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

Chapter 445 The Incredible Spring Waist! Xie Mingyang Advances!

After a five-game battle, they are in the lead.

Although he won by a narrow margin of two points, it felt as if some kind of shackle had been broken within Xie Mingyang.

The moment the ball hits the ground.

Xie Mingyang couldn't help himself for a moment, clenching his fist and shouting, "Braise!"

His eyes were piercing, as if sword light were shooting into the sky.

His face was covered in sweat, but he showed no signs of fatigue; on the contrary, he became even more excited.

In the final moments of the fifth game, he withstood the pressure, executed his tactics, and secured two crucial points, which boosted his confidence invaluable.

"Whoo~"

Let out a long breath, wiped the racket, and then gently put it down.

He picked up the towel, turned around, and walked to the sidelines.

"You played very well."

Li Qian stood up and handed him water. "However, the competition is not over yet, and Shinozuka Hiroto will not give up easily."

"In the next round, he will definitely fight desperately and try every means to win."

"Don't back down, confront him head-on."

"Even if he occasionally scores one or two points, it's normal. Don't panic or get impatient. Just adjust your mindset."

"Just serve to him with no spin on his forehand. If he pushes short, chop to his backhand. If he flicks, the quality won't be very high. Just go for it and play rallies with him. You don't need to be afraid of him at all."

"When receiving serves, you should place the ball on the ground when appropriate, and flick it when appropriate, but don't make the landing point too comfortable for him; try to get it to the middle..."

the other side.

Seiya Kishikawa sat side by side with Hiroto Shinozuka and gently patted the latter's shoulder.

"Shinozuka-kun, it's alright."

Kishikawa Seiya comforted him, "The ball hasn't hit the ground, the game isn't over yet, we still have a chance to turn things around..."

While eating bananas to replenish his energy, Shinozuka Hiroto listened quietly to Kishikawa Seiya's words.

Trailing 2-3, losing one more game would mean ending their singles run at this World Table Tennis Championships.

He had the opportunity to participate in the Durban World Table Tennis Championships, but withdrew due to injury.

This time, we finally managed to participate, so it would be too embarrassing to be eliminated in the top 128.

We have to go all out!

Shinozuka Daito took a deep breath and stomped his foot hard, as if to crush all the misfortunes and pressure into the ground.

His body was slightly lowered, like a bowstring drawn taut, ready to be released.

He knew very well that he had no way out.

Only through even more frantic fighting can one break through the opponent's defenses and prolong the suspense of the match.

They could even turn the game around.

“Time!”

The referee's voice was cold and clear.

The sixth inning begins.

Xie Mingyang stood on the left side of the table, his fingers gently caressing the ping-pong ball, feeling the subtle friction.

Turning his head, he saw Shinotsuka Daito leaning down and raising his eyes, like a tiger or leopard, like a falcon.

I could hear Li Qian's words during the break between games.

"Shinozuka Daito is now fighting like a cornered beast. Although his momentum is fierce, he is more likely to expose his weaknesses."

"Don't give him a chance to breathe, don't back down easily, try to finish the battle in the first three moves, be more aggressive than him, but also more stable."

Take a deep breath.

Bring all your attention back to the competition.

The ping-pong ball slipped from between his fingers and palms, bounced a few times on the chestnut-colored table, and made a "da da da" sound.

Xie Mingyang grabbed it and placed it in his palm.

Bending over, leaning forward.

Extend your left arm straight and place it against the end line of the pool table.

Toss the ball up into the air.

Under the lights, the white ball traced a straight arc in mid-air.

At the same time, Xie Mingyang turned his waist to prepare for the shot.

My gaze followed the ball until it landed right in front of me.

Use your body to press the arc and use your racket to cut the spin.

Unobstructed throughout.

The wrist flicks subtly and unpredictably at the moment of release.

"laugh!"

The ping-pong ball, spinning and with a low, flat arc, gracefully crossed the net and landed in Shinozuka Hiroto's forehand triangle area.

Shinozuka Daito stepped forward and controlled the short swing.

Xie Mingyang swiftly chopped diagonally, like a sword piercing the sun, aiming straight for the opponent's backhand bottom.

Shinozuka Daito stepped back half a step from the platform, slightly bent his knees, and tucked his wrists inward before charging forward.

"Snapped!"

The ball, like a fierce tiger, roared and pounced towards Xie Mingyang's forehand corner.

Xie Mingyang was well-prepared, taking a step forward to seize the point, quickly driving with his forehand, and launching a surprise attack on the middle lane.

Shinozuka Hiroto immediately slid to the side, quickly switched positions, and swung his forehand fiercely at the ball.

"Snapped!"

A sudden, explosive surge in a straight line.

The small white ball, carrying a fierce, surging flame, hurtled towards Xie Mingyang's pursuit with astonishing momentum.

This shot was so powerful, so fast, and so tricky that it caught everyone off guard.

Moreover, when someone is chasing you, it's difficult to exert force.

It was too late to step to the side.

however.

Just now.

Xie Mingyang suddenly squatted down, leaned back, and his buttocks almost touched the ground.

The back and the ground form a 45-degree angle.

This forces the space for hitting the ball to be created.

He then swung the ball out with a powerful backhand motion.

"Snapped!"

A board torn diagonally.

Just when everyone thought Xie Mingyang was bound to fall to the ground.

Unexpectedly, Xie Mingyang's waist and abdomen, like a spring, pulled his entire body back.

Even more exaggerated.

Xie Mingyang took a step forward, his center of gravity already back in place, ready to connect for the next shot.

But, looking up...

Shinozuka Hiroto lunges with a crossover step to his forehand, attempting to save the ball.

No matter how fast he moved, he was powerless to change the situation.

1: 0.

"Wow!"

Although the audience was small, they were all amazed by Xie Mingyang's incredible save.

Instantly, applause erupted.

"Fuck!"

Zhang Jiahao's eyes widened in shock. "What a great waist!"

He believed he could make that save too.

But after saving the ball, he can quickly recover and connect to the next shot... Who the hell wouldn't be confused by such core strength?
It's not just Zhang Jiahao.

Even Shinozuka Daito was taken aback, casting a look of surprise and admiration at Xie Mingyang.

Xie Mingyang walked expressionlessly to the left side of the table near the net, reached out and touched the net to wipe away his sweat.

It was as if that ball hadn't come from his hand at all.

Continue serving.

The forehand is short.

Side down.

Before Shinozuka Daisho could take a step, he seized the landing point, raised his elbows and lowered his shoulders, twisting and pulling the diagonal line.

Xie Mingyang countered by tearing apart the mid lane.

Shinozuka Daito moved with the agility of a swallow, gliding sideways and pulling back with a forehand.

Xie Mingyang kicked his leg and twisted his waist, quickly switching positions and grabbing a forehand topspin.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

The two exchanged blows with fierce momentum.

Faced with Hsieh Ming-yang's powerful topspin shots, Shinozuka Hiroto couldn't stay in the mid-range of the table and had to retreat to deflect the force.

"I refuse to believe that I can't beat a sixteen-year-old boy at the midfield!"

Shinozuka gritted his teeth.

Just like back then, Ovtcharov didn't believe he could be defeated by a sixteen-year-old boy.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

Two figures moved back and forth at an extremely fast speed on either side of the table, like butterflies flitting about.

Their steps were light and agile, yet full of power.

The forehand and backhand transitions are as smooth as flowing water.

This is not just an extreme contest of strength, but also a battle of wits and the placement of shots, a test of lower body strength.

Just a few breaths.

The two had already exchanged blows for eight or nine rounds, each time putting in their full strength.

With his left-hand advantage, Shinozuka Daito skillfully maneuvered the ball's trajectory, making it impossible for even a miracle to save several shots.

However, Xie Mingyang managed to pull the ball back safely with incredible footwork and touch.

"Wow!"

The audience was constantly amazed.

Zhang Jiahao was equally dazzled, his lips moving as he muttered to himself, "But then he saw Zhang Wuji... no, he saw Xie Mingyang transform his palms into shields, unleashing a move called 'Old Man Pushing a Cart,' a powerful backhand pull from a distance..."

"Shinozuka Daito was not to be outdone, he countered with a forehand backhand, what a fine move, Guanyin sitting on a lotus..."

"In an instant, the field was filled with ghostly figures, and it was impossible to tell who was Xiao Rizi and who was Xie Mingyang."

Suddenly, Xiao Rizi let out a soft moan and collapsed into Xie Mingyang's arms. At that moment, her eyes were filled with alluring charm, her warm lips parted slightly, and she exhaled a breath as sweet as orchids...

Before he could finish speaking, a gasp rang out, "Holy crap—"

On the playing field.

Shinozuka Daito pulled back, slightly brushing the net.

What was originally a thunderous strike suddenly changed in an instant, altering its power, speed, rotation, trajectory, landing point, and length.

Meanwhile, Xie Mingyang was on the distant stage, preparing to pull back.

"Oops!"

Zhang Jiahao's expression changed slightly, and he blurted out the words without thinking.

Sudden.

Xie Mingyang had already noticed something was wrong. He pushed off with his foot and started moving again, rushing towards the platform with lightning speed.

Fortunately, he was fast enough.

I managed to slice the ping-pong ball just inches from the ground, a truly dangerous move.

However, in the rush, the arc was too high and the rotation was weak.

"Chance!"

With a sudden surge of killing intent in his eyes, Shinozuka Daito unleashed all his power and charged sideways.

It was as if a fierce and monstrous "death" character had materialized on the racket.

"Snapped!"

The small ping-pong ball suddenly transformed into a meteorite capable of destroying the world, carrying endless killing intent, and smashed towards Xie Mingyang's forehand corner.

Power, speed, trajectory... everything is perfect.

That was Shinozuka Daito's all-out attack.

Its power is fierce and ruthless; it can kill any god it encounters.

This shot was unstoppable.

At least in Shinozuka Hiroto's eyes, it would be a decisive blow.

But, are there any absolutes in this world?
The moment Shinozuka Daito made his move, Xie Mingyang's sharp eyes instantly saw through all of his opponent's intentions.

His steps were as swift as the wind, and his figure vanished without a trace.

Xie Mingyang actually took his position ahead of time and reached out to block him.

This block seems casual.

However, it had an inexplicable ingenuity, precisely blocking the route for Shinozuka Daito's all-out charge.

"Snapped!"

The white ball slammed into the racket, producing a deafening sound like thunder.

The immense impact, like a lightning bolt drilling through Xie Mingyang's racket blade, seemed intent on piercing through it.

Xie Mingyang felt a jolt in his hand.

However, his fingers and wrists remained completely still, firmly controlling the board's shape.

Maintain your body's center of gravity and extend your forearm forward to meet the ball.

Use the opponent's force against them, and drive quickly in a straight line.

歘——

Like a white lightning bolt, it rushed towards Shinozuka Daito's chest.

I thought that this explosive sidestep would be the decisive blow.

Shinozuka Hiroto was full of confidence and had no intention of taking over the next move.

Unexpectedly, Xie Mingyang resolved the situation perfectly.

In a panic, they tried to make contact, but it was too late.

Shinozuka Hiroto hastily swung his racket, but missed.

0: 2.

Xie Mingyang won another game.

"Choo-hoo!"

Li Qian leaped to his feet, clenched his fist, and roared.

Judging from his appearance, he was fierce and seemed to want to swallow Shinozuka Daito whole.

"Shinozuka-kun!"

Seiya Kishikawa stood up, clapped his hands in encouragement, and shouted, "Stay calm!"

Believe in yourself, you can do it!

Hear the sound.

Shinozuka Hiroto forced himself to cheer up, raised his elbow, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and his eyes became even fiercer and sharper.

Shinozuka Hiroto caught the ping-pong ball thrown by the referee's assistant and hesitated for a moment.

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

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

At the moment of contact with the ball, the racket angle suddenly changes, and a sudden burst of power is applied to strike the ball.

"Break!"

The long ball hurtled forward, like a silver spear, thrusting towards Xie Mingyang's backhand baseline.

Xie Mingyang had been keeping a close watch on things for a long time and made a decisive move.

"Snapped!"

Backhand forward drive, critical cross-court shot.

Shinozuka Daito took a cross step, lunged forward, and executed a forehand topspin.

The ball, like a cannonball, was powerful and heavy, and with an astonishing roar, it slammed into Xie Mingyang's left side of the table.

Xie Mingyang had anticipated this, so he turned to the side in advance, lowered his center of gravity to a very low position, and pulled his right arm back to store power.

Facing the ball at its highest point, with a loud snap, a powerful counter-attack.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

Another round of forehand exchanges ensued, like a whirlwind.

One board!
Two boards!

The Third Board...

The tiny ping-pong ball traced dazzling streaks of white light in mid-air.

It moved so fast that it left many afterimages.

The rotation was so intense that it seemed to distort the air itself.

They were locked in a stalemate for five or six rounds.

Sudden.

Xie Mingyang pushed off with his foot, shifted his center of gravity, and met Shinozuka Daito's counter-loop with a quick backhand rip.

"Snapped!"

Forced to become a straight line.

The ball flew like lightning, hurtling towards Shinozuka Hiroto's open backhand side on the right half of the table.

Unexpectedly, Xie Mingyang was so bold and meticulous that he dared to switch to a backhand and forcefully change direction in such an intense and tense confrontation.

Shinozuka Daito was taken aback and tried to defend with a counter-attack.

Unfortunately, it's difficult to shift the body's center of gravity.

My feet felt like they were made of lead.

He could only watch helplessly as Xie Mingyang countered with a powerful backhand attack, breaking through his backhand position.

0: 3.

Xie Mingyang won another game.

"nice shot!"

The whole place was boiling.

Shinozuka Hiroto stood there, watching the ping-pong ball fly away, panting heavily, a look of disbelief and frustration flashing in his eyes.

He fought with all his might, but he was still unable to break through Xie Mingyang's defenses.

Instead, Xie Mingyang scored frequently.

In a crucial game, they lost points one after another at the start.

In particular, losing consecutive stalemates can have a greater impact on morale than one might imagine.

The rest of the match was completely under Xie Mingyang's control.

Just five minutes.

Xie Mingyang unleashed a barrage of attacks, defeating Shinozuka Daito 7-0.

The situation was one of almost complete suppression.

Xie Mingyang's first three shots were fierce and brutal, with a breathtakingly fast transition speed, and he maintained a steady advantage in forehand and backhand rallies.

In contrast.

Shinozuka Hiroto's spirit and energy were completely broken.

His repeated unsuccessful attempts and the rapid widening of the score gap caused a noticeable fluctuation in his mentality.

Sweat dripped from his hair, and his eyes no longer held only fierceness, but also a hint of confusion and impatience.

Their ball handling became simplistic and crude, losing the patience and calculation they had previously displayed, leading to an increase in mistakes.

A half-high ball that was originally a good opportunity was completely missed because he didn't adjust his footwork properly and didn't time his power correctly.

"Anxious!"

Zhang Jiahao saw through it at a glance and chuckled, "Shinotsuka Daito is getting anxious; his movements are starting to become distorted."

More importantly, Shinozuka Hiroto had already used his timeout in the third inning.

At this point, it is not possible to pause and adjust the status.

Kishikawa Seiya shouted a reminder from behind, which had some effect, but it was negligible.

Hiroto Shinozuka managed to pull back a point with a serve and an aggressive attack.

"Boiled!"

He clenched his fist and growled, trying to boost morale.

however.

This faint spark of counterattack was immediately extinguished by Xie Mingyang's powerful backhand flick on the next ball.

The score gap widened further.

8: 2.

9: 3.

With Shinozuka Hiroto's serve return topspin into the net, the score reached 10-3.

Xie Mingyang took the lead and reached game point first.

It is also the turning point of the match.

Moreover, they also have the right to serve.

With victory in sight, Xie Mingyang suddenly felt inexplicably nervous for some reason.

"Hold on!"

Xie Mingyang took a deep breath and silently reminded himself, "The competition isn't over yet."

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

A long, fast ball hurtled towards Shinozuka Hiroto's position.

Shinozuka Daito slid to the side and unleashed a powerful forehand smash.

"Snapped!"

The ball went into the net.

11: 3.

The score was frozen in an instant.

"Boiled!"

The moment the ball hit the ground, Xie Mingyang suddenly raised his arms and let out a long roar.

The pressure, tension, and excitement that had been building up throughout the entire match were completely released at this moment.

Won!

After six intense games, from falling behind to tying, to a close battle, and finally a crushing victory...

In the end, Xie Mingyang proved superior, defeating Shinozuka Daito and successfully advancing to the round of 64 at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

(End of this chapter)