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

Chapter 455 Xie Mingyang VS Hugo, the Decisive Battle!
training hall.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao had just finished a half-hour offensive training session and were covered in sweat.

The two put down their rackets, walked to the sidelines, wiped their sweat, drank water, and caught their breath for a moment.

"After all this time, Xie must have lost so much that even his own mother wouldn't recognize him."

Zhang Jiahao plopped down on the ground, pulled a banana out of his backpack, and chewed it slowly.

I took out my phone and turned on the live stream.

"Let me see, did the guy surnamed Xie get beaten up by Hugo and make him cry?"

Zhang Jiahao smirked with schadenfreude, "If Xie loses to Hugo, he'll also be in the top 32. Isn't that a coincidence?"

Just finished speaking.

next second.

"what?"

A look of surprise appeared on Zhang Jiahao's face, as if he had discovered something unbelievable.

"Three to three?"

Zhang Jiahao's eyes widened like saucers, his face filled with disbelief. "The decisive game?"

"What's gotten into Xie today? He's so fierce! He actually went to a decisive game with Hugo?"

Hear the words.

Chen Jin wiped his sweat, leaned closer to look at the scores of the six games, his brows relaxed, and nodded, saying, "Looks like Lao Xie is in good form today."

Given Hugo's current strength and form, and with the added momentum of his World Cup runner-up finish, apart from a few of the world's top players, it would be difficult for most other players to take a game or two off against him.

Not to mention young talents like Xie Mingyang.

Moreover, this is the World Table Tennis Championships stage, and foreign players come with a natural advantage, giving them a bit of a dark horse buff.

Xie Mingyang's performance is truly remarkable.

"The game begins."

Zhang Jiahao shrugged slightly. "Brother Jin, how about we take a break?"

"I want to see with my own eyes how that Xie guy was beaten to tears by Hugo."

Chen Jin nodded: "Okay."

Decisive game.

After six intense rounds, both sides have exhausted their tactical and technical reserves.

At this moment, what determines victory or defeat is more physical strength, willpower, and mindset.

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

The small white ball bounced gently on the maroon table.

A strong hand suddenly grasped it and held it still in its palm.

In the stands, all the noise had subsided.

All that remained was the thunderous beating of my heart.

0:0.
Hugo's eyes were like those of a hawk, and he held his breath, as if every pore on his body was sensing the subtle changes on the field.

With a forceful throw of the left hand, the ball is tossed high into the air.

At the same time, his right arm was pulled back, and under the light, the racket drew a cold, sharp line.

Like a swordsman gathering his strength before drawing his sword.

"laugh!"

The forehand is short.

Side down.

Xie Mingyang took a step forward, quickly stepping forward with his right leg.

He twisted his wrist inward, as if to wring it.

However, in the instant of making a move, in a flash, he changed his strategy and turned the twist into a swing.

Light and precise, the ball lands precisely, returning to Hugo's forehand short shot.

Hugo's position was clearly affected by Xie Mingyang's feint, which changed from a twist to a sway.

Fortunately, he was focused and reacted very quickly.

Stepping forward, he slowly rubbed with his forehand, and surprisingly, he rubbed back Xie Mingyang's forehand small triangle.

However, the control was slightly poor, and the arc was only half full height.

"Chance!"

With a surge of murderous intent in his eyes, Xie Mingyang acted without hesitation, his feet moving like the wind as he seized the landing point.

Push off with your right foot, your body like a fully drawn bow.

In an instant, the power of the whole person surged from the soles of the feet, twisted through the waist and abdomen, and was poured into the right arm holding the racket in a flash, and then the person made a powerful thrust.

"Snapped!"

With a racket in hand, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, he blasted the ball at its highest point.

The sound was like a thunderclap.

This strike was powerful and swift as lightning.

The ping-pong ball transformed into a white afterimage, accompanied by a piercing whistle that tore through the air, as it hurtled towards Hugo's right side of the table.

Hugo was no pushover. The moment Xie Mingyang exerted his strength, he began to move, swinging his forehand in an attempt to pull back.

However, the power of this shot clearly exceeded his expectations.

In addition, the actions were somewhat rushed.

Before he could even get his footing, the racket hit the ball, and he was unable to fully control the immense, surging power.

Before he could even exert any force, that power had already penetrated the rubber and reached the bottom plate.

puff--

The return shot was weak and went into the net.

0: 1.

"Choo-hoo!"

Li Qian jumped up suddenly, clenched his fist and roared.

Winning the first point in the deciding game is crucial for both mentality and morale.

In contrast, Xie Mingyang showed no joy on his face, only slightly pursed his lips, his eyes remaining cold and calm.

Hugo remained calm and composed, raising his elbow to wipe the sweat from his brow, fanning himself with his racket, and glancing at Xie Mingyang.

Continue serving.

Toss the ball high again.

A long ball was thrown towards Xie Mingyang's backhand corner.

Xie Mingyang moved his left leg back, standing slightly to the side to give up some space.

Use your waist and abdomen to generate power and lift the paddle with a backhand.

"laugh!"

This shot, though not very powerful, had extremely strong spin, with a strong sidespin, like a sword aura, heading straight for Hugo's middle-side backhand.

Hugo quickly adjusted his center of gravity and, without holding back, met the incoming ball with a powerful, fast rip.

However, at the moment of contact with the ball.

The powerful arc, like a sharp sword, severed his touch.

The racket seemed to have collided with a twisted energy, and control was instantly lost.

The ping-pong ball flew straight out of bounds.

2: 0.

"Wow!"

The fans in the stadium erupted in cheers.

Then, the serve is taken by the other side.

"Whoo~"

Xie Mingyang held the ball and blew on it.

My fingertips gently caressed the sphere, feeling the subtle friction.

Bending over and leaning forward, tossing the ball and preparing the racket.

The middle path is short.

Do not forward.

The small white ball, as light as a feather, flew over the net without any effort.

Hugo dared not delay, took a step forward, and gently swung a short forehand.

The return shot was of very high quality, still close to the net.

Xie Mingyang's eyes narrowed, and without the slightest hesitation, he stepped forward, leaned forward, and suddenly accelerated his arm to chop the ball.

With a "whoosh," the ping-pong ball, like a venomous snake suddenly leaping out of the grass, moved with incredible speed and backspin, viciously biting towards Hugo's backhand baseline.

This slash came suddenly.

Hugo was clearly unprepared.

I started moving, but I was a beat too slow.

Even though he hurriedly took a large step back, he managed to throw a backhand shot while losing his balance.

However, the rhythm has been disrupted.

Applying force and friction is insufficient to counteract the backspin of the incoming ball.

The return shot went into the net again.

3: 0.

In the deciding game, they took an early lead of three points.

Li Qian, standing on the sidelines, was so excited he could hardly contain himself. His face was beaming with excitement as he slapped his thigh hard, shouting, "Keep it up! This round is in the bag!"

In the World Cup, Hugo has become another formidable rival for men's table tennis, in addition to the foreign F4.

Besides Chen Jin, who dares to say they can definitely beat Hugo?
If Xie Mingyang were to defeat Hugo, especially on a stage like the World Table Tennis Championships, and eliminate Hugo in the round of 32... that scene would be too beautiful to even imagine!
"If we really beat Hugo, no matter how things go afterward, I'll pop open the champagne."

Li Qian rubbed his palms together, unable to resist letting his imagination run wild.

As the head coach of Chen Jin, Xie Mingyang, and Zhang Jiahao, Li Qian was well aware that Chen Jin's performance had little to do with him.

For Chen Jin, his position as head coach was merely a figurehead.

Only when Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao make a name for themselves can his coaching ability be proven.

Think of this.

Li Qian clapped even more enthusiastically, stood up, and shouted loudly at Xie Mingyang's back, "Go for it!"

In contrast, Xie Mingyang was much calmer.

While wiping away sweat, Xie Mingyang glanced at Hugo across from him out of the corner of his eye, and his gaze darkened slightly.

"Those three points just now were almost entirely due to Hugo's mistakes."

Xie Mingyang's heartstrings remained taut. "He hasn't really exerted his full strength yet."

He knew better than anyone that the person standing opposite him was no ordinary opponent, but a mighty American lion.

The game continues.

Xie Mingyang served a short ball down the middle.

Hugo took a step forward, leaned forward, and gently swung the ball short, returning it to the middle.

Xie Mingyang swings back to control the rhythm.

Hugo suddenly twisted his wrist, swinging back with a short forehand, opening the angle even wider.

Xie Mingyang was unwilling to engage in prolonged fighting on the platform. He moved forward extremely quickly, his body compressed like a spring, and his waist and abdomen stored up power.

Relax your shoulders and raise your elbows, with your wrists slightly bent inward.

"laugh!"

Twist and pull the plate straight.

The white ball, like an arrow released from a bow, with intense spin, hurtled straight towards Hugo's backhand.

But this seems to be exactly what Hugo had anticipated.

As if they had been waiting for a long time, they moved aside with lightning speed and lashed out with their backhand like a whip.

"Snapped!"

A powerful backhand drive down the crosscourt.

This shot was powerful and heavy.

The arc drawn was low and sharp, tearing through the air like a heavy hammer striking fiercely towards Xie Mingyang's backhand corner.

Xie Mingyang's body had not fully recovered after the topspin, and seeing the ball coming so fiercely, he could only instinctively step back and stretch his arm to reach the ball.

Unfortunately, he lost his balance and lost half his body length, making his hitting point unfavorable.

The racket barely made contact with the ball, but it was completely unable to control the direction.

"Snapped!"

The ping-pong ball flew directly out of bounds.

1: 3.

Hugo scored a point.

The atmosphere at the scene paused slightly.

Immediately, the cheers rose in unison.

"Xie Mingyang—"

"come on!"

Hugo made no comment, caught the ping-pong ball tossed by the referee, and walked to the serve position.

Throw it high again.

The forehand is short.

Side down.

Xie Mingyang stepped forward, raising his elbow and lowering his shoulder.

"laugh!"

Another twist.

But this time, he added some spin the moment he made his move.

I thought Hugo would be wary.

Unexpectedly, Hugo didn't hesitate and retaliated with a fierce and sweeping attack.

"Snapped!"

There was a flash of white light.

The trajectory was even more tricky than the previous ball, heading straight for the dead corner of the left half of the table, barely managing to block the white edge.

Xie Mingyang was once again put on the defensive, desperately shifting his feet to the left.

However, they were ultimately a step too late.

Same position, same tactics, and the result was almost exactly the same as the last goal.

The ball went out of bounds.

2: 3.

Xie Mingyang lost both shots because of the same landing point and the same pattern.

Seeing Hugo's decisive and aggressive play, and his momentum about to tie the score, Li Qian, who was frustrated by the lack of timeouts, immediately stood up and shouted, "Middle! Give him the middle, don't give him the backhand!"

On the field.

Xie Mingyang wiped the sweat from his forehead with his elbow, took a deep breath, and nodded to indicate that he had heard.

"Whoo~"

Hugo remained expressionless, but his eyes held a chilling murderous intent.

Continue with the high toss serve.

Short backhand.

Do not forward.

Xie Mingyang placed a short midline shot.

Hugo stepped forward with lightning speed, his center of gravity extremely low, his entire arm like a fully drawn bow, and he burst forth to meet the incoming ball.

Ignoring the ball's spin and landing point, it crushes the ball purely with absolute power and speed.

"Snapped!"

Backhand bomb.

With a crisp, cracking sound, the ping-pong ball transformed into a blurry, almost imperceptible shadow, like a death ray, instantly piercing Xie Mingyang's backhand defense.

Xie Mingyang hadn't even reacted yet when he felt a gust of wind sweep past his side and the ball hit the floor behind him.

3: 3.

The score is tied. An invisible, immense pressure, like a tidal wave, quietly spreads.

"The guy surnamed Xie is a bit of a coward."

Watching the live broadcast of the match on his phone, Zhang Jiahao pursed his lips, "I'm afraid of making a mistake, so I don't dare to exert any force and I'm adding extra padding to my hands."

"Old Xie did play more steadily."

Chen Jin frowned slightly.

As the game went to a decisive set, his mentality probably wavered a bit.

If Xie Mingyang continues to play it safe, and Hugo seizes the opportunity to take the initiative, Xie Mingyang's situation will inevitably become passive.

At this moment, Xie Mingyang and Hugo took their rackets, walked to the referee's table, picked up towels, and slowly wiped their sweat.

During this brief period, everyone pondered their next tactics and strategies.

Xie Mingyang wiped his face and arms, but the sweat seemed endless.

He closed his eyes, forcing himself to calm down, his mind racing as he thought of a way to break the deadlock.

On the other side, Hugo was also wiping away sweat, his eyes even sharper than before, like a beast that had found a weakness in its prey.

Back on the field.

Xie Mingyang serves.

The middle path is short.

Do not forward.

Hugo stepped forward and shortened the left half of the table.

Xie Mingyang barely had time to think; he turned his body to the side and raised his arm to prepare for the shot.

"laugh!"

Twist and pull diagonally with a reverse grip.

Although the landing points were similar, the power, speed, and spin of this ball were incomparable.

Moreover, given Hugo's position, he simply couldn't generate any quality power when trying to hit a backhand.

But Hugo seemed to have foreseen this.

The moment Xie Mingyang made his move, he twisted his waist and forcefully turned to the side.

The speed is astonishing.

Its enormous body unleashed astonishing coordination and power, making way for others.

Holding the racket in his right arm, he met the incoming ball with an unstoppable, powerful smash.

"Snapped!"

The ping-pong ball, like a cannonball, pierced Xie Mingyang's defense with unstoppable momentum, and slammed heavily into the backhand corner.

Xie Mingyang's feet felt like they were nailed to the ground; he tried to defend, but to no avail.

3: 4.

Hugo has taken the lead.

The situation on the field suddenly reversed.

"Fuck!"

Zhang Jiahao slammed his fist into the ground, his face instantly turning red. "Is that guy surnamed Xie an idiot? Did he put some kind of Indian aphrodisiac on his brain?"

"Knowing full well that Hugo's backhand is his strength, how dare you give Hugo a backhand? Isn't that just asking for trouble?"

Chen Jin remained silent.

However, Xie Mingyang's handling of the ball's landing points was indeed somewhat unreasonable.

Otherwise, Hugo wouldn't have overtaken them in the score.

On the field, Xie Mingyang pursed his lips, seemingly not very satisfied with his performance.

Second serve.

The forehand is short.

Do not forward.

Hugo steps forward and places a forehand small triangle.

However, the control was slightly poor, and the arc went a little too high.

opportunity!

Xie Mingyang's eyes flashed with a sharp light. Without any hesitation, he pushed off the ground with his right foot, lunged to the side, and stretched his right arm back to its fullest extent, like a giant axe splitting a mountain.

"Snapped!"

Push hard and rush down the diagonal line.

The force was so great that the racket emitted a humming sound as if it could not bear the strain.

A white light, like a fleeting shadow, hurtled straight towards Hugo's forehand corner.

Xie Mingyang was determined to win this round.

However, Hugo's reaction was astonishing.

The moment Xie Mingyang exerted his strength, he had already anticipated the terrifying power of this aggressive attack and, as if reflexively, quickly retreated from the platform.

This retreat gave him valuable time and space to react.

The ping-pong ball flew with terrifying kinetic energy and spin. Despite being in a very bad position, Hugo displayed his world-class touch and the abnormal physical qualities he had developed through rigorous training.

With a large lateral movement, the body almost loses its balance, relying entirely on the powerful core strength of the waist and abdomen for support. The arms are extended to the limit, and in the middle and late stages of the ball's descent, a forehand scoop is used to forcefully pull the ball back to the middle.

This shot wasn't driven by absolute power.

It was filled with strange spins and low, flat arcs, barely clearing the net and heading straight for Xie Mingyang.

Fortunately, Xie Mingyang reacted very quickly, immediately regaining his balance and switching from offense to defense.

The ball came straight at him, and he didn't have time to make a powerful shot. He could only rely on his feel to hastily deflect and block with his backhand.

This was a purely passive defense, relying entirely on subconscious instinct.

The white ball was gently touched, changing its direction and rhythm, and floated lightly towards Hugo's left side of the table.

The angle is so wide that it spans the entire island of Taiwan.

Hugo made a successful save and, without stopping, immediately switched from retreating to sprinting forward.

He is tall with long arms and an amazing stride.

With just two quick steps, he had already secured the backhand position.

After accurately judging the landing point and trajectory of the ball, the body lowers again, with the racket in hand almost touching the ground.

Fishing for the moon in the bottom of the sea!

He narrowly and skillfully lifted the ball up.

Although the quality wasn't high, at least it made it onto the table.

Xie Mingyang quickly adjusted his footwork without hesitation, turned sideways again, and unleashed a powerful forehand smash down the line.

"Snapped!"

With immense force, the ball moves at lightning speed.

This move was infused with all his strength and will.

Hugo had just gotten up from retrieving the ball from the sidelines when, facing an even higher quality smash, he took a step to the side and, without even having time to fully draw back his racket, used the instantaneous burst of his wrist and the momentum of his body to pull back with his forehand, aiming straight for Xie Mingyang's body position.

"!"

Xie Mingyang was caught off guard.

The ball came too fast and too tricky; there wasn't enough time to turn to the side.

In a moment of quick thinking, he tucked in his chest and abdomen, and with a slight contraction of his body, managed to deflect the force of the shot by using his racket in front of him.

The return shot was weak and powerless, and the speed dropped sharply.

Halfway through the performance.

There is no skill involved; it is all instinct and feel under extreme pressure.

A sudden change in rhythm.

Hugo stepped forward, his body close to the ground, and once again attempted a scoop from the bottom of the sea, slicing off a piece of the board.

"Snapped!"

Xie Mingyang slid to the side, seized the landing point, and unleashed a powerful forehand smash.

Hugo pushed off with his foot and quickly retreated from the table, unable to exert any force, and could only block the ball back.

Seeing this, Xie Mingyang took a sip.

Unfortunately, the control was slightly lacking, and the ball was only halfway out of bounds.

Hugo, who was originally defending on the far side, pounced like a hungry tiger, instantly unleashing an astonishing forward sprint speed.

He strode quickly and reclaimed the platform.

Once you've accurately predicted the ball's descent point, swiftly sweep your arm upwards.

He scooped the ball high into the air, spinning it intensely, and sent it flying toward Xie Mingyang's table.

"Break!"

The return shot grazed the net.

The arc trajectory changed instantly, disrupting Xie Mingyang's prediction.

Xie Mingyang was about to surge forward, but he quickly stopped, restarted, and slowly pulled the line diagonally.

Because of the hasty adjustment, the power and speed of the cricket were noticeably weaker than before, giving Hugo a chance to catch his breath.

Hugo adjusted his footwork, scooped the ball up high with a backhand loop.

"Snapped!"

Xie Mingyang unleashes a powerful forehand smash.

Like a thunderbolt, it crashed down on Hugo's backhand.

Hugo stepped back from the table, gripped his racket with both hands, and, like a tennis backhand, continued to drop high balls.

"Snapped!"

Xie Mingyang spikes the ball.

Its strength has not decreased but increased.

Hugo fought and retreated, then launched another high ball.

His steps were perfectly steady.

"Snapped!"

Xie Mingyang delivered another powerful smash.

They suppressed Hugo's backhand and tried to break down his defense.

The hearts of the fans in the stadium trembled with every powerful smash of the high ball.

Just when everyone thought Hugo was about to be overwhelmed by the continuous barrage of heavy artillery fire, a sudden change occurred.

Hugo, who had been passively defending and constantly retreating, quickly adjusted his footwork the moment Xie Mingyang attacked his backhand side again.

With a small step, he managed to stop the backward movement.

He suddenly pushed off with his feet and swung the ball backhand with explosive power.

"Snapped!"

Hugo unexpectedly switched from defense to offense, launching a powerful counterattack from mid-to-long range.

Xie Mingyang didn't expect this shot either.

Before he could retreat from the stage, he shrank back, using the force to deflect the impact.

Hugo strode forward, turned sideways, and slowly executed a looping motion, gently sending the ball back to Xie Mingyang's center.

"Snapped!"

Xie Mingyang transitioned quickly, sliding to the side and unleashing a powerful forehand smash down the crosscourt towards Hugo's left side of the table.

"Snapped!"

Hugo retaliated with a fierce counterattack.

The ping-pong ball went straight for Xie Mingyang's backhand baseline.

Xie Mingyang immediately switched to his backhand and attempted to retaliate.

But then, an accident happened.

The small white ball grazed the edge and flew out.

Xie Mingyang had no time to react.

"Break!"

The ball has fallen and landed on the ground.

5: 3.

"Wow—"

The huge stadium instantly erupted in cheers.

Exclamations and applause rang out almost simultaneously.

That was a spectacular goal.

From Hugo's incredible save to Xie Mingyang's frantic continuous attacks, to Hugo's godlike backhand smash and change of direction in a desperate situation, it all ended with a glancing shot.

The transitions between offense and defense, the changes in rhythm... all are top-notch.

"Sorry."

After finally securing the point, Hugo did not celebrate, but instead raised his hand in greeting.

Unfortunately, he was on the defensive for almost the entire game, and his victory was purely by luck.

the other side.

Xie Mingyang stood there, hands on his knees, panting heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead like a stream.

A helpless yet respectful smile appeared on his face.

Hugo managed to thwart several seemingly inevitable attacks and ultimately turn the tables on his opponent.

In dire circumstances, Hugo's reaction, speed, touch, and courage were worthy of a top player in the world of table tennis.

The teams switched sides, and the game continued.

Hugo serves.

Short, no-spin forehand stroke.

Xie Mingyang stepped forward and shrugged.

Perhaps due to the exertion and impact of the previous point, my control was a bit rough, and my return shot went high.

How could they possibly let such a golden opportunity slip by?
Like a shark smelling blood, he instantly slid to the side and unleashed a powerful forehand smash down the diagonal line.

"Snapped!"

Fast and hard.

Xie Mingyang's reaction time is still there; he quickly dribbles with his forehand.

However, Hugo's transitions are breathtakingly fast.

After the first push, the footwork quickly returned to normal.

Predicting Xie Mingyang's return shot trajectory, I unleashed another powerful forehand smash.

"Snapped!"

He headed straight for Xie Mingyang in the middle lane to catch up.

It possesses immense power and spins intensely.

Xie Mingyang took a half step back and used his backhand to defend.

However, the incoming ball was too powerful and had too much spin.

The moment the racket touched the ball, I felt a tremendous force surge through me, completely out of my control.

puff!
The ball went into the net.

6: 3.

The score difference gradually widened.

Hugo pressed his advantage and served again.

Middle lane, backspin.

Xie Mingyang stepped forward and twisted the handle.

But he underestimated the spin of the ball, and it spun and went into the net.

3: 7.

After falling behind 0-3, Hugo miraculously rallied to score seven consecutive points.

In terms of both momentum and mindset, Hugo has undoubtedly gained the upper hand.

"It's over."

Zhang Jiahao pursed his lips, feeling disappointed and frustrated. "The guy surnamed Xie's mentality has been completely shattered; his movements are all out of control."

"The guy surnamed Xie is doomed to lose."

"A brand new top 32 team is about to be born."

(End of this chapter)