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

Chapter 399 Decisive Game! Xie Mingyang Saves Match Points!

Break between games.

Xie Mingyang was covered in sweat, sitting on the sofa, drinking water sip by sip. His gaze was somewhat unfocused, but his eyes revealed unwavering determination.

Although they managed to win one game, they were still down 2-3 in the overall score.

If he loses another game, he will have to watch Wang Chuqin advance to the finals.

behind?

Desperate situation?

Do not!
Deep within Xie Mingyang's heart, an indomitable flame surged like a volcano.

The miracle of advancing to the Asian Cup final by defeating Wang Chuqin is still fresh in his mind, and he firmly believes that he can do it again!

To keep the suspense of the game going, to drag the opponent into an even deeper quagmire, or even... a comeback!

the other side.

Wang Chuqin's eyes were calm and deep, yet they contained an even more terrifying determination.

He vividly remembered the pain of the Asian Cup and knew all too well Xie Mingyang's resilience and fighting spirit.

We must not repeat the mistake of having such a commanding 3-1 lead!
We must use the most intense firepower to finish the battle quickly in the sixth inning, lest things get complicated.

The referee gave the signal.

The sixth game begins.

0:0.
Standing on the left side of the table tennis table, Xie Mingyang took a deep breath, as if he wanted to inhale all the air in the entire stadium.

With your left palm facing upward, gently hold the small white ball.

Throw the ball.

Holding the racket in his right hand, he swung it sharply in front of his body like a pendulum.

Reverse rotation.

The ball landed in Wang Chuqin's forehand small triangle.

Wang Chuqin quickly stepped forward with his left foot, lowering his center of gravity to almost touching the edge of the table.

Use your fingers and wrists to increase friction.

The ping-pong ball, with strong topspin and an arc, flew high over the net and smashed into Xie Mingyang's backhand corner.

Xie Mingyang seemed to have been prepared for this.

Just as Wang Chuqin was lobbing the ball high, his center of gravity had already shifted backward.

Forearm and wrist slightly adducted.

As the ball rises, unleash a powerful backhand smash.

"Snapped!"

A crisp, loud bang, like a thunderclap, exploded in the stadium.

The small white ball suddenly transformed into a streak of silver lightning, accompanied by a sharp whistle, like thunder and lightning, almost skimming the net, and smashed towards Wang Chuqin's forehand corner.

Wang Chuqin had just completed the high-hanging maneuver and had not yet fully returned to his normal position.

Faced with this thunderous and tricky backhand rip, there was simply no time to react.

"昘——"

Wang Chuqin's forehand cross-court shot was instantly blasted through.

1: 0.

"Choo-hoo!"

"Zhu--"

Xie Mingyang clenched his fist and growled.

Then, he stepped up to serve again.

The forehand is short.

Side-up.

Wang Chuqin strode forward, leaned forward, lowered his shoulders and raised his elbows, seizing the landing point.

A sharp, quick wrist strike, combined with explosive power from the forearm, results in a powerful backhand twist.

"laugh!"

There was a flash of white light.

The ping-pong ball, with its strong topspin, flew like a cannonball, piercing through Xie Mingyang's opening in the middle of his forehand with overwhelming force.

Although Xie Mingyang reacted quickly, he turned to the side to try and pull back.

Unfortunately, the ball was too fast, and his racket only managed to graz the edge of the ball.

1: 1.

Switch sides and serve.

The middle path is short.

Side down.

Xie Mingyang acted decisively, stepping forward and twisting his arm to attack Wang Chuqin's center.

This shot blocked Wang Chuqin's power.

Wang Chuqin had no choice but to stick a defensive board.

However, he underestimated Xie Mingyang's twisting rotation.

A slight miscalculation caused it to fly straight out of bounds.

1: 2.

Xie Mingyang is in the lead again.

Wang Chuqin glanced down at the rubber on his racket, his brows furrowing slightly, but his eyes remained calm.

Sniffing, Wang Chuqin continued serving.

The forehand is short.

Do not forward.

Xie Mingyang stepped forward, raised his elbow, and intended to twist and pull.

But at the moment of making the move, his thoughts changed.

He changed his move midway through, switching from a twist to a chop.

Quickly chop Wang Chuqin's right half of the platform.

Wang Chuqin was preparing to counter Xie Mingyang's topspin, his center of gravity and racket angle already set for a counter-attack.

Unexpectedly, Xie Mingyang suddenly changed his tactics.

Fortunately, Wang Chuqin's reaction was equally top-notch; he adapted to the situation and changed the swing.

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

They set up a semi-exposed stage.

"Chance!"

Xie Mingyang's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Start by stepping forward and sliding sideways.

The body's center of gravity shifted instantly to the right leg.

Pushing off the ground, twisting the waist, swinging the arms... all the strength in the body, compressed to the extreme like a spring, is released with a roar at this moment.

"Snapped!"

A powerful forehand smash down the crosscourt.

Wang Chuqin's diving save became a futile backdrop.

3: 1.

Xie Mingyang serves a short sideways cross-court shot.

Wang Chuqin stepped forward and twisted the middle path.

The ball was moving at extremely high speed, chasing after Xie Mingyang.

Xie Mingyang was pushed into a somewhat uncomfortable position by this ball.

But he twisted his waist, forced his body to the side, and charged forward with his forehand to meet the incoming ball.

The moment Xie Mingyang released the ball, Wang Chuqin had already moved his feet in advance.

Like a ghost, it moved sideways into position.

The movements are short and quick, tearing diagonally at a large angle.

Using Xie Mingyang's force against him, the power and spin of Xie's smash, combined with the explosive force of the wrist, were transformed into an even more ferocious white light, like a tiger descending the mountain, tearing open the gap in Xie Mingyang's forehand.

3: 2.

Xie Mingyang switched to a backhand serve.

The middle path is short and doesn't turn.

Wang Chuqin attempted to perform a short routine, but his control was slightly off, resulting in a half-finished performance.

Xie Mingyang squatted down, as if sitting on a toilet.

He lowered his grip and silently gathered his strength.

As soon as the ball bounced off the end line of the table, Xie Mingyang's core and arm strength erupted like a volcano.

"Snapped!"

Backhand smash down the crosscourt.

This explosive attack, with its immense power, speed, and spin, far exceeded expectations.

Wang Chuqin's reaction was remarkably swift.

His leaping tackle was truly extreme.

However, Xie Mingyang's explosive, all-out attack was of extremely high quality.

Wang Chuqin's racket barely reached the ball, but the ball's power completely overwhelmed his control, sending it flying out of the court.

2: 4.

Despite taking an early lead, Xie Mingyang did not celebrate.

Instead, he put down his racket, walked to the side, picked up a towel, and wiped his sweat.

At the same time, we need to think about the next tactics and techniques.

Wang Chuqin gave Xie Mingyang a deep look, his eyes serious: "We must find a way to catch up in points as soon as possible."

He knew in his heart that if things continued like this, Xie Mingyang might really drag him into the decisive game.

At that point, the pressure will be immense.

Wiping away sweat, they returned to the game, which continued.

Wang Chuqin just tossed the ball up into the air.

Sudden.

The referee's voice rang out: "Net!"

Wang Chuqin looked bewildered and turned to look at the referee.

The referee immediately gestured, indicating that the serve toss was a violation.

However, no points were deducted.

Instead, he signaled to Wang Chuqin to serve again.

"OK."

Wang Chuqin returned to the serving position.

The middle path is short.

Do not forward.

Xie Mingyang stepped forward and swung his short leg.

Wang Chuqin swings back.

Four or five consecutive short-term battles took place, with each side attempting to find weaknesses in the other's power struggle between control and counter-control.

They went back and forth, neither gaining the upper hand.

Xie Mingyang suddenly exerted force with his wrist and slashed downwards.

Chu Qin, the king of fast chop, hits a long ball from the baseline with his backhand.

Wang Chuqin quickly stepped back half a step, then launched a backhand topspin shot.

The ball was extremely fast, heading straight for his chest.

Xie Mingyang twisted his waist and hips, and pulled back with his forehand.

With a sliding step and a sideways movement, Wang Chuqin swung his forehand racket with incredible speed, like a cannon firing.

Pushing off the ground, twisting the waist, and swinging the upper arm—who can match its power and speed?
Faced with Wang Chuqin's fierce side-step forehand counter-attack down the middle, Xie Mingyang was almost driven to the brink of defeat.

Withdraw from Taiwan?
It's too late.

A hard top?

The risks are enormous.

At the critical moment, Xie Mingyang seemed to have a sudden inspiration.

He did not choose to engage in a direct confrontation or play a conservative blocking style.

At the instant he touched the ball, his wrist subtly flicked outward.

The movement was small, but its subtlety was remarkable.

Not only did it remove the counter-pull force and rotation from Wang Chuqin, it also gave it strong side spin and a particularly tricky trajectory.

The ping-pong ball flew through the air, drawing a strange sideways arc, as if it had eyes, bypassing the open space on Wang Chuqin's forehand side where he had just turned, and heading straight for the far corner of his left side of the table.

Wang Chuqin hadn't expected that Xie Mingyang could pull out such a sharp angle.

Even with three heads and six arms, it would be powerless to reverse the situation.

I could only watch helplessly as the ball grazed the white line at the very edge of the table and flew far away.

2: 5.

This ball, starting with Wang Chuqin's serve, involved a short, close-range rally, followed by a side-step counter-attack, and then a cross-court flick.

In just a few rounds, it was full of delicate control, calculated placement, and desperate, aggressive attacks.

The audience was completely captivated.

As the ball landed, a burst of enthusiastic applause and cheers erupted from the stands.

But soon.

The cheers and applause were completely drowned out by the cheers of the fans.

"Wang Chuqin!"

"come on--"

……

"come on!"

"Wang Chuqin—"

……

Uniform and orderly, hysterical.

However, Wang Chuqin ignored him. At that moment, he was already thinking about how to adjust his tactics for the next ball.

Serve again.

A straight line is short and doesn't rotate.

Xie Mingyang used a short backhand stroke to precisely control the return ball in Wang Chuqin's forehand corner.

Wang Chuqin quickly stepped forward and shoved back into the middle.

Halfway through the performance.

Xie Mingyang quickly started moving, turning sideways to create space for his shot.

Lower your center of gravity, and rub your wrists and forearms vigorously, as if pulling up a scallion from dry land.

Another high-looping topspin shot.

This board is suspended high, with strong rotation, a low arc, and a deep landing point.

Wang Chuqin originally intended to turn sideways and pull back.

However, they couldn't match the points.

He swung the racket with all his might, but hit nothing but air.

6: 2.

Despite holding a significant lead, Xie Mingyang remained vigilant.

In the next match, we should press on with our momentum and continue our winning streak.

On the other hand, Wang Chuqin, despite his strong skills and tenacious will, tried to catch up as the score gap widened, producing several brilliant shots.
However, Xie Mingyang was in such good form at that moment that he seemed to have divine assistance, always managing to defuse the crisis with a more powerful and precise return shot.

The score quickly reached 10-6.

Xie Mingyang not only took the lead in reaching game point in the sixth game, but also had the right to serve.

"Whoo~"

Xie Mingyang took a deep breath.

His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

Reverse spin, short forehand.

Wang Chuqin's twisting and pulling of straight lines is of high quality.

Xie Mingyang showed no mercy, unleashing a powerful backhand cross-court shot that instantly pierced Wang Chuqin's backhand defense.

11: 6.

Xie Mingyang won the sixth game.

The score was now tied at 3-3.

"Zhu--"

Xie Mingyang couldn't help himself and clenched his fist, letting out a low growl.

The figure in the red jersey, illuminated by the lights, resembled a burning flame.

Trailing 1-3 in the overall score, they rallied to win two consecutive games, dragging the match into a deciding game.

On the edge of a cliff, a desperate counterattack!
Xie Mingyang did it.

Pressure, exhaustion, ecstasy... all intertwined at this moment.

However, Xie Mingyang did not slack off because of this.

Because he knew that the real battle had only just begun.

Backstage, lounge.

The screen's glow illuminated the faces of Chen Jin and Lin Shidong.

The invisible pressure emanating from the field seemed to seep into my bones through the screen.

"Xie Mingyang is tough enough; he's gone to a decisive game with Brother Tou again."

Lin Shidong clicked his tongue in admiration, "I wonder if they can continue the miracle of the Asian Cup?"

In the decisive game, it's not just about skill, but also about willpower and experience.

Compared to Wang Chuqin.

Xie Mingyang has no shortage of willpower, but he is slightly less experienced on the field.

Moreover, Wang Chuqin also has an additional skill: the previous step technique.

"If Xie Mingyang beats Tou Ge again and enters the finals, that would be incredibly awesome."

Lin Shidong turned to look at Chen Jin, "In less than a month, the two newcomers have met again in the finals..."

"Hey Hey hey."

Chen Jin rolled his eyes. "Our match hasn't even started yet, and you're already assuming I'm in the finals?"

……

The short break between sets has ended.

The decisive game begins.

Wang Chuqin, like a beast awakened, unleashed a breathtaking offensive storm from the very beginning.

His eyes were like knives, and his steps were like lightning.

Their serves are aggressive and their returns are decisive.

A powerful forehand smash and a quick backhand flick, like a storm, rained down on Xie Mingyang.

On the other hand, Xie Mingyang's immense exertion from the sixth round's fierce battle seemed like an invisible shackle, slowing down his reactions and pace.

Faced with a fierce and intense battle, his once-proud accuracy plummeted, and he made more mistakes.

Pulled back down into the net, violently torn out of bounds...

1: 5.

Wang Chuqin is in the lead.

A four-point gap.

The key point is that Wang Chuqin was full of momentum.

Even though Xie Mingyang was usually very calm, he couldn't help but panic a little at this moment.

"This can't go on like this."

Xie Mingyang's alarm bells rang loudly, "I must break Wang Chuqin's rhythm."

Think of this.

He raised his hand decisively.

pause!

He put down his racket, picked up a towel, and walked towards the rest area on the sidelines without looking back.

"Ok?"

Chen Jin frowned deeply. "Calling for a pause now?"

"Was this timeout called for himself or for the opponent?"

In the decisive game, both Xie Mingyang and Wang Chuqin were extremely exhausted.

He's only holding on through sheer willpower.

Wang Chuqin's aggressive start was clearly a desperate attempt to muster that last bit of strength.

If Xie Mingyang can grit his teeth and hold on for a point or two, and wait for Wang Chuqin to lose his temper, the situation may be reversed.

Xie Mingyang's timeout seemed to have interrupted Wang Chuqin's momentum.

But in reality, it was a timely help to Wang Chuqin, giving him a chance to catch his breath.

Just as Chen Jin had predicted.

Wang Chuqin took advantage of the brief pause to quietly close his eyes and conserve his energy.

Sweat poured down my face, but my brain was working at high speed.

Review, adjust... but more importantly, recover.

He forcibly stabilized and concentrated that breath within a few dozen seconds.

Wang Chuqin, back on the table tennis table, has a clearer eye and more steady movements.

The aggressive attacks in the first three rounds not only did not diminish, but became even more fierce and precise.

His serves are varied and unpredictable, his topspin and loop are decisive and resolute, and his transitions are lightning fast.

Xie Mingyang then realized that the pause had not only failed to disrupt Wang Chuqin's flow, but had actually made it even harder for him to keep up with Wang Chuqin's speed.

He fought with all his might, and with a net touch and an opponent's mistake, he barely managed to win back two points.

3: 7.

The score difference was like heaven and earth.

Wang Chuqin's performance confirmed Chen Jin's judgment.

One of his own timeouts became a breathing space for his opponent.

Standing at the serve position, sweat dripped down his face, Xie Mingyang clenched his teeth, his eyes blazing.

Can't give up!

A risky move!

A long, fast ball hurtled straight towards Wang Chuqin's backhand baseline.

The situation changed suddenly, and Wang Chuqin hastily pulled the net back down.

4: 7.

Xie Mingyang scored a point.

Next ball.

They resorted to the same old trick and gained an advantage again.

Unfortunately, Wang Chuqin was no longer fooled.

Just as Xie Mingyang served, Wang Chuqin shifted his weight backward, adjusted his footwork, and moved with lightning speed.

"Snapped!"

A powerful forehand smash down the line.

8: 4.

Subsequently, Wang Chuqin's two serves brought the score to the brink of elimination.

——4:10.

Wang Chuqin has reached match point.

With such a large deficit and facing the world's second-ranked team, turning the tide is no easy task.

However, the word "give up" does not exist in Xie Mingyang's dictionary.

The serve returned to Xie Mingyang.

Xie Mingyang serves with his backhand.

Wang Chuqin stepped forward and twisted the diagonal line.

Seeing that Xie Mingyang was unable to make the save, the referee raised his hand to signal.

The serve grazed the net.

Resend.

A false alarm!
Xie Mingyang served again, and Wang Chuqin's short return went into the net.

5: 10.

Second serve.

Wang Chuqin twisted the ball in a straight line with his backhand.

Xie Mingyang slid to the side and unleashed a powerful forehand smash.

Wang Chuqin blocked the ball out of bounds.

10: 6.

In his service round, he saved two match points in a row.

Switch sides and serve.

Wang Chuqin moved up the middle lane on the short side.

Xie Mingyang decisively backhanded a powerful cross-court shot.

Wang Chuqin is a fast-paced, upright player.

Xie Mingyang retaliated.

Wang Chuqin unleashed a powerful forehand smash from the side.

Xie Mingyang pulls back with a forehand counter-attack from the edge of the table.

歘——

It's just barely touching the edge!

10: 7.

The third match point was saved.

A miracle is brewing.

"Whoo~"

Wang Chuqin immediately switched to a hook serve.

Xie Mingyang stepped forward and decisively twisted and pulled.

Wang Chuqin applied a protective measure.

Xie Mingyang unleashed a powerful backhand crosscourt smash.

Wang Chuqin quickly drives straight with a backhand stroke.

Xie Mingyang made another incredible save, returning the ball with a forehand.

Wang Chuqin unleashed a powerful forehand smash from the side.

Xie Mingyang stepped back from the table and placed a high ball.

Wang Chuqin delivered two consecutive high-pressure smashes.

On the second shot, Xie Mingyang, in a desperate situation, countered with a forehand backhand.

歘——

Change direction while wiping the net.

Another lucky shot.

Wang Chuqin was caught off guard.

8: 10.

He saved four match points in a row.

Xie Mingyang, with his iron will and god-like defense, managed to bring the suspense back.

"Wow—"

The scene erupted in cheers.

Wang Chuqin's expression grew increasingly solemn.

(End of this chapter)