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

Chapter 416 Quarterfinals! Success and failure both stemmed from a backhand!
11: 3.

11: 3.

11: 4.

11: 3.

The score is 4-0.

After about twenty minutes, Chen Jin defeated Anton Karlberg and advanced to the World Cup quarterfinals.

When the two shook hands.

Sun Yingsha's match next door started earlier and hasn't finished yet.

The ball lands, and the score is determined.

Although Anton lost, he highly praised Chen Jin: "Clean serves, no underhanded tactics, just pure skill..."

In terms of table tennis technique, close-range fast attacks, and mid-to-long-range rallies, Chen Jin completely dominated him in the match.

Since his last encounter with Chen Jin, he had naturally studied Chen Jin's fighting style.

This time, facing the World Cup again, he conducted targeted training and tactical arrangements with his coaching team before the match.

However, it was of no use at all.

Chen Jin's tactics and techniques are too comprehensive; it's like trying to hold down one gourd only to have another pop up.

Compared to Felix and Qiu Dang, Chen Jin, who also uses a penhold grip, has a faster and more powerful backhand.

He fought Chen Jin twice and lost both times.

However, Anton was not discouraged.

Anyway, I'm not the only one who lost to Chen Jin.

He is currently ranked sixteenth in the world. Those who are ranked much higher than him have also been defeated by Chen Jin.

Moreover, it is only through strong opponents that one can improve.

"Congratulations."

During the handshake, Anton gave Chen Jin a light hug and whispered in Chen Jin's ear, "You're too strong."

Hear the words.

Chen Jin was stunned for a moment.

I never expected Anton's Chinese to be so good.

Moreover, he had a slight southwestern accent, which made Chen Jin feel especially close to him.

After a moment of surprise, Chen Jin suddenly remembered.

Anton's wife, named Wan Yuan, is of German-Chinese descent.

Wan Yuan's father was a table tennis coach for the Bayi team, and his ancestral home is Chongqing.

Last year at the Frankfurt Championship, Anton was playing on the court while Wan Yuan cheered him on from the sidelines, giving Chen Jin a mouthful of dog food (a Chinese slang term for witnessing public displays of affection).

……

The day's fierce competition has come to an end.

The men's singles quarterfinals have been decided.

As expected, all four members of the Chinese national table tennis team made it into the quarterfinals, occupying half of the spots.

The quarterfinal matchups are now clear.

Upper half:
Chen Jin vs. Trus Moregaard (Sweden).

Liang Jingkun vs. Darko Jorchik (Slovenia).

Lower half:
Lin Shidong vs. Hugo Calderano (Brazil).

Wang Chuqin vs. Benedikt Duda (Germany).

"Hey!"

As soon as the match schedule was released, Zhang Jiahao, who was having a late-night snack at the hotel restaurant, said with a hint of expected excitement, "Hugo really made it to the quarterfinals."

"More than that."

Xie Mingyang was watching the game on his phone. "Zhang Ben was completely stunned by Hugo."

"The little guys were watching us closely all day, their eyes practically popping out of their sockets, and what happened? The Japanese number one got crushed by the American number one."

Zhang Jiahao chuckled, "Now you're dumbfounded, aren't you?"

As he spoke, he took a big bite of the chicken leg, his mouth full of oil, which seemed to make it even more delicious.

"Hugo's backhand is very powerful. He counter-attacks from mid-to-long range, with both speed and spin. He runs all over the table and is very fast."

Xie Mingyang put his phone in his pocket. "Let's see if Lin Shidong can hold Hugo back tomorrow."

The following morning, the two quarter-final matches kicked off.

First up is Liang Jingkun versus Dako Yoczyk.

In this match, Liang Jingkun quickly got into the game, winning the first two sets 11-5 and 11-3.

However, in the third inning, he became locked in a close battle with Darko.

Ultimately, they suffered a heartbreaking 14-16 defeat to Dako.

In the fourth game, Liang Jingkun withstood the pressure and won the crucial match point game 11-9.

The fifth game was another fierce battle.

The score was 17-19, but unfortunately they couldn't win. Coach Liu Zhiqiang almost had a heart attack watching that.

Fortunately, Liang Jingkun played steadily in the sixth game and won the match 11-6.

With a score of 4-2, they advanced to the semifinals.

The duel between Wang Chuqin and German veteran Duda was equally thrilling.

In the deciding game, Wang Chuqin scored directly from two serves, ultimately winning 12-10 against Duda and advancing to the semifinals.

6:50 p.m.

The stadium lights focus on the center of the field.

As soon as Chen Jin appeared, the scene erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

This time, the opponent is Moregard.

This was not the first time the two had clashed, but it was their first encounter this year.

Today, Chen Jin's name is already well-known throughout the world of table tennis.

The title of "Great Demon King" is widely known.

Moregard dared not underestimate them and was clearly well-prepared.

After all, they had never won against each other before.

Naturally, they are eager to defeat Chen Jin in this World Cup.

The story begins. Chapter
Moregard then displayed a strong offensive desire, frequently turning to the side, attempting to break through Chen Jin's defense with his proud forehand powerful topspin.

Every turn of the body was laced with a desperate, ruthless determination.

Facing Moregard's side-step forehand attack, Chen Jin reacted quickly, as if he had anticipated it, and his body had already moved to the optimal position.

The arm swing is not large, but the wrist bursts out with amazing short-range force, pressing down with the racket at a precise angle as the ball rises or reaches its peak.

"Snapped!"

A white light pierced the air.

In the blink of an eye, it had already penetrated Morrigard's wide-angle forehand.

Moregard had just finished his sideways movement and his center of gravity hadn't fully returned to its original position yet, so he could only watch helplessly as the ping-pong ball grazed the edge of his right side of the table.

"Pretty!"

In the stands, Zhang Jiahao jumped up excitedly, waving his arms and legs, shouting, "My brother Jin's backhand straight shot is invincible, it can cure any kind of side-step!"

However, Morrigard seemed unconvinced.

On the next ball, he again forced his body to the side and unleashed a powerful forehand smash down the line.

Chen Jin's feet moved like wheels of fire, seizing the landing point, controlling his center of gravity, and quickly dribbling with his forehand.

"Snapped!"

The ball, like lightning, cleaved through the diagonal line.

Having learned his lesson, Moregard made a crossover step and lunged to save his forehand, barely managing to retrieve the ball.

However, the quality of the return shot was extremely poor.

Chen Jin showed no mercy, unleashing a powerful and brutal smash that landed heavily on Moregard's left side of the table.

No matter how fast Morrigard moved, he could only watch helplessly, unable to turn the tide.

Thus, Moregard's aggressive, side-attack tactics failed under Chen Jin's tight defense, ending with a score of 11-4 in the first game.

In the second game...

Moregard tried to change things up, reducing blind sidesteps and strengthening control of the table and backhand rallies.

However, Chen Jin's backhand is faster, more powerful, and has a smoother transition.

Whether it's backhand rallies, forehand-backhand transitions, or control over the placement of shots, Chen Jin is superior to Moregard.

Moregaard's signature rhythmic variations appear powerless against Chen Jin's stable technical system.

11:5.
Chen Jin scores another goal.

In the third game, knowing that conventional methods were no longer effective against Chen Jin, Moregard simply let loose and play his own game.

Backhand sidespin, table spin, forehand slice... all sorts of fancy moves, one after another.

While it may seem like he's deliberately tanking, Chen Jin is well aware that Moregard is trying to disrupt the rhythm of the game and find a way to break the deadlock.

How could Chen Jin possibly let his guard down?
No matter how fancy your tricks are, I'll just stick to my own game.

11: 3.

In the fourth frame, Moregard had lost the competitive spirit he had at the start, and even made unnecessary mistakes on some shots that he would normally be sure of.

In contrast, Chen Jin played more and more steadily and fiercely, firmly controlling the rhythm of the game.

11: 1.

The score is 4-0.

Chen Jin won easily and advanced smoothly.

Morrigard stood there, panting heavily, sweat dripping down his blond hair, a helpless, bitter smile on his face.

This is unbeatable!

He stepped forward, extended his right palm, gently shook hands with Chen Jin, and offered his congratulations in a low voice.

Without much conversation, Moregard picked up his racket and towel, turned, and walked towards the sidelines.

His back view looked somewhat lonely.

His flashes of brilliance ultimately couldn't produce any real flair in the face of absolute skill.

competition is over.

Chen Jin went to the lounge and changed into clean clothes.

Afterwards, he went to the audience seats with Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao.

At this moment, Lin Shidong and Hugo are warming up and practicing on the field.

"It's better to come early than to come late."

Zhang Jiahao immediately shouted, "Go, Brother Stone!"

In the first game, Lin Shidong played more aggressively and proactively.

Powerful backhand attacks, smooth forehand transitions.

With flexible routes, one can maintain control of the situation.

Hugo seemed a bit slow to start and made more mistakes than usual.

In the end, Lin Shidong won the first game 11-6.

"Brother Stone seems to be in pretty good shape today."

Zhang Jiahao laughed and said, "Looks like Hugo is nothing special after all."

"Brother Jin, you're overthinking it."

Chen Jin shook his head: "Not necessarily."

He didn't say much, but kept his eyes glued to the ever-changing situation on the field.

The second round began. As expected, Hugo, like a beast awakening from its slumber, suddenly became fierce and focused.

He completely changed his strategy, no longer getting too entangled with Lin Shidong in mid-to-long-range battles, but instead focusing his firepower on the first three shots.

The serve has a variety of spins.

The landing point was extremely tricky, firmly suppressing Lin Shidong's backhand position.

His serve return is extremely aggressive, with a powerful backhand topspin.

"laugh!"

Twist with a reverse grip.

A white light, like a flash of lightning, rushed straight towards Lin Shidong's position.

Lin Shidong twisted his waist and barely managed to block the ball, which flew high into the air.

"Snapped!"

Hugo had already positioned himself to the side and unleashed a thunderous, explosive forehand strike.

The ball slammed onto the table with a sharp whistling sound as it tore through the air, heading straight for Lin Shidong's open corner forehand.

Lin Shidong was a little slow, and his whip was too far away to reach him.

"Zhu--"

Hugo clenched his fists and roared in a low voice.

Their momentum surged instantly.

In the following matches, Hugo went completely on fire.

Serving and attacking, backhand smash to the crosscourt, forehand smash down the line... a barrage of three attacks in turn.

Simple, crude, yet extremely effective.

Lin Shih-tung's short game technique seemed to suddenly malfunction; his short pushes went high, his topspins went out of bounds, and his long chops were met with a fierce counterattack from Hugo.

Faced with Hugo's relentless and aggressive attacks, Lin Shidong's backhand errors began to increase significantly.

Some chances that were originally sure to be won were repeatedly missed under the immense pressure exerted by Hugo.

11: 7.

Hugo won a point.

He swung his fist forcefully, his eyes burning like flames.

"Sigh~"

Zhang Jiahao scratched his head and gasped, "Hugo's backhand smash was too fierce."

"Hugo is back in form."

Xie Mingyang said in a low voice.

A hint of worry was visible between his brows.

"Ah."

Chen Jin frowned slightly. "The key issue is Lin Shidong himself. He started making more and more backhand mistakes, and he couldn't control the game from the table, giving Hugo a chance to attack."

In the third game, Lin Shidong's predicament worsened.

The ball inside the table was almost completely lost, and Hugo's fierce attack left it unable to lift its head.

The backhand error spread like a plague.

Whether it's his signature backhand smash or a rally, his success rate has plummeted.

Even more fatal is that once a mid-to-long-range tug-of-war is formed, Lin Shih-tung's choice of landing point becomes extremely limited.

"It's the backhand position again."

Xie Mingyang frowned. "The landing point is too rigid, it's all in Hugo's comfort zone."

On the field, Hugo also understood this.

Standing firmly in the backhand position, like waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump.

When Lin Shidong's ball flew towards his left side of the table again, his body weight suddenly shifted to the right front.

Powerful core strength drives the arms, the forearms quickly retract, and the wrists explosively rub forward and upward.

"Snapped!"

The white ball, with its strong sidespin and terrifying speed, pierced straight through Lin Shidong's forehand sideline.

A powerful backhand rally followed by a straight shot!

Lin Shidong lunged forward, trying to save the ball.

However, it was half a step too late.

0: 5.

Lin Shidong quickly fell behind at the start, and the huge point difference felt like a cold shackle on his body.

Faced with adversity, Lin Shidong's inherent tenacity was fully unleashed at this moment.

He gritted his teeth, his eyes blazing with an indomitable light.

Immediately, they stopped focusing on controlling the table and instead used long balls to actively drag the game into a mid-to-long-range rally.

He used his abundant physical strength and running ability to challenge Hugo head-on.

He ran desperately, making great efforts to save seemingly impossible balls, and the quality of his forehand and backhand rallies improved dramatically.

"nice shot!"

"Catch up, point by point!"

A miraculous scene unfolded.

Despite falling behind 0-5 at the start, Lin Shidong, with his iron will and aggressive playing style, managed to tie the score and even take the lead to 9-7.

"Go for it, Stone!"

Zhang Jiahao was so excited he almost jumped up, "9:7, we've won this game!"

However, the excitement was not yet over.

The situation on the field took another sharp turn for the worse.

Hugo is by no means a weak team; this Brazilian tiger, backed to the brink, has a fierce glint in its eyes.

Taking advantage of the serve, Lin Shidong hit a short, no-spin forehand, but the ball bounced high.

Without hesitation, Hugo unleashed a powerful forehand cross-court shot.

8: 9.

Facing Hugo's serve again, Lin Shidong unleashed a powerful backhand flick, which hit the net and went out of bounds.

9: 9.

The pressure is overwhelming.

Lin Shidong served a short, sidespin ball that flew towards Hugo's backhand corner.

Hugo stepped forward and twisted the ball through with a backhand.

9: 10.

Hugo has reached set point.

On his next serve, Lin Shidong attempted to sneak in a long backhand shot from Hugo.

However, the route is slightly off-center, and the speed is not fast enough.

Hugo had anticipated this, and with a step to the side, his forehand, like a fully drawn bow, unleashed the power of his entire body.

"Snapped!"

11: 9.

Hugo clenched his fists and roared to the sky.

They scored four consecutive points and reversed the situation to win the crucial third game.

They took a 2-1 lead.

Lin Shidong stood by the pool table, sweat streaming down his face like a stream.

He lowered his head slightly, his chest heaving violently.

The brilliance that had just been displayed during the comeback was instantly dimmed by the opponent's devastating counterattack.

A profound sense of loss and immense pressure enveloped him like a cold, iron suit.

"Ugh……"

Zhang Jiahao sighed, his voice filled with regret, "We were leading 9-7, but Hugo actually came back to win."

"Lin Shidong's backhand..."

Xie Mingyang shook his head. "I can only say that his success and failure both stemmed from his counterattack."

The situation became even more brutal in the fourth set.

Hugo's momentum was fully unleashed, like a heavy war machine at full speed, rampaging across the field.

The backhand twist and rip is like a cannonball, with tricky angles and terrifying power.

The powerful forehand counter-attack is even more forceful and precise.

In contrast, Lin Shidong's backhand errors came one after another, like an avalanche.

Missed, netted, out of bounds... those balls that were usually a sure thing now seemed to be under a spell.

More noticeably, his steps were heavy and slow.

Faced with Hugo's rapid and tricky left-right movements, he could only barely get into position, and the quality of his return shot dropped sharply.

There were even a few embarrassing moments where he lost his balance and stumbled while trying to save the ball.

The physical exertion was obvious.

However, their mindset also presents significant problems.

11: 4.

Hugo won again, making the score 3-1.

Victory is just one step away.

VIP Management Area.

Liu Guoliang's face darkened completely, and his brows furrowed into a knot.

The other coaching staff members nearby also looked serious and were exchanging information in hushed tones.

In the fifth round, Lin Shidong attempted a final, desperate attack.

However, the combined exhaustion of his physical strength and confidence made all his efforts seem tragic and futile.

Hugo, on the other hand, grew stronger with each battle, displaying astonishing form.

No longer relying solely on brute force, but combining fierce attacks with exquisite control of landing points, making the shots more tricky.

Lin Shidong was exhausted and his backhand errors were out of control, becoming an almost irreparable hole.

11: 5.

The score is 4-1.

Hugo defeated Lin Shidong, who was ranked third in the world, and proudly advanced to the World Cup semi-finals.

"Zhu--"

Hugo suddenly threw his racket high into the air, spread his arms, and roared to the sky.

He excitedly rushed to the sidelines and hugged and jumped wildly with his coach.

The Brazilian flag was waved vigorously in a corner of the stands, and the fans cheered loudly, though the number was small.

On the other side of the table.

Lin Shidong stood there, drenched in sweat.

My mind suddenly went blank, as if the whole world had left me.

The noise in the stadium gradually subsided.

Suddenly.

He heard Chen Jin's repeated reminders: "You're making too many backhand mistakes."

Chen Jin's initial worries have come true.

This match was the most brutal and direct proof of his backhand weakness.

(End of this chapter)