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

Chapter 434 Direct Qualifying Tournament for Doha (Part Two)
The entire Doha qualifying tournament consisted of ten matches for each member of the men's team.

On the 22nd, there were two shows in the morning, three shows in the afternoon, and three shows in the evening.

This is not only a contest of skills, but also the ultimate test of willpower, physical strength, and the ability to adapt to changing circumstances.

Ten p.m.

In the final match, Zhang Jiahao defeated Huang Youzheng with a score of 3-2.

Zhang Jiahao was so exhausted that he didn't even have the energy to celebrate. He was covered in sweat, which dripped down his chin.

"I'm so damn tired."

Back on the sidelines, Zhang Jiahao was panting heavily, almost collapsing to the ground.

"Eight games a day, almost all of them were played in their entirety, of course I was tired."

Chen Jin smiled.

As he spoke, he handed Zhang Jiahao a water bottle and a banana, so that Zhang Jiahao could replenish some energy and strength.

"There are two more games tomorrow morning."

Zhang Jiahao cried out in despair, "My ancestors for eighteen generations, can I just abstain?"

"Anyway, with my current points, I probably won't get a singles spot."

Although he defeated Lin Gaoyuan and Huang Youzheng, his record today is 5 wins and 3 losses.

On the other hand, the top three players, Lin Shidong, Xie Mingyang, and Lin Gaoyuan, all have a record of 7 wins and 1 loss.

Without a doubt, the final two tickets to the Doha World Table Tennis Championships men's singles will be contested among these three.

Moreover, Zhang Jiahao's opponents tomorrow morning are Xue Fei and Xie Mingyang.

Both are tough opponents; his chances of winning are slim.

Most importantly, after the men's singles qualifying tournament in the morning, there will be a men's doubles qualifying tournament in the afternoon.

If too much energy is expended in the morning, it will inevitably affect the men's doubles selection.

The best course of action now is to abandon odds and stick to evens.

"But the problem is, I'm going to beat up that Xie guy tomorrow, and I have to avenge myself!"

Zhang Jiahao frowned slightly. "Sigh, I'm so conflicted."

"You just finished a match, don't think too much about it."

Chen Jin reached out and patted him on the shoulder, "Let's go to the cafeteria for a late-night snack and replenish our ammunition."

The moment I heard the words "late-night snack".

Zhang Jiahao immediately perked up, his face beaming: "Let's go, let's hurry!"

At this moment, Xie Mingyang, Lin Shidong, and Li Qian had already gone to the cafeteria ahead of everyone else.

Although it was late at night, the cafeteria was still brightly lit.

The air was filled with the warm aroma of various delicacies, becoming the only haven after a tiring battle.

Around several long dining tables, a few team members who had just finished fighting sat scattered around, some wolfing down their food, others having heated discussions.

At one of the dining tables, Chen Jin, Xie Mingyang, Zhang Jiahao, and Lin Shidong were seated.

Li Qian had already left the venue.

The plate was piled high with noodles, fried rice, chicken legs, and vegetables, steaming hot.

Zhang Jiahao buried himself in his food, devouring it like a whirlwind.

Watching Zhang Jiahao devour his food, Xie Mingyang frowned slightly and leaned back, keeping his distance from Zhang Jiahao to avoid getting soup splashed on him.

"A starving ghost reincarnated."

Xie Mingyang snorted coldly.

"It's fortunate that Jiahao won against Yuan Ge in the first round, otherwise Yuan Ge would be in first place today."

Lin Shidong smiled and looked at Zhang Jiahao, "Brother Hao, I have to give you an extra chicken leg for tonight's supper."

"Uuuuuuu..."

Zhang Jiahao was chewing something, without even lifting his eyelids.

There was a pause.

After swallowing the last bite to turn the tables, Zhang Jiahao finally looked up, his mouth greasy: "Where's the chicken leg you were promised?"

"I'll get it right away."

Lin Shidong was slightly taken aback, and immediately stood up.

Shortly after.

Sure enough, he brought back a fried chicken leg.

"Thanks."

Zhang Jiahao grinned, and without any hesitation, reached out and took the food, taking a big bite.

Soon, only bones remained of the chicken leg.

However, Zhang Jiahao was still not satisfied and sucked hard for a while.

"Hiccup~"

Zhang Jiahao rolled his eyes, let out a burp that sounded like a dragon's roar, and casually pulled down his pants, saying with satisfaction, "Finally, I'm seven-tenths full."

"I never expected that on the first day of the competition, there would be three teams with seven wins and one loss."

Lin Shidong said, "It seems that we can only finalize the decision by tomorrow morning, after all the matches are over."

"Brother Stone, you should be the most reliable one."

Chen Jindao.

After all, Lin Shidong's two opponents tomorrow morning are Huang Youzheng and Yuan Licen.

In terms of pure ability, Lin Shidong is far superior to the other two.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, we should be able to win easily.

If that's the case, Lin Shidong's record of 9 wins and 1 loss is enough to secure a spot.

On the contrary, Xie Mingyang and Lin Gaoyuan have a life-or-death battle tomorrow.

This match essentially determined who would win the last men's singles ticket to the Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

Looking at today's eight matches, Lin Gaoyuan's only loss was a surprising defeat to Zhang Jiahao.

In addition, Lin Gaoyuan swept all his opponents.

Including Lin Shidong.

Therefore, given Lin Gaoyuan's current form, Xie Mingyang may not be his match tomorrow.

Xie Mingyang was well aware that tomorrow morning's match against Lin Gaoyuan was the only way to reach the Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

We won; the insurmountable barrier has become a thoroughfare.

Losing means falling into an abyss.

Lin Shidong looked at Xie Mingyang: "The last ticket to the Doha World Table Tennis Championships depends on who wins tomorrow, you or Yuan Ge."

The words have not yet fallen.

Zhang Jiahao picked up his chopsticks, tapped his plate lightly, and said with some dissatisfaction, "What do you mean by 'it all depends on you and Brother Yuan'?"

"Hey Xie, don't forget, in the last match, your opponent is me."

"Although I lost to you the last few times, this time, I'll show you what it means to win only the crucial games."

"Tomorrow, I will transform into the most powerful villain and personally shatter your Doha dream, hehehehe..."

……

Two o'clock in the morning.

The lights were still on in Xie Mingyang's room.

He was sitting on the headboard, holding a tablet computer, completely absorbed and staring intently at it.

The screen emitted a soft glow, reflecting his focused gaze.

"Lin Gaoyuan's backhand topspin, speed of transition, and forehand-backhand switching are indeed very strong."

"However, his forehand rallies are a bit weak, especially after the fifth shot; his speed and power drop considerably..."

Xie Mingyang muttered to himself.

Slide your finger across the screen to repeatedly play slow-motion replays of several key plays by Lin Gaoyuan in the game, pausing frame by frame.

He keenly observed every subtle habitual movement, every subconscious action... and meticulously analyzed them one by one.

Outside the window, the night was as dark as ink.

All sounds are silent.

In the entire athletes' apartment building, only Xie Mingyang's window stubbornly remained lit.

The morning sunlight, carrying a hint of chill, shone through the glass windows of the training hall and fell on the ground.

The second day of the Doha World Table Tennis Championships qualifying tournament.

"Snapped!"

Lin Shidong followed up a quick backhand flick with a powerful forehand smash, breaking through Huang Youzheng's central defense.

11: 7.

The score is 3-0.

Almost effortlessly and without any suspense, Lin Shidong won another match.

With this result, his record stands at eight wins and one loss, essentially securing his place in the Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

The score was settled, clean and decisive.

Lin Shidong bent down to pick up the towel, his face showing little excitement.

He walked to the sidelines and wiped his sweat.

At the same time, his gaze passed over the spheres and landed on the battle not far away.

Xie Mingyang and Lin Gaoyuan stood on opposite sides of the net.

The score is tied at 1-1.
Third game, 10:9.

Lin Gaoyuan took the lead and secured the set point.

This game is crucial for both of them.

Whoever wins will gain a psychological advantage.

Xie Mingyang's mouth was slightly open as he breathed softly, exhaling the tension and pressure in his heart.

He bent over, his eyes sharp, intently watching his opponent's every subtle movement.

On the other side of the table.

Lin Gaoyuan held the ping-pong ball in his hand and let out a long breath.

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

The ball flew like lightning, hurtling towards Xie Mingyang's baseline in the middle. Xie Mingyang seemed to have anticipated this, moving his body in advance, taking a half-step back, and counter-attacking with a forehand.

Lin Gaoyuan applied a protective plaster.

Hsieh Ming-yang is tearing into Lin Kao-yuan's left-wing support.

Lin Gaoyuan's forehand forward cross-court shot.

Xie Mingyang stepped back half a step from the table, shifted his weight forward, and countered with a backhand flick.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

After several rounds of stalemate, no matter how powerful Lin Gaoyuan's forehand attacks were, he was unable to break through Xie Mingyang's backhand arc.

Xie Mingyang clearly felt that after five or six consecutive powerful forehand smashes, Lin Gaoyuan's power had decreased significantly.

"It's now!"

Xie Mingyang strode forward at an extremely fast speed, forcefully pushing his way close to the platform.

Facing Lin Gaoyuan's powerful forehand attack, I used his force against him and hit a straight shot with my backhand.

"Snapped!"

Its sound was like thunder, and its speed like lightning.

Even with Lin Gaoyuan's quick footwork in recovering the ball, he couldn't save it.

10: 10.

Xie Mingyang scored a point, finally tying the score.

however.

Lin Gaoyuan is, after all, a veteran, and he is more experienced and adept at handling crucial points.

The next two balls.

Lin Gaoyuan scored two points in a row with a backhand flick down the middle and a serve-and-attack, winning the match.

The score is tied at 2-1.
Lin Gaoyuan is in the lead.

The pressure suddenly fell on Xie Mingyang.

The fourth game was crucial.

Lin Gaoyuan used his fierce backhand topspin and stable, continuous strokes to put constant pressure on Xie Mingyang.

I originally thought that this round would be Xie Mingyang's relentless and crazy fight.

But unexpectedly, Xie Mingyang's playing style became calmer.

Like a reef repeatedly battered by giant waves, it no longer seeks a single decisive blow, but instead relies on near-perfect footwork and precise control of the landing point to tenaciously keep the score close.

Xie Mingyang was well aware that once a fight broke out, it would seem fierce, but it would also be fraught with danger.

A fierce battle is often accompanied by a high number of mistakes.

Against a player like Lin Gaoyuan whose mentality is not very stable, fighting desperately in such a crucial game is by no means the best strategy.

A prolonged, entangled fight is the way to go.

"As long as we keep the score close and put the pressure on Lin Gaoyuan, his unforced errors will naturally increase."

As it turns out, Xie Mingyang's tactics and techniques were flawless.

Thanks to Xie Mingyang's solid defense, Lin Gaoyuan's attacks were repeatedly thwarted.

The score went back and forth.

Xie Mingyang even took the lead.

As expected, Lin Gaoyuan's mentality did indeed fluctuate slightly.

Whether it's a backhand flick or a forehand transition, unforced errors are starting to increase.

"Now!"

Xie Mingyang assessed the situation and acted decisively.

The sudden and fierce attack caught Lin Gaoyuan off guard.

Fourth set, 11:6.
Xie Mingyang won the crucial game, forcing the match into a deciding game once again.

Decisive Game 7

Both players were like beasts pushed to the edge of a cliff, and at the start of the fifth round, they launched a frenzied battle against their opponent.

The immense pressure seemed to ignite all of Lin Gaoyuan's potential.

He abandoned all transitions and calculations, giving his all to every ball, like a raging thunderbolt.

The backhand flick angle is more tricky, the forehand smash is more terrifying, and the landing point is more fierce, hitting Xie Mingyang's blind spot.

however.

Xie Mingyang was equally ruthless and merciless.

The score was once again neck and neck.

0: 1.

1: 1.

2:1.
2: 2.

2: 3.

3: 3.

……

"Ta-ta-ta, ta-ta-ta."

Lin Gaoyuan took a deep breath and stood in the serve position again.

Sudden.

A long, fast ball flew straight towards Xie Mingyang's backhand baseline.

After serving, the body quickly returns to its original position.

He was ready to make a powerful side-step attack and win the shot in one go.

But Xie Mingyang seemed to have seen through his intention to steal the opportunity.

Anticipating the landing point, the body shifts to the side like a cheetah, the movement swift and fluid.

"Snapped!"

He met the ball with his forehand and swung it violently.

A standard side-step burst of speed.

I thought this one goal would be enough to decide the outcome.

However, he underestimated Lin Gaoyuan.

With lightning-fast reflexes, Lin Gaoyuan seemed to have anticipated Xie Mingyang's explosive charge, instinctively taking a step forward and reaching out to block.

"Snapped!"

A quick forehand drive, like a fatal blow, aimed straight at Xie Mingyang's forehand baseline corner.

At this moment, Xie Mingyang sprinted sideways, his body still not back to its original position, remaining on the left side of the platform.

The distance to the right half of the platform is like an insurmountable chasm.

Just when Lin Gaoyuan thought he was sure to win.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past.

Xie Mingyang, like a tiger charging down from the forest, leaped and pounced towards his forehand position.

A miracle happened.

With godlike footwork and speed, Xie Mingyang traversed the entire table in the blink of an eye, seized the landing point, and made a forehand counter-attack to save the ball at the last second.

"Snapped!"

Accompanied by a loud bang.

Like a sudden clap of thunder.

Reverse diagonal line.

The ping-pong ball, carrying unparalleled power, topspin, and speed, drew an exaggeratedly low and flat arc in mid-air, like a cannonball, and slammed into Lin Gaoyuan's right backhand side of the table.

"what?"

Lin Gaoyuan's pupils suddenly contracted.

He never expected that Xie Mingyang could still manage to save the ball with his forehand under such circumstances.

"Do you want to die?"

The key point is that his attempt to block the attack was purely by chance.

At this moment, the center of gravity has not yet been stabilized.

There was no time to react to Xie Mingyang's counterattack.

Reverse pulling is impossible.

To achieve effective defense, you also need to rely on your body's center of gravity.

In his haste, Lin Gaoyuan reached out again, trying to block.

Unfortunately, the miracle did not happen.

Xie Mingyang's shot was not only extremely powerful, but also had a particularly strong topspin.

Even if Lin Gaoyuan is well-prepared defensively, he may not be able to hold him down.

Moreover, his center of gravity has not yet been fully restored.

Hand movements also make it difficult to control the board's shape.

"Snapped!"

Lin Gaoyuan felt a violent jolt in his hand.

A tremendous force instantly pierced through the rubber, seemingly enough to penetrate the baseboard.

It can't be held down!
It's impossible to hold it down!
Lin Gaoyuan could only watch helplessly as the ping-pong ball bounced straight away.

But on the other side of the table.

Xie Mingyang, too, was unable to stop his momentum due to his excessive drive.

Although he managed to save the ball, he fell to the ground.

"Oops!"

Chen Jin's heart tightened.

(End of this chapter)