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

Chapter 428 Your ball is harder than his!
The ball landed.

From trailing 3-9 to turning the tide at 12-10, every point felt like walking a tightrope.

Now, the dust has finally settled.

“Wow——!!!”

The long-suppressed cheers erupted like a volcano, pounding against the stadium roof.

It looked as if the roof was about to be blown off.

"Maya, you can even translate this?"

"A heart of steel! Absolutely a heart of steel!"

"If Wang Chuqin had this kind of mentality, he wouldn't have lost to Hugo in yesterday's semi-final!"

……

Center of the field.

Despite having just pulled off this thrilling comeback, Chen Jin didn't show much excitement or agitation on his face.

Sweat soaked his red jersey, his hair clung to his skin, his chest rose and fell slightly, but his eyes remained unusually calm, like a deep pool.

When the match ended, he simply clenched his right fist briefly and forcefully.

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

His composure and calmness, beyond his years, stood out remarkably amidst the boisterous atmosphere.

Compared to Chen Jin, Hugo's face showed an undisguised look of disappointment.

Holding a huge lead and taking the lead in the match, only to be overturned by the opponent, the psychological impact of such a huge gap was fierce and intense.

Hugo lowered his head and walked back to the sidelines.

VIP viewing area.

Liu Guoliang, Qin Zhijian, Li Xun, and others breathed a sigh of relief as they watched Chen Jin win the third game.

They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with relief and undisguised approval.

"If we win this game, we should have it in the bag."

Qin Zhijian's expression suddenly relaxed a lot. "With a score of 3-0, Chen Jin has the upper hand in both the situation and mentality."

"We still can't relax."

Looking at Chen Jin walking to the sidelines, Liu Guoliang's brows did not completely relax. "A player like Hugo is very resilient. Being down 0-3 might actually make him play more freely and fight with all his might."

"Next, Chen Jin needs to withstand what may be an even more frantic attack from his opponents."

As a former Grand Slam winner and with many years of experience coaching the Chinese national table tennis team, he knows that any slackening in a major competition could have disastrous consequences.

The rest area on the sidelines.

Wang Hao had already stood up, a smile on his face, and handed the water to Chen Jin before Chen Jin even got close.

"You played very well, very well."

Wang Hao's voice was not loud, but it was full of power.

Leaning slightly forward, looking directly into Chen Jin's eyes, he spoke each word clearly, "We are now only one step away from the World Cup championship, but we must not let our guard down."

"Down 0-3, Hugo is backed into a corner. He will definitely do everything he can to fight back desperately."

"At this moment, we absolutely cannot back down; we must fight him head-on!"

"You must use your strength and your momentum to crush him completely, so that he'll be terrified of you the next time he sees you on the field!"

"I believe your ball is harder than his!"

Wang Hao stared intently at Chen Jin, his eyes filled with trust and encouragement.

Technically, Chen Jin had an advantage over Hugo.

Having come this far, so close to the championship trophy, the most crucial thing is not technique and tactics, but mental stability and an unwavering belief in victory.

Wang Hao knew very well that the more critical the moment, the more he needed absolute confidence.

Any hesitation or conservatism could open the door for an opponent in dire straits to turn the tide.

the other side.

Hugo tilted his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls of water, which spilled from the corners of his mouth and dripped down his chin.

His coach, standing before him, spoke rapidly, his expression a mix of seriousness and encouragement.

Listen, Hugo!

The coach placed his hands on Hugo's shoulders, trying to transfer strength to him, "Although we are down 0-3, we haven't lost yet, we still have a chance, and we absolutely cannot let losing the third game affect our mentality."

"Let go of the burden, treat it as a 0-0 draw, and start afresh."

"Give it your all, use all your skills, fight and struggle. Don't think about the result, just focus on playing your best in every single point."

"Just go for it and leave the rest to God."

As he spoke, the coach patted Hugo on the chest forcefully, "God is with you, show your fighting spirit."

Listening quietly, the confusion and disappointment in Hugo's eyes were gradually replaced by a hint of ruthlessness.

He nodded heavily and wiped the sweat from his face.

He fought his way to the World Cup final, making history for Brazil and even the entire Americas table tennis scene; he was a fighter in his own right.

Although the third game was a huge blow, his ability to adjust is beyond doubt.

"clear."

Hugo's voice was a little hoarse, but very firm: "I don't ask for much. In the next match, as long as I can win one game against Chen Jin, I will consider it a success!"

After all, Chen Jin's strength, which can be described as that of a demon king, has mostly resulted in shutting out his opponents in previous matches.

If I can win even one game, then I will have lived up to my goal of going to the finals.

At this moment.

The referee's warning rang out: "Time!"

The short break between sets has ended.

Players, players, back on the field.

"Chen Jin!"

"come on--"

……

"come on!"

"Chen Jin—"

……

When Chen Jin reappeared under the spotlight, the huge stadium erupted in a unified and deafening roar of cheers.

In this match, Chen Jin carried more than just the weight of a championship.

The fourth round begins.

0: 0.

Hugo served first.

High throw.

Forehand short sideways drop.

Chen Jin remained calm and composed, taking a step forward, lowering his center of gravity, seizing the moment when the ball was rising, and gently flicking it short.

The landing point is slightly to the right of the center line.

Knowing how formidable Chen Jintai's skills were, Hugo dared not linger.

Moreover, he needs to force his way in and break the deadlock.

Therefore, without hesitation, he thrust his right leg forward.

Sink your shoulders and raise your elbows, twist your waist to gather power.

"laugh!"

Twist diagonally with your backhand.

The ping-pong ball suddenly transformed into a gleaming longsword, flying towards Chen Jin's backhand.

It was as if a sword came from the west, and a celestial being descended from the heavens.

Chen Jin was prepared.

After the short swing, the feet quickly return to their original position.

Facing the incoming ball, his hands were already prepared for a counter-attack.

however.

The accident happened suddenly.

Chen Jin's short swing is of extremely high quality, while Hugo's twisting and pulling has slightly weaker friction and a low, flat arc.

"Break!"

The white ball, as it flies over the net, is gently touched above the net and then bounces high into the air.

Speed, power, trajectory, and landing point all change in an instant.

At the critical moment.

With lightning speed and reflexes, Chen Jin pushed off with his foot and started again.

With amazing touch and explosive power, he flicked his wrist and delivered a powerful backhand smash to the irregularly bouncing ball.

"Snapped!"

The explosion was as loud as thunder.

The ball was incredibly fast and powerful, hurtling straight towards Hugo's backhand corner.

Hugo was caught off guard by this sudden counterattack.

Fortunately, he reacted quickly.

Step back from the table early, and in an extremely passive situation, grip the racket tightly with both hands and, like playing tennis, release the ball high.

For Chen Jin, this kind of shot was practically a free point.

Chen Jin moved with lightning speed, instantly teleporting to the optimal hitting position.

The body is stretched out, and the arms are raised high.

"Snapped!"

An even deeper, more powerful explosion resounded once more throughout the stadium.

A powerful and heavy forehand smash.

The ping-pong ball, like a cannonball, slammed into Hugo's right side of the table near the edge.

Hugo stood still, powerless to reach him.

0: 1.

Chen Jin scored the first goal.

Seeing Hugo brush the ball again at the start of the game, Zhang Jiahao's heart almost jumped out of his throat.

Fortunately, Chen Jin was more skilled and turned the situation around.

"Cleaning the net again?"

Zhang Jiahao breathed a sigh of relief, "Fortunately, my brother Jin is very capable."

As he spoke, Hugo served again.

Backhand short sideways drop.

This time, Chen Jin did not hesitate at all.

Step forward directly and twist the ball with your backhand.

"laugh!"

Like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath, or a white rainbow piercing the sun.

Hugo's backhand defense.

However, Chen Jin's twisting and pulling was of extremely high quality.

Not only is it fast, but its rotation is also intense.

The moment the racket touched the ball, Hugo felt a powerful spin that penetrated the racket and reached his hand.

Despite trying my best to control the board's shape, I was ultimately unable to stop the rotation.

The ball flew straight out of bounds.

2: 0.

Switch sides and serve.

Chen Jin stood on the left side of the table and tossed the ball high into the air.

The pace seems slow.

However, at the moment of contact with the ball, the fingers and wrist suddenly exert force.

"昘——"

A long, fast ball, like lightning, swooped down towards Hugo's center baseline.

Hugo was clearly unprepared and positioned himself slightly forward.

But the ball flew like an arrow straight toward his center, and before he could launch a quick attack, his body was blocked.

The movement was completely distorted, and the space for exerting force was squeezed.

Even though the return shot barely cleared the net, the trajectory was so high and unpredictable that it flew directly off the table.

3: 0.

Chen Jin scored three consecutive points.

A perfect start.

The second serve was also a forehand high toss.

The right path is shorter. Don't turn back.

Hugo quickly chopped Chen Jin's backhand baseline.

This shot was fast and powerful, with strong backspin.

However, Chen Jin reacted quickly.

He took a half step back, his body suddenly sank downwards, and he squatted down.

At the same time, lower your wrist to gather strength.

As the ball begins its descent, unleash a powerful backhand topspin.

"Snapped!"

A flash of white light flashed.

Seeing Chen Jin's squatting and wrist-sinking posture, Hugo thought that Chen Jin was going to pull his backhand position.

Anticipating the route, he was about to slide sideways.

Unexpectedly, Chen Jin used his powerful wrist to hit a backhand straight shot.

Like a tiger descending a mountain, ferocious and savage, it pounced towards his forehand position.

"Oops!"

Hugo thought to himself.

He desperately tried to stop the tendency to turn sideways.

However, the body's center of gravity has been lost.

The hasty change of pace was completely outmatched by the ball's speed.

A white light exploded near the right side of the platform and then bounced far away.

0: 4.

xuperman's live stream.

Seeing Chen Jin take a 4-0 lead at the start of the fourth game, Xu Xin rubbed his hands together, seemingly even more excited than if he were in the lead himself: "See that? This is Chen Jin's rhythm, terrifying dominance."

"Yes."

Cheng Jingqi nodded, "Without the boost of a lucky shot, Hugo is left with no choice but to passively take the beating against Chen Jin's absolute strength and consistent performance."

"The championship is practically in our grasp."

Looking at Chen Jin's past matches, once he gains an advantage, almost no one can turn the tide.

"Keep it low-key, don't open the champagne halfway through."

Xu Xin smiled and said, "The game isn't over yet. Winning this round steadily is the right way to go."

Although he said that, seeing Chen Jin's overwhelming advantage, he couldn't help but let his imagination run wild.

"On another note, if I remember correctly, the youngest World Cup men's singles champion right now is probably Fatty, right?"

Xu Xin turned to look at Cheng Jingqi.

"Yes, in the 16 Saarbrücken World Cup, Little Fatty took the men's singles title from you."

Cheng Jingqi glanced at Xu Xin, a half-smile on his face, "Back then, Little Fatty was nineteen... Brother Xin, you're not mistaken."

Xu Xin: "..."

"Cough cough."

Cheng Jingqi immediately changed the subject, saying, "If Chen Jin can win the championship tonight, then without a doubt, he will break Fatty's record and become the youngest men's singles champion in the history of table tennis."

"That's not the most important thing."

Xu Xin rubbed his palms together, his expression and tone tinged with excitement, "Most importantly, the racket Chen Jin is using is a JX blade that we at Xuperman custom-designed for him..."

"Brother Xin, your advertising campaign was... perfectly timed and executed flawlessly."

Cheng Jingqi smiled and asked, "Where can I buy this world champion-level racket?"

"Good question."

Xu Xin laughed, "Friends, here's the link... oh no, there's no link."

Talking and laughing.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glanced at the live stream screen.

Then it suddenly dawned on me that the score had quietly become 5:1.

"Huh? Wait, what happened?"

Xu Xin was taken aback. "It's only been a few words? Is the pace of the competition this fast?"

"Hugo managed to pull one point back?"

Just then, the live stream switched to the sidelines.

After wiping away his sweat, Chen Jin returned to the pool table, picked up the paddle again, and gently wiped it with his head down.

"Fuck."

Cheng Jingqi stuck out his tongue. "Has Chen Jin noticed that his racket is suddenly generating a lot of jinxes?"

"Chen Jin lost points, it's all our fault."

Xu Xin said, "Sorry, we will never jinx you again."

That's when.

Chen Jin won the ball and switched back to a hook shot.

The middle path is short.

Do not forward.

Hugo quickly stepped forward and gently swung his foot.

The placement control was extremely precise, landing in Chen Jin's backhand small triangle.

Unfortunately, the curve is a bit too high.

Chen Jin suddenly pushed off with his feet, and his body leaped into the air.

Its posture is graceful, like a horse galloping through the air.

Yet it was filled with murderous intent.

—A flying, explosive slam!
The ball was as fast as a shooting star, heading straight for Hugo's backhand corner.

This time, Hugo was caught off guard.

6: 1.

Seeing that the score difference was too large, Hugo's coach made a quick decision and immediately signaled to the referee to request a timeout.

He had to interrupt Chen Jinruhong's momentum and give Hugo a chance to catch his breath and regroup.

Back on the sidelines.

Wang Hao immediately stood up and handed over the water bottle.

"Even with a huge advantage, you must not become complacent."

Wang Hao's voice was deep and powerful as he stared into Chen Jin's eyes, "We must be careful with every ball and prevent the opponent from taking advantage of our lapses to score consecutive points."

"Remember, you must be decisive when you attack. Hugo's shot won't break through your defense!"

"Believe in yourself, believe in your defensive and counter-attacking abilities!"

"The closer we get to the critical moment, the more we must remain calm!"

……

The pause ends.

Both sides returned to the field.

The brief interruption allowed the atmosphere to settle down slightly, but the audience's anticipation and tension remained undiminished.

The serve remains in Chen Jin's hands.

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

Chen Jin stood on the left side of the table, serving with his usual hook shot.

Hugo was completely absorbed, leaning forward.

"Break!"

—Serve long!
Moreover, its sharp edge was aimed directly at Hugo's forehand sideline.

Hugo was caught off guard.

He lunged for a forehand, but it was too late.

1: 7.

"Whoo~"

Hugo let out a long sigh.

High toss serve.

The forehand is short.

Side down.

Chen Jin stepped forward and swung his short sword.

He placed the ball steadily back to Hugo's forehand position.

The trajectory is low, and the landing point is precise.

However, Hugo was clearly unwilling to be passive.

Step forward, lean your body forward, lower your shoulders and raise your elbows, and twist and pull the middle with your backhand.

Chen Jin was prepared.

With extremely fast speed, slide sideways.

Draw back the racket and gather power, then meet the incoming ball with a counter-attack down the line.

Hugo's restoration speed is extremely fast.

After the twisting and pulling motion, the feet spring back as if springy, instantly bouncing to the side and back to the middle.

Facing Chen Jin's high-quality counter-attack down the line, I quickly adjusted my body weight, used the force of the counter-attack to quickly tear the ball, and went straight for Chen Jin's middle.

Chen Jin's footwork was equally swift, shifting to the side with a quick step, forcefully seizing the rising point of this central, body-chasing ball.

Without the slightest hesitation, he unleashed another powerful forehand.

"Snapped!"

A sudden surge down the diagonal line.

At this moment, Hugo had just completed the reverse tearing motion, and his center of gravity was not yet fully stable.

Facing Chen Jin's faster and more aggressive forehand smash, he forcefully turned to the side, twisted his body dramatically, and fully extended his forehand arm to meet the incoming ball and counter-attack down the line.

"Snapped!"

The ball flew like an arrow, heading straight for Chen Jin's backhand corner.

This attack was powerful and extremely threatening.

However, after Chen Jin's explosive attack, his center of gravity quickly returned to normal.

Seeing Hugo turn to parry his backhand, he quickly moved with a cross step, instantly getting into position.

Just as the ball is about to fly away from the optimal hitting point, decisively exert force with your backhand to tear it down the middle.

Because of his full-force sidestep just now, Hugo's recovery speed was affected, and his center of gravity was slightly forward.

Chen Jin's backhand attack down the middle was fast and powerful, severely limiting his space to generate power.

Left with no other option, Hugo could only manage a backhand block to try and return the ball to its place.

Knowing that the ball wasn't of high quality this time, Hugo quickly stepped back from the table.

However, when masters clash, it can only end in bloodshed.

Once you release your force, you are handing the initiative over to your opponent.

Chen Jin stood firmly at mid-to-close range, his forehand arm like a fully drawn bow, ready to unleash a powerful shot as the ball rose.

"Snapped!"

A powerful forehand smash, like a thunderbolt.

The ball landed directly on Hugo's forehand baseline.

The instant Chen Jin made his explosive attack, Hugo, with his keen sense of opportunity, desperately moved towards his forehand side and fiercely countered with a forehand.

"Snapped!"

The ping-pong ball, like a cannonball, hurtled towards Chen Jin's forehand baseline corner.

Fortunately, Chen Jin reacted very quickly.

Accurately predict the trajectory of Hugo's return shot and seize the rising point of the ball.

Lower your center of gravity!

Push off the ground and twist your waist!

Quickly pull your arm back!

"Snapped!"

A quick forehand drive.

A powerful shot aimed at Hugo's open backhand position.

The movements were executed in one fluid motion, as fast as lightning.

The ball, with a strong sideways curve, drew a strange arc and landed near the left sideline of Hugo's table!
Hugo had just completed a forehand mid-to-long distance counter-pull, and his body weight was entirely on his right side.

There was nothing we could do about that ball.

They could only watch the ball go and sigh in despair.

(End of this chapter)