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

Chapter 412 I'm not here to enjoy the game, I'm here to win!
The fourth game, a do-or-die game.

in the audience.

Zhang Jiahao frowned, looking tense, his fingers unconsciously tapping his knee.

"If Xie wants to advance, he not only needs to win this game, but he also needs to pull ahead of Zhang Ben by at least five points to have an advantage in the tiebreaker."

Zhang Jiahao calculated the score between the two.

"wrong."

Chen Jin shook his head, "At least six points."

"Six points?"

Zhang Jiahao was stunned for a moment, then realized, "Yes, yes, it's six points."

"If there is only a five-point difference, and the two players have the same score, then we need to look at their head-to-head record and score against the other opponent in the same group."

"Zhang Ben has the advantage in the tiebreakers."

Zhang Jiahao frowned even more. "In other words, not only must the Xie guy win, but he also has to keep the score in the third game within 11:5."

"Correct."

Chen Jin nodded.

It goes without saying how difficult it is to defeat a top player like Tomokazu Harimoto 11-5 in a single game.

Moreover, the qualification situation is already public knowledge.

Tomokazu Harimoto will naturally try every means possible and use all his skills to win six points.

This seemed easier for him than for Xie Mingyang.

"The World Cup, group stage, points system... it has all the essentials."

Zhang Jiahao slapped his thigh in frustration, "Damn it, it's like the Sea Cucumber Team next door. I clearly remember this is ping-pong."

at the same time.

Courtside.

The Neon team's rest area.

Seiya Kishikawa put his arm around Tomokazu Harimoto's shoulder and quickly instructed him in Japanese: "Harimoto-kun, the initiative to advance is in our hands. Even if we lose the fourth game, as long as we get 6 points, we can advance smoothly."

"understand!"

Zhang Benzhihe wiped his sweat, his eyes resolute.

"We must reduce unnecessary mistakes, but also be wary of our opponents' desperate fights."

Kishikawa Seiya said in a deep voice.

He had carefully studied Xie Mingyang, a young player on the Chinese team, before the competition.

Despite his young age, he has a strong mentality.

They are particularly adept at turning the tide of a game in dire situations through fierce fighting.

But then again.

One of Tomokazu Harimoto's strengths is his defensive counter-attacking style.

In the decisive game, returning to familiar territory is where players can better create miracles.

the other side.

Looking at Xie Mingyang, whose eyelids were downcast and whose expression was somewhat off, Wang Hao was well aware of the pressure Xie Mingyang was under, as if he were standing on the edge of a cliff.

After all, it was his first time participating in a major tournament like the World Cup, and he was facing such a formidable opponent as Tomokazu Harimoto. It was inevitable that he would experience psychological fluctuations when he was far behind.

"It's okay, you played very well."

Wang Hao comforted him, "Relax and enjoy the game. It's okay if you lose. Just consider it as gaining experience. You're still young, and you'll have plenty of opportunities in the future..."

The words were not finished.

Xie Mingyang suddenly raised his head.

There was no confusion or hesitation in his eyes, only burning flames.

"No!"

Xie Mingyang's voice was clear and resolute, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "I'm not here to enjoy the game, I'm here to win!"

"Youth is not an excuse, and experience cannot be a reason for my failure."

Back then, Tomokazu Harimoto was also sixteen years old when he participated in his first World Cup.

They even made it to the finals and won the runner-up title.

Since Tomokazu Harimoto can do it, why should I back down?

His words resonated deeply.

Wang Hao raised an eyebrow, seemingly touched.

"it is good!"

A fire ignited in his eyes as well. Wang Hao reached out and slapped Xie Mingyang's shoulder hard, his voice suddenly rising several decibels, "Then let's give it our all!"

"Play freely, our chances of advancing are still very high."

He glanced up and his eyes met those across the street.

"In the decisive game, which determines life or death, Zhang Ben is under even greater pressure than you."

As the star player of the Japanese team, if Tomokazu Harimoto were to be stopped in the group stage by a young Chinese player in such an important tournament as the World Cup, he would be eliminated.

It's not hard to imagine the uproar this will cause in Japan.

“Time!”

Just then, the referee's voice broke through the noise of the scene.

The pause ends.

The battle on the field has reignited.

"Xie Mingyang!"

"come on--"

The cheers and shouts of encouragement resounded throughout the stadium.

Zhang Jiahao yelled at Xie Mingyang as he appeared, "You bastard Xie, if you lose, I'll mock you for the rest of my life!"

0: 0.

Xie Mingyang stepped up to serve.

My heart beats like thunder.

However, the hand holding the racket remained unusually steady.

Holding a ping-pong ball, he slightly turned his head.

His gaze swept over Zhang Benzhihe, who was already on high alert, as if it contained the gleam of swords.

Take a deep breath.

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

At the moment of contact with the ball, the wrist flicks rapidly.

"昘——"

Stealing growth!

A fast, long ball, like an arrow released from a bow, shot towards Tomokazu Harimoto's backhand baseline.

As the battle reached a life-or-death situation, Tomokazu Harimoto's attention became especially focused.

The moment Xie Mingyang's wrist changed, he already had a premonition.

Slide to the side to create space.

With a forehand like a cleaver swinging across the sky, he met the incoming ball with explosive force.

"Snapped!"

The sound of the ball hitting the shuttlecock was deafening.

The ball hurtled like a cannonball, hurtling straight ahead.

No one can describe the power of that shot, nor can anyone describe its speed.

Like a bolt of lightning, it tore through eternal darkness.

Its momentum was astonishing and unstoppable.

I thought that with this ball out, the game would be decided by a single point.

However, as if divinely inspired, Xie Mingyang lowered his center of gravity and quickly pulled his arm back.

"Snapped!"

Use the opponent's force against them, and quickly drive diagonally.

That shot was as fast as lightning.

Zhang Benzhihe's center of gravity had not yet returned to normal after his explosive side-step attack, so how could he have time to dive for a forehand?

It's just like the legendary King's Burst of Power that's been passed down in martial arts circles.

Question first, then become.

1: 0.

In a life-or-death struggle, the game started with a ball of balls.

"Choo-hoo!"

"Zhu--"

Wang Hao sprang to his feet, clenched his fists, swung them forcefully, and roared in encouragement for Xie Mingyang.

"Beautiful! What a great look back!"

Zhang Jiahao jumped up excitedly as well, shouting, "Fight him like that! Take him down!"

Xie Mingyang, on the other hand, secretly breathed a sigh of relief: "Luckily."

If I hadn't turned around to look, I would have already been scored on by the opponent's powerful attack.

"It seems that Zhang Ben is keeping a close eye on the long ball."

Xie Mingyang thought to himself, "I can't easily steal a long ball. I must combine long and short balls, and lower Zhang Ben's guard against long balls in order to catch him off guard."

Think of this.

Second serve.

It immediately became a short, non-turning middle lane.

Zhang Benzhihe stepped forward and made a short move, aiming directly at Xie Mingyang's forehand small triangle.

The landing point was good, but the arc went too high.

Xie Mingyang leaped up, feigning a diagonal flick, which caused Zhang Benzhihe to instinctively protect the right side of the table.

Unexpectedly, Xie Mingyang changed his tactics midway through.

He swerved and pushed the ball straight down. "Damn it!"

Zhang Benzhihe secretly thought to himself that things were going badly.

He forcefully twisted his body and lunged back.

He managed to save the ball with a backhand, but the trajectory was high and unpredictable.

Xie Mingyang made a slight adjustment to his feet, gathered power in his forehand, and unleashed a powerful smash.

"Snapped!"

Its power was like splitting the heavens, its momentum like thunder.

0: 2.

"Wow—"

The whole place was boiling.

They won the first two games in a row, and their momentum was unstoppable.

Zhang Benzhihe smiled wryly and turned to look at Kishikawa Seiya behind him.

Seiya Kishikawa remained seated on the sidelines, unmoved, and gestured to Tomokazu Harimoto to calm down.

Switch sides and serve.

Tomokazu Harimoto once again chose to steal the long run.

In the world of table tennis, speed is the only way to win.

The white ball hurtled toward Xie Mingyang's center at an extremely fast speed.

Xie Mingyang's reaction was astonishing.

Slide to the side and lower your center of gravity.

Twist your waist and abdomen to build up power, and naturally pull your right arm back.

Facing the rising trajectory of the ball, the racket in hand, like a roaring tiger, strikes down.

"Snapped!"

Before the sound faded, the ball had already landed.

0: 3.

"Choo-hoo!"

"Zhu--"

Xie Mingyang clenched his fist and growled.

His aura suddenly surged.

Like a phantom of a dragon and an elephant, it hung above, exuding a surging killing intent that pressed down on Zhang Benzhihe.

"Well done!"

Zhang Jiahao screamed hysterically, "Just fight him like that! Get him!"

Seeing that things were not going well, Kishikawa Seiya's face turned ashen, and he immediately stood up and called for a pause.

"Whoo~"

With a long sigh, Tomokazu Harimoto put down his racket, picked up a towel, and walked quickly back.

Sweat streamed down his face, and his eyes gleamed with resentment.

He casually handed over a water bottle, staring at Tomokazu Harimoto, remaining calm and unhurried.

"Zhang Benjun, you need to understand that we have a large lead, and it should be our opponents who are anxious."

Seiya Kishikawa said in a deep voice, "There is an old Chinese saying that goes..."

"A man who knows the current affairs is a hero?"

Zhang Ben blurted out.

"No, it's because you can't rush things."

Kishikawa Seiya said, "You must stay calm and not let the opponent make the first move with their magic."

"Try not to give him long balls. With the experience and lessons learned from the last game, the opponent is already on guard."

"It's best to control the table from within, or to use long slices to limit the opponent's power, understand?"

Tomokazu Harimoto nodded: "Yoshi."

The pause ends.

Back to the field.

Tomokazu Harimoto's eyes were noticeably calmer.

Following Kishikawa Seiya's tactical adjustments, Harimoto Tomokazu indeed changed his serving strategy.

The forehand is short.

Do not forward.

Zhang Benzhihe is short-sighted.

Zhang Benzhihe didn't engage in prolonged combat; he simply cleaved his long sword.

Xie Mingyang performs a sideways high jump.

Zhang Benzhihe's backhand parry against the diagonal line.

Xie Mingyang took a half step back and then lunged forward with a backhand.

Tomokazu Harimoto continued to apply defensive pressure.

Xie Mingyang twisted his wrist and changed lanes to the middle.

Zhang Benzhihe's offensive and defensive transitions are extremely fast, with quick forehand drives to the right half of the table.

Xie Mingyang's forehand attack was slightly slow.

3: 1.

The serve returned to Xie Mingyang.

"Da da da, da da da..."

Xie Mingyang pondered for a moment and then served with a hook shot.

歘——

Another case of stealth growth!

Zhang Benzhihe had anticipated this and retreated in advance.

With a flick of the wrist, it gently brushed against something.

Although the ball speed was not fast, the trajectory was very low, and it even grazed the net a little.

Xie Mingyang originally wanted to retaliate, but because of this net swiping, he lost half a step.

Before he could adjust, his strength was slightly depleted.

Snapped!
Tear the net off.

3: 2.

"Sorry."

Tomokazu Harimoto immediately raised his hand in acknowledgment, his expression sincere.

Although Tomokazu Harimoto is flamboyant and strains his voice when he wins on the field, his sportsmanship is quite good.

The situation is now pressing.

For Xie Mingyang, every point Zhang Benzhihe won brought him an even heavier psychological burden.

Knowing that Zhang Benzhihe was wary of long serves, Xie Mingyang changed his serve again.

Reverse spin, short forehand.

Zhang Benzhihe is short-sighted.

Xie Mingyang swings the ball back.

Zhang Benzhihe decisively split the long middle lane.

That ball was both fast and heavy.

Xie Mingyang was pushed from his position and twisted his waist to the side.

After squatting down, suddenly pull yourself up, using your waist and abdomen to generate power, and rub your arms upwards in an exaggerated manner.

Like pulling up a scallion from dry land, or hanging it high in an arc.

The ball has a strong spin and drops sharply upon landing.

Tomokazu Harimoto knew the ball was spinning and dared not make a direct contact with it.

Hands control, careful and gentle, applying pressure and protection.

The return ball speed is not fast, and the arc is too high.

"Chance!"

Xie Mingyang stepped forward and unleashed a powerful backhand rip, his movements as swift as thunder.

"Snapped!"

I thought one strike would be the final blow.

Unexpectedly, Tomokazu Harimoto instinctively reached out and blocked, miraculously saving the ball.

The worst part is that it grazed the edge.

3: 3.

Another lucky shot.

Tomokazu Harimoto raised his hand again and said "sorry" several times in a row.

Xie Mingyang had no complaints about this.

Luck is also a factor in the competition.

"Damn, Zhang Ben is so good at cleaning, why doesn't he go live and become an internet celebrity?"

Zhang Jiahao frowned deeply. "Hey Xie, didn't you wash your hands after using the toilet this morning? What bad luck!"

"how?"

Chen Jin glanced at him. "Are we going to have to invoke the ancestral sacrifices?"

"How can it be!"

Zhang Jiahao watched the game with some nervousness, but his words were as stubborn as a rock: "I wish that guy surnamed Xie would lose."

"hehe."

Chen Jin sneered twice, "Virtue."

(End of this chapter)