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

Chapter 437 The real test of acting skills has arrived!
Break between games.

Xie Mingyang sat on a bench on the sidelines, took the ice pack from the team doctor, and applied it to his right knee through a towel.

Originally, the bruises and swelling had subsided considerably after the application of ice spray.

However, the sprinting, sudden stops, and restarts that just occurred clearly put a strain on his knees.

"Whoo~"

Xie Mingyang lowered his gaze, focusing on the floor beneath his feet.

My mind, however, was racing.

He recalled every detail of the first game and every mistake his opponent made.

It has to be said that Zhang Jiahao's performance was indeed somewhat supermodel-like.

A fiery touch, ghostly footwork, unrestrained variations, coupled with a strong desire for revenge and overflowing confidence... this match was more difficult than he had imagined.

Moreover, he also has a knee injury that hinders his movement.

If they were to confront Zhang Jiahao head-on, it would be tantamount to handing points to Zhang Jiahao.

"We can't afford to engage in a long-range battle with him; we can't afford to waste the time, and we can't compete with his current form..."

Xie Mingyang's fingertips unconsciously traced the edge of the ice pack. "When fighting him on the court, use the first three moves to suppress him and reduce large-scale movement..."

Mind this.

The referee announced, "Time's up. Please continue the match."

Taking a deep breath, Xie Mingyang removed the ice pack, grabbed a towel, and stood up again.

His expression was cold and stern, his gaze sharp, as if containing the glint of swords.

As for Zhang Jiahao, he was clearly more relaxed than Xie Mingyang.

As he walked onto the field, he did chest-expanding exercises.

Second round.

0: 0.

Xie Mingyang stood on the left side of the table, his fingertips twirling the small white ball, glancing at it with a sidelong glance.

Then, he bent down.

Place the ping-pong ball in your palm, with your left arm extended forward along the edge of the table.

The palm should be above the table and outside the end line.

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

"昘——"

At the moment of contact with the ball, a slight flick of the wrist unleashes a burst of power.

The white ball, like an arrow released from a bow, shot towards Zhang Jiahao's backhand baseline with a low, flat arc, hitting the bullseye from a hundred paces away.

Steal a fast start!

The tactics used were exactly the same as those used by Zhang Jiahao in the previous game.

however.

Zhang Jiahao seemed to have already anticipated Xie Mingyang's intentions, predicted the landing point, and turned to the side in advance.

"squeak!"

The immense force of the push-off caused the sneakers to screech loudly against the floor.

The waist twists and the racket is like a fully drawn bow; the push-off is like a taut string.

Face the incoming ball and unleash a powerful sprint.

"Snapped!"

The sound of the ball hitting the paddle was like a thunderclap exploding across the open field.

Whoosh!
The ping-pong ball, carrying terrifying force, speed, and spin, transformed into a white lightning bolt, tearing through the air and hurtling towards Xie Mingyang's backhand baseline.

Xie Mingyang wanted to get back on defense.

But, it's too late.

0: 1.

Zhang Jiahao stopped and stood still, chin slightly raised, his right thumb quickly sliding under his nose as he glanced sideways at Xie Mingyang.

His thick eyebrows were arched upwards.

It's as if it's saying, "You little punk, trying to steal my backhand extension?"

"I'll sprint to the side and teach you a lesson!"

During this time, the two spent a lot of time together, training day and night.

They are very clear about each other's playing styles and tactics.

No matter what tricks Xie Mingyang used when serving, they couldn't escape Zhang Jiahao's eyes.

Xie Mingyang's expression remained calm and composed.

It was as if that thunderous burst of energy had never happened.

Ignoring Zhang Jiahao's overflowing smugness, he bent down to pick up the ball, his eyes calm and deep.

Continue serving.

The forehand is short.

Do not forward.

Zhang Jiahao stepped forward with light and fluid movements.

The fingers and wrists are used to control the short movements, as delicate and skillful as plucking a flower.

Xie Mingyang swings the ball back.

Under the control of the two, the ping-pong ball bounced, spun, and fell back and forth.

Every return shot is accompanied by subtle variations in spin and precise control of the landing point.

It felt like dancing on the tip of a knife.

soon.

The two then engaged in a short ball battle on the table for four or five rounds.

Xie Mingyang's control was indeed exquisite.

However, Zhang Jiahao's defensive tactics were not inferior.

After all, he and Chen Jin had trained together in the S Province team for two and a half years.

Under Chen Jin's tutelage, his hand skills were naturally quite good.

Even more so, Zhang Jiahao's shots are more nuanced and varied than Xie Mingyang's.

The sixth round.

Xie Mingyang tried to increase the spin, using more force with his fingers, so he gave it a little more.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jiahao's shot just now seemed to be a short, high-spin shot.

But in reality, it contains a clever trick.

At the moment of contact with the ball, lift it slightly upwards.

The movements were so well concealed that Xie Mingyang failed to notice them in time.

Xie Mingyang's return shot went high.

"Chance!"

With a glint of light in his eyes, Zhang Jiahao seized the weakness in Xie Mingyang's control and flicked his wrist outward.

Point to the right and strike to the left, then flick the diagonal line.

The ping-pong ball, with sidespin, traced an unpredictable arc as it flew towards Xie Mingyang's backhand.

At this moment, Xie Mingyang regained his balance and stopped at the position he had anticipated the opponent's return swing.

The sudden swaying and flicking disrupted his rhythm.

With a push of the foot, it started forcibly.

However, the slight stinging pain in his knee slowed his movements by a beat.

He swung his racket hastily, and the ball went into the net.

2:0.
"Boiled!"

Zhang Jiahao clenched his fist and growled, his momentum growing even stronger.

Looking at the ping-pong ball rolling to his feet, Xie Mingyang stood still, his eyes serious.

"It's not easy to win on the domestic stage."

A calm voice echoed in his mind.

Compared to him, Zhang Jiahao's on-site skills are almost on par.

In some aspects, it is even better.

Trying to gain an absolute advantage in pure ball control is too risky and inefficient.

"We can only focus on the battleground and use the first three moves to suppress the opponent."

Xie Mingyang immediately adjusted his tactics.

Switch sides and serve.

Middle road.

Side down.

"Semi-promotional?!"

Xie Mingyang stared at it intently.

Without the slightest hesitation, he pushed off with his feet, slid to the side, and swung his right arm.

"Snapped!"

Rushing to the halfway point of the stage.

The racket shattered through the air with tremendous force, accompanied by a sharp, thunderous sound.

The ball slammed into Zhang Jiahao's backhand side like a cannonball.

One pass, clean and efficient.

2: 1.

Xie Mingyang pulled one back.

"grass!"

Zhang Jiahao cursed under his breath in frustration, slapped the back of his left hand a few times, and muttered, "Short ball, short ball..."

"Don't release it, don't release it... How could we lose control?"

"Come again!"

Second serve.

The landing point will also be in the middle lane.

However, the rotations are quite different.

Side-up.

Xie Mingyang saw through everything, quickly stepped forward, leaned forward, lowered his center of gravity, twisted his waist and raised his elbows.

At the peak of the ball's trajectory, the wrist snaps inward and a sudden, explosive twist occurs.

"Snapped!"

A white lightning bolt tore through the air and struck fiercely towards Zhang Jiahao's left side of the table with astonishing speed.

Zhang Jiahao took a step forward to gain position and executed a forehand counter-attack.

With a strong upward spin, it whistled as it flew towards Xie Mingyang's center.

Xie Mingyang quickly adjusted his footwork with small, quick steps, advancing instead of retreating, and seizing control of the mid-to-close range.

During the upward phase of the ball's bounce, use a powerful backhand smash.

"Snapped!"

Another loud bang.

It was a direct pursuit of Zhang Jiahao in the middle lane.

This explosive tear was powerful and fast, heading straight for Zhang Jiahao's chest.

Zhang Jiahao stepped back half a step from the table, pressed his thumb against the racket, shifted his body weight forward, and barely managed to defend with a backhand.

Xie Mingyang twisted his waist, shifted his center of gravity, and had already prepared his forehand, ready to strike.

Facing the incoming ball, the power of the waist and abdomen suddenly explodes, and the racket in the hand is swung out like a whip.

"Snapped!"

Forehand smash.

Like a thunderbolt, the attack crashed towards Zhang Jiahao's right side of the table. Zhang Jiahao moved like a ghost, anticipating his opponent's moves, and retreated to the mid-to-long range the instant Xie Mingyang made his move.

"Snapped!"

A powerful backhand flick.

Vigorously miracle.

They actually managed to forcefully counter Xie Mingyang's powerful forehand smash.

Xie Mingyang used the opponent's force against them, quickly driving a straight shot with his forehand.

This shot, though not very powerful, was extremely fast, aimed directly at Zhang Jiahao's left forehand side of the table.

At this very moment, Zhang Jiahao's men were still on the right side of the stage.

It looked like the ball was beyond saving.

At the critical moment, a figure flashed by.

Zhang Jiahao took two parallel steps and one cross step, like a swallow skimming the water three times in the legend, and in the blink of an eye, he crossed the entire table, pounced on his forehand, and pulled back at the limit.

"Such fast pace!"

Before he could finish his exclamation, the ball was right in front of him.

Xie Mingyang calmly responded and counterattacked in the middle lane.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jiahao's restoration speed was incredible.

Facing the incoming ball, he suddenly leaped up, using all the strength in his body to unleash a powerful backhand flick.

"Snapped!"

This move was a display of Zhang Jiahao's full strength and conviction.

The ball hit the table and strangely sank.

Xie Mingyang failed to match the point.

1: 3.

"Wow!"

A gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

In that last play, Zhang Jiahao, facing a seemingly hopeless situation, turned the tide with his godlike footwork and incredible touch.

"Choo-hoo!"

"Zhu--"

Zhang Jiahao steadied himself, clenched his fist, and roared to the sky.

Xie Mingyang turned around and silently picked up the ball.

A barely perceptible hint of seriousness and helplessness flashed in his eyes.

He has already made tactical adjustments for the first game.

The first three attacks were executed flawlessly, with seamless transitions between them.

Unfortunately, Zhang Jiahao's touch was just too incredible.

Even Li Qian on the sidelines couldn't help but exclaim, "Zhang Jiahao's touch is incredible. Once he gets going, he can hit any shot. He's unstoppable and simply impossible to defend against."

"Xie Mingyang simply can't break through."

Chen Jin, who had been watching the game in silence, spoke slowly at this moment, his voice low and calm.

"With Jiahao's current form, it's indeed difficult for him to break through with just the first three shots, but..."

Chen Jin changed the subject, "There is another solution."

"What solution?"

Li Qian immediately turned to look at Chen Jin.

"Defend the mid-to-close range and launch quick attacks to adjust the landing point."

Chen Jin smiled confidently, "Like Xu Xin, Jiahao is used to stepping back from the table to hit a falling topspin shot, which requires good footwork."

"To break this, use the near-table swing speed, plus changes in the landing point, to use speed to overcome slowness, and mobilize the entire table."

"Of course, this tactic depends on whether Lao Xie can defend the mid-to-close range and suppress Jiahao's mid-to-long range topspin shots."

Upon hearing this, Li Qian nodded to himself.

While talking.

The game continues.

Xie Mingyang serves.

The forehand is short.

Do not forward.

Perhaps due to lingering excitement, or perhaps due to overconfidence in his control of the game, Zhang Jiahao attempted a short move, but his wrist control loosened slightly.

The return shot went a bit too high.

Opportunities are fleeting.

A cold glint flashed in Xie Mingyang's eyes, and he launched a violent charge.

It was powerful and heavy, carrying endless killing intent.

"Snapped!"

In an instant, Zhang Jiahao's defenses were breached.

2: 3.

Xie Mingyang pulled one back.

"grass!"

Zhang Jiahao looked annoyed and cursed under his breath.

He slapped the back of his left hand a few more times, making a crisp sound.

"You lost control again, you lost control again..."

"Hey hey hey!"

"Hold on!"

Second serve.

Xie Mingyang sent a short side dribble down the middle.

Zhang Jiahao stepped forward, attempting to make a short move.

However, the judgment of rotation seems to have been slightly off.

The board shape was a bit too upright, and the control of the fingers and wrists was not precise enough.

"laugh!"

The ball went into the net.

3: 3.

In less than a minute, the situation changed dramatically, and the score was tied.

"Sigh~"

Zhang Jiahao looked down at the racket in his hand, his brows furrowed.

He wiped the rubber with his hand, his lips moving as he muttered to himself.

Although we couldn't hear what he was saying, there was no doubt that he was complaining about his mistakes.

Xie Mingyang gave Zhang Jiahao a meaningful look, but said nothing.

He bent down from under the pool table, picked up a towel, and slowly wiped away his sweat.

Next game.

Perhaps affected by two service return errors, Zhang Jiahao's mentality fluctuated, and he began to make more unforced errors.

He flicked the ball down the net with a backhand flick, and then sprinted it off the table with a forehand attack... Even his usually proud footwork seemed to have slowed down a bit.

Xie Mingyang, on the other hand, seized the opportunity and launched a fierce attack.

The score went back and forth.

3: 4.

4: 4.

4: 5.

6: 4.

7: 4.

……

Soon after, the score reached 7-10.

Xie Mingyang reached game point.

At the same time, they have the right to serve.

Backhand short, sidespin.

Without hesitation, Zhang Jiahao stepped forward and twisted the lever.

However, perhaps due to pressure and a fluctuating mentality, he was too concerned with stability, and when he twisted the handle, the quality was not high.

The arc is too high, and the rotation is weak.

"Ok?"

Seeing this, Xie Mingyang frowned slightly.

I didn't have time to think about it.

At the peak of the ball's trajectory, the wrist snaps inward, unleashing a powerful backhand smash.

"Snapped!"

The ping-pong ball, carrying terrifying force, crashed into Zhang Jiahao's left side of the table, as if a meteorite had fallen from the sky.

Zhang Jiahao pushed off with his feet, took a cross step, and leaped forward, attempting to save the ball with a forehand.

However, Xie Mingyang's explosive tear was too fast and at too wide an angle.

歘!
Before Zhang Jiahao could get into position, the ball slammed hard against the outside of the forehand sideline and bounced away.

11: 7.

Xie Mingyang won the second game.

The score is 1-1.

"You're lucky, Xie."

Zhang Jiahao glanced at Xie Mingyang and curled his lip, "You only won this game by taking advantage of my mistakes."

"The next game won't be so easy."

Xie Mingyang ignored him.

He picked up a towel, walked to the sidelines, sat down in a chair, and continued to ice his knee.

Sweat dripped down his temples.

Zhang Jiahao was tilting his head back to drink water.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a figure.

"Lin Gaoyuan?"

Zhang Jiahao's heart sank slightly. "Has his match finished?"

Indeed, the last match between Lin Gaoyuan and Xue Fei has ended.

Lin Gaoyuan won easily with a score of 3-0.

Their record is now eight wins and two losses.

Although the match was over, Lin Gaoyuan did not rush to the rest room.

Instead, he changed into a dry jersey, crossed his arms, and stood on the sidelines like a silent statue, his gaze fixed on the game between Xie and Zhang.

His eyes were deep and unfathomable, making it difficult to discern much.

Yet the invisible pressure spread as if it were a tangible thing.

Clearly, this match is also related to Lin Gaoyuan's fate.

Therefore, we pay special attention to it.

Zhang Jiahao put down the water bottle and haphazardly wiped his face and neck with a towel.

"It seems that the mistakes in the next game cannot be as obvious as those in the last game."

Zhang Jiahao stretched his muscles and said, "The time has come to truly test my acting skills."

(End of this chapter)