover step that spanned the entire table as he leaped to save the ball.

With his body almost out of balance, he hooked his wrist and forcibly lifted him up.

The ping-pong ball, with an uncanny arc, rose from under the table, bypassed the net, and flew towards Wang Chuqin's forehand corner.

The instant it landed on the table.

The curve turns to the side and then dips downwards.

Knowing that the ball had sidespin, Wang Chuqin's pupils contracted sharply, and he dared not relax.

Gently lift the board, trying to control the shortness.

Unfortunately, he underestimated the spin of the ball.

"laugh!"

The ball went into the net.

Chu Qin sniffed habitually, without even frowning, his eyes remaining cold and hard as ice.

He immediately retaliated with the next ball.

Xie Mingyang unleashed a powerful backhand smash, incredibly fast, heading straight for Wang Chuqin in the middle.

Facing this ball, Wang Chuqin did not retreat but advanced, shifting his weight forward to withstand the fast attack.

"Snapped!"

It actually pressed a straight line.

Xie Mingyang returned to defend, but it was too late.

The score fluctuated as the game intensified.

The two were like ruthless swordsmen, exchanging blows and delivering deadly attacks on the field.

9: 9.

Xie Mingyang serves.

The hook shot was swift and long, aimed straight at Wang Chuqin's backhand baseline.

Wang Chuqin made a precise prediction and slid to the side.

"Snapped!"

A powerful forehand smash down the line.

This ball, like a warrior charging into battle, flew fiercely towards Xie Mingyang's backhand with unstoppable momentum.

Xie Mingyang stood still, motionless.

"Snapped!"

There was another bang.

Xie Mingyang backhanded the big corner.

"Fuck!"

Wang Chuqin never expected that Xie Mingyang would not only defend against his side-step charge, but also manage to land at such a large angle.

The fatal thing was that he had just completed his explosive dash, and his center of gravity was still in the same place.

There wasn't even time to restart it.

He could only watch helplessly as the white light, like a thunderbolt from the sky, cleaved his left side of the platform in two.

10: 9.

Xie Mingyang took the lead and reached game point first.

Continue serving.

Wang Chuqin stepped forward and twisted the handle.

Xie Mingyang quickly rips a diagonal line with his backhand.

Wang Chuqin counter-attacks with his forehand.

Xie Mingyang moved with the lightness of a treadmill, sliding sideways and almost touching the ground before unleashing a powerful diagonal shot.

The angle was enormous, and the force was immense.

It flew off, just missing the edge of the line.

Wang Chuqin also lowered his center of gravity and tried to pull back.

However, it hit the edge of the board.

"boom!"

The ball flew out of bounds at an angle.

11: 9.

Xie Mingyang won the first game.

……

at the same time.

training hall.

After watching the first game, Chen Jin and Lin Shidong walked back to the table, picked up their rackets, and began a forehand attack.

"The real culprit has been found."

Lin Shidong nodded and said, "Xie Mingyang's style of play is unreasonable, but it's really effective against Brother Tou."

Originally, Wang Chuqin's playing style was characterized by his aggressive, three-ball attack.

To defeat Wang Chuqin, you either need to use your strength to break him down during the stalemate, or suppress him in the first three shots.

Without a doubt, Xie Mingyang's tactical strategy today was the latter.

"Indeed."

Chen Jin nodded in agreement, "In the first game, Tou Ge (Tou Ge) defended the mid-to-close range and used a fast-paced style of play, which was also very effective."

After all, given Wang Chuqin's playing style, once he retreats to the mid-court and engages in forehand and backhand rallies, he is almost always at a disadvantage against top players.

Wang Chuqin's current playing style, which involves defending the mid-to-close range and refusing to retreat, is indeed the best solution.

"Yes."

Lin Shidong blurted out, "During winter training, Tou Ge (a nickname for a player) must have learned some of your penhold grip techniques..."

Before he could finish speaking, he abruptly stopped, as if he had touched on some taboo.

Chen Jin understood immediately and smiled calmly.

"Although Xie Mingyang won the first game, he's really putting in a lot of effort in this match and probably won't give up so easily."

Lin Shidong immediately changed the subject, "In the next round, we'll see if Xie Mingyang can hold on."

"We definitely can't withstand it."

Chen Jin took a half step back. "Only by fighting can we have a chance of winning."

Having finished speaking.

Kick your leg and twist your waist, then unleash a powerful forehand smash.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

The thunderous sounds of hitting the ball echoed continuously in the somewhat empty training hall.

(End of this chapter)