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

Chapter 424 A Lucky Ball That Triggers People's Mentality

The one-minute break between games is as brief as a breath.

The air still lingered with the scorching heat of the fierce battle and the continuous roar of shouts from the audience.

"Fosa!"

After giving his coach a high-five, Hugo turned and walked toward the field.

There was no anxiety, no frustration.

Although he was down 0-2, he was like a piece of black iron soaked in the cold water of the deep sea, calm and stiff.

No matter how turbulent the outside world may be, I remain steadfast and unmoved.

After all, he had just staged a stunning comeback in yesterday's semi-final.

In his duel with Wang Chuqin, he fought his way out of a desperate situation of being down 1 to 3.

That match proved that he possessed the strength and mental fortitude to turn the tide against all odds.

On the field, what's truly frightening isn't being technologically or tactically inferior.

Instead, they lost confidence.

"I can win!"

Hugo encouraged himself in his heart.

He raised his eyes.

But Chen Jin wiped his sweat and returned to the arena ahead of him.

The boy's face was expressionless, his gaze as still as a deep well.

There was no euphoria from being ahead by a large margin, nor any excitement from facing top players.

Yes, pure focus and calmness.

His aura was sharp and domineering, like a peerless sword that had been tempered and was about to burst forth to cut down all the injustices in the world, making people shudder.

"Whoo~"

Hugo took a deep breath.

She turned her head away, no longer looking at Chen Jin.

The third round.

0: 0.

Chen Jin held the small white ball in his hand, twirled it between his fingertips, blew on it lightly, and glanced at it with his head turned.

Then, he bent down.

At this moment.

The clamor at the scene receded like the tide.

The entire stadium fell silent.

It was like the calm before a storm.

Toss the ball and prepare to start the racket.

"laugh!"

Hook serve.

A light, short, no-spin ball, with a barely perceptible backspin, flew toward Hugo's right side of the table.

Hugo took a quick step forward, thrusting his right leg forward, almost touching the edge of the table.

Lean forward, relax your shoulders and raise your elbows.

Seize the landing point and snap your wrist inward.

"laugh--"

Twist and pull diagonally with a reverse grip.

The ping-pong ball suddenly drew a sharp yet low arc, tearing through the air, and rushed straight towards Chen Jin's forehand baseline corner.

Chen Jin pushed off the ground with his right leg, took a step, and moved sideways, appearing in place as if riding the wind.

At the same time, swing your forehand to meet the incoming ball.

"Snapped!"

Reverse diagonal line.

This shot, with a faster speed, a lower arc, and a stronger topspin, slammed into Hugo's open forehand side.

Hugo shifted his weight slightly to the side, leaning forward, and used his forearm and wrist to quickly pull through the middle.

The ball was extremely fast, heading straight for Chen Jin's chest.

Fortunately, Chen Jin was light on his feet, gliding to the side, drawing back his racket and gathering power, like a fully drawn bowstring.

A powerful force suddenly erupted from the right leg that had pushed off the ground, instantly transmitted to the waist and hips, and then poured into the right arm.

"Snapped!"

Accompanied by a loud bang.

The force of the whip is unleashed.

The ball, like a tiger unleashed from its cage, bared its fangs and claws, ferocious and terrifying, and lunged towards Hugo's center.

Hugo adjusted his footing and used the momentum of the backhand to quickly tear the ball apart.

Just as Chen Jin was about to intensify his counterattack...

Sudden.

An accident happened.

The white ball barely grazed the top edge of the net as it flew over it.

"昘——"

Although wiping the net is light, its impact can be fatal.

The rhythm was instantly disrupted.

Fortunately, Chen Jin reacted quickly, forcibly changing his counter-attack motion. Relying on his superb instincts and feel, he switched to his forehand at an extremely fast speed and lightly flicked the ball.

However, the change of tactics was hasty, and the effort was hampered.

The return shot lacked spin, the trajectory was too high, and the landing point was in Hugo's most comfortable position.

"Chance!"

Hugo's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

A murderous aura suddenly erupted.

"Snapped!"

A powerful backhand tear.

The force exerted is short and concentrated.

Speed, power, and landing point—perfect.

It was as if a thunderbolt of immense force had struck down from the heavens, instantly piercing through Chen Jin's left side of the platform.

Chen Jin blocked with his backhand, and the ball went into the net.

0: 1.

Hugo immediately raised his left hand, a hint of apology on his face: "Sorry."

Scoring by brushing the net was not what he wanted.

But that's the nature of competition.

Chen Jin's expression remained completely unchanged.

Continue serving.

I drew a short side spiral slightly to the left of the center line.

Hugo quickly stepped forward, lowered his center of gravity, adjusted his board position, and gently swung the board short.

Chen Jin swings back.

However, a tiny deviation occurred within the minute control of the plate shape.

At the moment of contact with the ball, the racket angle became slightly flatter.

The return shot bounces high.

Halfway through the performance.

In a duel between masters, a slight mistake can lead to a huge difference.

Having finally caught Chen Jin making a mistake in his short game, Hugo was not about to let it go easily.

As if smelling blood, the shark's eyes locked on it instantly.

Without any hesitation, he took a big step forward with his right leg, shifting his entire weight onto the ground.

With the arm drawn back like a fully drawn bow, facing the slightly rising arc, at the point of ascent where the ball has just bounced off the edge of the table, a fierce forehand swing is unleashed.

The wrist drives the forearm in a powerful, explosive strike.

"Snapped!"

A forehand attack that barely reaches the table.

The speed was incredible, and the angle was unpredictable. Like a white rainbow piercing the sun, it slammed into Chen Jin's forehand corner line.

Even though Chen Jin anticipated the direction and leaped to save him, he was still too far away to reach him.

The small white ball grazed the tip of his racket and flew away.

2: 0.

"Zhu--"

Hugo clenched his fist and roared.

In contrast, Chen Jin's brows were slightly furrowed and his lips were moving as if he were reminding himself.

It was clear that his mishandling of the ball had left him somewhat dissatisfied.

However, his eyes remained calm.

Switch sides and serve.

The forehand is short.

Do not forward.

Chen Jin didn't play short, but instead opted to quickly chop Hugo's backhand long.

The ping-pong ball, with a strong backspin, flew like a dagger towards Hugo's backhand baseline.

Hugo took a step back to make way.

Lower your wrist and flick the ball with a backhand motion as it begins to descend.

The movements are not large in range, but they are extremely powerful.

"Snapped!"

Backhand forward cross-court shot.

Chen Jin quickly adjusted his footwork, seized the landing point, and his arm had already prepared the racket.

Move your body forward and lower your center of gravity.

During the rising phase of the ball, use the opponent's force to your advantage and quickly flick it with your backhand.

Hugo slid to the side, his arm whipping out like a lash.

"call--"

The racket cuts through the air like thunder and lightning.

"Snapped!"

The ball was struck hard, its sound like a thunderclap.

This ball was so powerful and fast that it was not easy to deal with.

What's even more deadly is.

The powerful smash, carrying the force of a thunderbolt, grazed the top edge of the net, barely touching it.

The trajectory became even more unpredictable, and the rhythm was disrupted once again.

Originally, Chen Jin had anticipated Hugo's explosive attack trajectory, so Xiang jumped back half a step from the platform, attempting to deflect the force and close the distance to defend.

But the appearance of the cleaning net caught him off guard.

A second start, in an attempt to save the ball.

Unfortunately, they were ultimately a step too late.

He stretched out his arm with difficulty, but still lost half a body length.

The ball hit the edge of the paddle and flew out of bounds at an angle.

3: 0.

Hugo raised his hand in acknowledgment.

Chen Jin remained expressionless and calm.

Second serve.

The forehand is short.

Side down.

Chen Jin is short.

Hugo's swing.

Chen Jin continued to play short central attacks.

Hugo suddenly changed tactics, adding a long twist.

Chen Jin quickly stepped back half a step, creating space to hit the ball. He lowered his center of gravity and leaned forward.

Lower your wrist and gather strength by striking the groin.

As the ball begins its descent, the arm leads the wrist in a powerful swing.

"Snapped!"

Backhand forward cross-court shot.

This shot was powerful and had plenty of spin.

Hugo did not step back from the table. Instead, he moved forward, raised his arm, tilted his racket slightly forward, and relaxed his wrist. During the upward phase of the ball's bounce, he used a backhand stroke.

Use the opponent's force against them, thus dissipating most of the force and rotation.

The speed is not fast, but the arc is low and flat.

The heartbreaking scene has played out again.

Wipe the net!

It's net cleaning again.

The trajectory of the return ball changed again.

The ball, which should have flown smoothly toward Chen Jin's backhand, became a high and short ball with a forward bounce as it grazed the net, landing near the net in the middle.

Chen Jin had already prepared for a continuous attack, shifting his body weight forward and drawing back his arm to build up power, ready to counter-attack with increased force after Hugo returned to defend.

This sudden change of direction caused his prepared power to instantly lose its target.

"Depend on!"

Chen Jin frowned slightly.

Forcefully halting his forward momentum, he launched himself a second time, his right foot slamming forward as he reached out to grab the suddenly shortened landing point.

However, the ball's position was really awkward.

Not too high, not too low, neither too far forward nor too far back.

more importantly.

Because of the net contact, the ball's spin and power become extremely strange; it neither rushes forward nor falls downward, but floats lightly and is difficult to leverage.

At this point, it was too late for Chen Jin to take the initiative.

You can only defend lightly against one attack.

However, the quality of the return shot was... well, let's just say it wasn't great.

Hugo never hesitated to use his full strength against balls like these.

"Snapped!"

Sprint straight ahead with explosive power.

0: 4.

VIP viewing area.

Zhang Jiahao's brows were already furrowed like two twisted ropes.

Unable to hold back any longer, he complained, "Damn, Hugo got way too many lucky shots this round."

The first four balls were scored, three of which went close to the net.

This luck is simply outrageous.

"really."

Lin Shidong nodded. "It's quite a mental challenge."

In a match, one or two lucky shots might be okay.

But if it were someone else, three lucky balls in a row would have already resulted in a flying axe.

"Don't be afraid!"

Zhang Jiahao stared intently at Chen Jin on the field, "My brother Jin's mentality is as firm as a rock."

"This little bit of wind and waves is just a drizzle."

Looking at Chen Jin again, he had already walked back to the serve position.

His brows had long since relaxed, and he remained calm and composed, seemingly unaffected in the slightest.

Hook serve, short and no spin down the middle.

Hugo made a half-stage appearance.

An opportunity delivered right to your doorstep!

Chen Jin launched a powerful and heavy attack.

Unexpectedly, Hugo subconsciously glanced at the board and turned around.

The ball moves at an extremely high speed, faster than lightning.

However, Chen Jin reacted even faster.

His honed muscle memory allows him to instinctively swing his forehand to meet the ball.

"Snapped!"

Forehand power drive.

Before Hugo could react, the ball had already shot past his hand.

1: 4.

"nice shot!"

"Pretty!"

When Chen Jin finally pulled one back, the fans in the stadium erupted in cheers.

"Do you see it?"

Zhang Jiahao, his face beaming with excitement, raised his arms and shouted, "I told you my brother Jin's mentality is invincible!"

While talking.

Chen Jin serves again.

Backhand short sideways drop.

Hugo stepped forward and twisted the diagonal line.

Chen Jin turned the tables.

Hugo stepped forward and tore into the other's clothes.

Chen Jin unleashed a powerful backhand smash down the line.

4: 2.

Immediately, he came over, wiping his sweat.

Hugo serves.

The forehand is short.

Do not forward.

Chen Jin stepped forward and swung his short sword.

Hugo's swing.

Chen Jin leaned forward, his wrist snapped inward, and flicked the ball diagonally towards the basket.

However, the friction on the hands is slightly weak.

The arc is too high, and the rotation isn't very strong.

Such a high-quality twisting and pulling is tantamount to suicide for a player of Hugo's caliber.

Hugo unleashed a powerful backhand flick, striking the ball fiercely.

"Snapped!"

The ball, like a cannonball, with intense sidespin, hurtled straight at Chen Jin's backhand corner.

Chen Jin was unable to get back in time to defend.

5: 2.

Hugo's middle road is short and doesn't turn.

Chen Jin stepped forward and twisted the straight line.

Hugo's forehand fast drive.

"昘——"

Wipe the net again.

The landing point changed, Chen Jin countered, but failed to hit the target, losing another point.

Seeing that things were not going well, Wang Hao, who was sitting on the sidelines, quickly got up and called a timeout.

Putting down his racket, Chen Jin picked up a towel, wiping away sweat while frowning and muttering to himself.

"Stay calm."

Wang Hao handed her water and comforted her, "Don't let their attempts to brush the edges of the net affect you."

"You must have faith in yourself. In the face of absolute strength, luck is insignificant."

"Moreover, a person's luck cannot always be that good."

"Anyway, we have a big lead, so there's no need to panic."

"Play one ball at a time, chase one point at a time."

Pause back.

2: 6.

It was Chen Jin's turn to play.

The forehand is short.

Side down.

Hugo placed a short central position.

Unexpectedly, another dead net was wiped.

Even Hugo himself was speechless: "Sorry, sorry..."

Zhang Jiahao couldn't hold back any longer.

"Damn, Hugo is such a good embroiderer, why doesn't he go live-stream and sell products?"

Zhang Jiahao spat fiercely on the ground.

"Where are your Zhang family ancestors?"

Xie Mingyang glared at him. "How could an outsider be so lucky on our own turf?"

"fine."

Zhang Jiahao said in a deep voice, "I believe in Brother Jin's strength. I don't need to use the power of my Zhang family ancestors to turn the tide."

2: 7.

"Whoo~"

Chen Jin let out a long breath.

It's been a long time since I've played such a frustrating match.

However, he did not complain too much.

Because he knew that luck was also a part of the game.

So what if we fall behind?
We can win back every single point!
Serve again.

The middle path is short.

Side-up.

Hugo still tried to cut short.

However, due to slightly poor wrist control, the return shot went high.

"!"

A cold glint flashed in Chen Jin's eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, like a tiger locking onto its prey, he slammed his left foot into the ground.

His body shot up like an arrow, carrying an unstoppable momentum, and he soared into the air.

His body stretched out completely in the air, and tremendous power erupted from his core, flowing to his right arm and racket. With the power and speed of his entire body, he slammed the ball that had just bounced off the table.

—A horse galloping on a swallow!
He leaped and delivered a powerful slam.

"Snapped!"

This shot embodied Chen Jin's anger and unwavering belief in victory.

The sheer power, speed, and overwhelming momentum left the entire stadium breathless.

The white ball, transformed into a bolt of lightning tearing through the air, hurtled towards Hugo's backhand corner with devastating force.

A powerful strike capable of piercing any defense, seemingly a sure-fire kill!
However, to my utter surprise...

With the instinctive reaction honed by top athletes, Hugo instinctively raised his arm and held the racket in front of him.

He didn't even have time to adjust the angle of his racket.

"Snapped!"

A dull thud.

歘——

The return shot had a high arc, but it grazed the edge.

(End of this chapter)