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

Chapter 415 Chen Jin – Anton Carlberg's Inner Demon!
4 month 17 day.

It was exactly 11:00 AM.

The match between Lin Shidong and Feng Yixin started first.

According to the schedule, the next match will be between Liang Jingkun and Togami Hayato.

The match between Chen Jin and Anton Kalberg is scheduled for 1:15 PM.

The specific time may be subject to change.

Chen Jin and Anton had already faced off once before at last year's Frankfurt Championship.

The result was as expected: Chen Jin won by a crushing defeat.

This World Cup Round of 16 match was the first time the two had faced off this year.

Inside the training hall.

Chen Jin's figure moved quickly back and forth between the two ends of the table tennis table.

The friction between my feet and the plastic floor produced a short, sharp squeak.

On the opposite side of the table, Xie Mingyang was fully focused, standing on the backhand side, feeding the ball to Chen Jin, accurately placing it where Chen Jin needed it.

Forehand smash, backhand quick flick, rapid transition after a topspin flick from close range...

Sweat poured down Chen Jin's face like a waterfall.

"laugh!"

Chen Jin played a short, low ball to the backhand side.

Xie Mingyang rubbed his head.

Chen Jin slightly bent his knees, lowered his center of gravity, and pulled his wrists inward, gathering strength by striking the groin.

As the ball began its descent, with a whoosh, a sudden backhand flick erupted, creating a gust of wind and thunder.

"Snapped!"

The force penetrates the bottom plate, producing a sound like a dragon's roar.

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

Xie Mingyang didn't even have time to react before the ping-pong ball flew out.

"So fast!"

Xie Mingyang was taken aback.

These days, he spends almost every day with Chen Jin, practicing their skills and exchanging ideas. He feels that he can now handle many of Chen Jin's shots with ease.

However, once Chen Jin got serious, he still couldn't hold his own.

For example, that ball just now.

Power, speed, spin, landing point... all have reached a state of perfection.

It's as if a simple basic attack is an ultimate move that others can hardly surpass.

In Xie Mingyang's view, Chen Jin was like a peerless master who kept his skills hidden. The closer he got and the more he understood him, the more unfathomable he seemed.

"This must be the backhand explosive half-out-of-bounds move that Coach Wang taught us, right?"

Xie Mingyang pulled a training ball out of his pocket and tossed it to Chen Jin, "Again."

Chen Jin smiled and continued serving.

Xie Mingyang rubbed his head.

The landing point changed slightly.

However, Chen Jin reacted extremely quickly, adjusting his footwork and unleashing a powerful backhand flick.

"Snapped!"

The sound of the ball hitting the ground was deafening.

Although Xie Mingyang was prepared, he still failed to keep an eye on things.

boom!
The ping-pong ball bounced out and crashed heavily into the barrier behind Xie Mingyang.

Then, it bounced back again and rolled towards Zhang Jiahao.

"Zizzi-"

The ping-pong ball spun intensely on its own.

"Improving!"

Zhang Jiahao couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.

Holding a phone in one hand and picking up a ball with the other, he sat on the ground without getting up and threw it at Chen Jin.

Chen Jin grabbed the ping-pong ball, casually stuffed it into his pocket, put down the racket, bent down to pick up a towel, and wiped away his sweat.

"How was the game?"

Chen Jin asked.

"Brother Stone is about to win."

Zhang Jiahao glanced down and thought, "Most likely 4-0."

"Given Stone's current form, he should have no problem making it to the semifinals."

at this time.

Xie Mingyang leaned against the pool table, wiping his sweat as he said, "Lin Shidong's next opponent is the winner between Zhang Ben and Hugo?"

"Seems to be."

Chen Jin nodded.

"Brother Jin, who do you think will advance to the quarterfinals, Zhang Ben or Hugo?"

Zhang Jiahao looked up at Chen Jin.

"Hard to say."

Chen Jin took a sip of water.

"Hugo's form has not been very good since the Paris Olympics."

Xie Mingyang said.

In the men's singles semifinals of the Paris Olympics, Hugo Felix lost 0-4 to the host country's Joao Felix, and shed tears on the court.

It was during this battle that Hugo seemed to have shattered his Dao heart.

For the past six months, his performance has fluctuated greatly, and he has stumbled along the way, completely losing the style of the former number one player in the Americas.

"As long as the strength remains, the state can be adjusted back at any time."

Chen Jindao.

"Brother Jin, do you mean you're more optimistic about Hugo?"

Zhang Jiahao blinked.

"Hard to say."

Chen Jin shook his head, repeating the same statement, "It depends on the two of them."

The World Cup is one of the three major tournaments, and it provides a boost to the performance of all foreign players.

It's not surprising that a dark horse has emerged.

Just like the 19 World Cup, who could have imagined before the tournament that Tomokazu Harimoto, who was only sixteen years old, would defeat Mataki and advance to the final?
"I do hope Hugo can beat Zhang Ben."

Zhang Jiahao straightened his back.

"why?"

Chen Jin was somewhat curious.

"Because... Stone's win rate against Zhang Ben seems a bit low."

Zhang Jiahao gave a wry smile.

For example, in last year's Asian Championships, Tomokazu Harimoto snatched the men's singles title from Lin Shidong.

"But his chances of winning against Hugo are not high either."

Chen Jin smiled.

"Uh……"

Zhang Jiahao suddenly grinned and said, "Who cares? All I know is that the final champion will definitely be you, Brother Jin."

"Lend your auspicious words."

Chen Jin smiled.

Having finished speaking.

He continued training with Xie Mingyang.

As for Zhang Jiahao, he sat on the ground and continued watching the match between Liang Jingkun and Togami Hayato.

"Wow, Kun's in this form is amazing."

Zhang Jiahao exclaimed, "In the first game, 11:4, they completely overwhelmed Hu Shang."

"Did Kun take some kind of gunpowder? He's incredibly fierce."

"Finally, he's not a god of comebacks anymore. Look at Coach Zhiqiang's smile; he's got so many wrinkles on his face."

With nothing to do, he just kept talking, chattering away as he became a commentator on the match: "Hu Shang is playing very aggressively... Damn, he can run so fast... But my Kun Ge defended very well, blocked with a backhand, and countered with a forehand... Beautiful!"

"11-7, we won the second game."

Zhang Jiahao stared intently at the screen, speaking rapidly with barely suppressed excitement, "The third game, another 4-1 start."

"Togami is still fighting fiercely... Holy crap, holy crap, holy crap... Beautiful!"

Amidst shouts of "Holy crap!", Zhang Jiahao, his face beaming with excitement, slapped his thigh and exclaimed, "Great shot!"

"Kun's forehand rally transition to a backhand straight shot was absolutely divine."

"11-5, we won the third game."

"The score is now 3-0."

"Looks like my brother Kun is going to sweep Xiao Rizi 4-0 today."

Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang trained while listening to Zhang Jiahao's live match commentary.

Neither of them was surprised by the result.

Liang Jingkun is quite strong and is one of the top five players in men's table tennis, but his results have not been ideal.

His best result in the three major competitions was three bronze medals at the World Table Tennis Championships.

During the Long Pang era, the three major championships were almost entirely won by Ma Long and Fan Zhendong. It was truly remarkable that Liang Jingkun managed to win three bronze medals at the World Table Tennis Championships amidst such competition.

With Long Pang absent from this World Cup, it presents him with an opportunity to make a final push.

Therefore, I naturally paid much more attention to it compared to other competitions.

However, the allure of competitive sports often lies in its unpredictability.

When Zhang Jiahao looked at his phone again, the smile on his face froze instantly.

"Depend on!"

Zhang Jiahao frowned deeply. "6:11, Hu Shang actually won a game back?"

"Is Brother Kun's old habit acting up again?"

But he quickly calmed down, muttering to himself, "It's alright, it's alright. After all, I'm a veteran. Letting me play one more game when my stamina is low isn't a big problem."

"It's not the group stage yet. We're already leading by a large margin. I doubt that someone from a small team can cause any trouble."

But what people didn't expect is.

In the fifth game, Liang Jingkun lost 10-12, losing another game.

The score quickly jumped to 3-2.

"Fuck!"

Zhang Jiahao's eyes widened. "Brother Kun, Coach Zhiqiang's life is also a life!" "Brother Kun, wake up, this is the World Cup."

The score of the sixth game flashed on the screen.

Every time Liang Jingkun scored, Zhang Jiahao's tense shoulders relaxed slightly.

Once the score catches up, my breath hits me hard.

Fortunately, Liang Jingkun adjusted his mindset in time and stabilized the situation.

11: 5.

The score was 4-2.

They narrowly escaped defeat and won the match, advancing to the quarterfinals.

"Whoo~"

Zhang Jiahao breathed a sigh of relief, "Now, both Brother Shi and Brother Kun have made it into the top eight."

He stood up and jumped around a few times.

Put the phone in your pocket.

The next match was between Darko Joczyk and Ahn Jae-hyun, which he had no interest in.

Time passed quietly.

After an unknown amount of time, a staff member pushed open the door of the training hall to remind them.

Chen Jin then stopped training, packed his things, and went backstage alone.

Waiting area.

Wang Hao had been waiting for a long time.

After racket testing, ball inspection and signing, and everything was ready, Chen Jin walked to the sofa.

He sat down next to Wang Hao.

Wang Hao rested his arms on his head, glanced at him, a slight smile on his lips, but didn't say anything.

Chen Jin leaned back slightly, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breathing rhythm.

Several live broadcast screens are hung on the wall in front of the waiting area.

One of the screens was showing a match between Dako Yoczyk and Ahn Jae-hyun.

Chen Jin opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the screen, his eyes calm and unwavering, as if he were observing or simply spacing out.

I waited for more than ten minutes.

The intense match has finally come to an end.

Led by staff, Chen Jin got up and walked towards the entrance of the passage.

When his figure appeared on the field.

Sudden.

A roaring sound, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing in.

Like a tidal wave, it crashed against him, almost pushing him back a step.

"Sun Yingsha!"

"come on--"

The shouts were unified and synchronized.

At the same time, Sun Yingsha's match was taking place at the second table next door.

Chen Jin seemed not to have heard of this.

It was as if an invisible barrier enveloped him, instantly silencing any noise that touched him.

“You already faced Anton once last year, and although you won easily, you should be wary of him now that you've been away for a while. Don’t let your guard down.”

Wang Hao knew Chen Jin's strength well and wasn't worried. His only concern was the pressure from the scene. "Strike when you need to, fight however you need to. Don't hold back, be resolute..."

the other side.

Anton is also in place.

His gaze as he turned to look at Chen Jin was filled with a mixture of solemnity, vigilance, excitement, and fear... his expression was complex.

After all, the crushing defeat in the Frankfurt Championship last year is still vivid in his mind, like a nightmare, and has become a lingering psychological shadow for him.

Now, compared to last year, Chen Jin has grown again and reached the top of the world table tennis arena.

It creates a stronger sense of oppression.

Whether we can break free from the nightmare and overcome our inner demons depends on this battle today!

"God bless."

Anton made the sign of the cross on his chest. "If I can defeat the former world number one Wang Chuqin, why can't I defeat Chen Jin?"

Believe in yourself, you can do it.

"God bless you, fighting!"

He high-fived his coach and turned to walk onto the field.

He stood facing off against Chen Jin.

The moment of shaking hands.

But Chen Jin's eyes sharpened, and a terrifying aura suddenly erupted from his body.

It was as if Odin, riding his eight-legged steed and wielding the spear of fate, was surveying the land of death amidst the raging storm.

"Whoo~"

Anton let out a long breath.

This was their second encounter, and he was already mentally prepared.

But when he stood in front of Chen Jin, he realized that his preparations seemed insufficient.

Toss a coin to guess who will go first.

Anton has the right to serve.

After a brief pre-match warm-up, the match began.

0: 0.

Anton stood in front of the table tennis table, holding a ping-pong ball, jumped a few times on the spot, and took another deep breath.

Then he bent down.

"laugh!"

The forehand is short.

Side down.

Chen Jin wasn't in a hurry to make a move, so he took a short step.

It must be said that compared to other European players, Anton's table tennis technique is quite refined.

The control over the landing point of the swing is particularly exquisite.

Backhand small triangle.

Chen Jin quickly adjusted himself into position with small, quick steps.

The core of the waist and abdomen should be taut and full of energy, like a fully drawn bow.

Facing the ball at its highest point, the wrist drives the forearm, and suddenly the ball is swung out.

"Snapped!"

The ping-pong ball, carrying a powerful force, roared like a dragon, hurtling towards Anton's backhand corner at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

Although Anton is tall and has a long reach, covering a large area of ​​the table, he still couldn't keep up with the speed of this ball.

歘——

A white light erupted from the sideline of the table tennis table.

Then, it flew away, bypassing the racket that Anton had hastily extended.

0: 1.

Clean and efficient, without any unnecessary delays.

"Such a fast backhand smash!"

Anton's pupils dilated slightly. "Like Odin's Spear of Fate."

Once they make their move, no one can stop them.

"Chen Jin's close-to-the-table play is very strong, and his first three strokes are very powerful. I have to find a way to force him to retreat from the table."

Anton thought to himself, "If I can fight him in a mid-to-long range game, then I'll have a chance to beat him."

After all, mid-to-long-range rallies are a strength of European players.

With that in mind, Anton served again.

The middle path is extremely long.

Chen Jin didn't back down either, stubbornly confronting the front desk, and with a backhand shove, quickly tore a straight line apart.

Anton shifted slightly to the right, then used a backhand to accelerate and tear through the middle.

This shot was powerful and had strong spin.

This forced Chen Jin to take a half step back and defend with a backhand.

Anton slid to the side, swung his forehand, and launched a fierce attack on Chen Jin's pursuit position.

Chen Jin twisted his waist and pulled back with his forehand.

Anton adjusted his position again, unleashing a powerful backhand flick to continue pressuring Chen Jin's left side of the table.

Chen Jin stepped back half a step, then met the serve with a powerful backhand flick.

"Snapped!"

The ball hurtled towards Anton like a cannonball.

Knowing how powerful this shot was, Anton dared not slack off and quickly stepped back off the table to absorb the force, then counter-attacked with his backhand.

At this moment, Chen Jin squatted down, his arms sinking, like a spring full of power.

The instant the ping-pong ball flew right in front of me.

Chen Jin suddenly kicked his leg.

Thigh muscles, like blocks of iron.

In an instant, power rose from the ground.

A terrifying force traveled from the legs to the waist, from the waist to the hands, and finally to the fingers and wrists, instantly bringing the situation to a standstill and unleashing a burst of power.

"Snapped!"

The small white ball suddenly transformed into a meteorite burning with endless flames, hurtling towards Anton.

"!"

Anton's pupils suddenly contracted.

He slapped his chest horizontally, attempting to block.

boom!
The instant the ping-pong ball hits the racket.

A powerful force, like a tidal wave, crashed down fiercely.

The shock forced Andong to retreat repeatedly.

歘——

Even a European giant like Anton couldn't hold Chen Jin back.

The ping-pong ball flew straight out at an angle and bounced very high.

(End of this chapter)