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

Chapter 458: The quarterfinal opponents of the Doha World Table Tennis Championships: A dark horse emerging from the crowd?
Leaving the stadium, the interview ended.

With a smile on his face, Chen Jin waved, turned around, and walked quickly along the players' tunnel, shutting out the noise and glitz behind him.

The long, dimly lit passageway seemed like a completely different world compared to the intense heat outside.

The sweat on my body gradually cooled, bringing a slight chill.

Open the door to the lounge.

As expected, Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao were both there.

Xie Mingyang had already changed into casual clothes, sat on the bench, wearing headphones and listening to music.

Now that he's been eliminated, and there are no more matches to play, he's quite relaxed and at ease.

Of course, given his personality, he wouldn't be idle.

The role of a sparring partner became the only viable option.

Zhang Jiahao, on the other hand, sat on the other side of the bench, keeping his distance from Xie Mingyang, holding his phone and scrolling through videos.

The two were immersed in their own worlds, like an old married couple who had been together for decades but were actually estranged, each doing their own thing and not disturbing the other.

"Woo——"

Xie Mingyang suddenly felt his phone vibrate.

When I picked it up, I saw it was a message from Zhang Jiahao.

A string of mysterious code.

"What?"

Xie Mingyang frowned slightly and turned to look at Zhang Jiahao with some confusion.

"open to take a look."

Zhang Jiahao's lips curled up into a meaningful smile. "I've carefully selected these to guarantee they'll get your blood pumping and all your worries swept away."

"If you're not satisfied, I have something even more exciting."

Hear the words.

Xie Mingyang frowned even more, glared at Zhang Jiahao with a hint of disgust, and said coldly, "If you send me these again, I'll block you."

"cut!"

Zhang Jiahao snorted coldly, "Like a dog biting Lü Dongbin, not recognizing a kind heart."

At this moment.

"crunch~"

Upon hearing the door open, the two of them looked up simultaneously.

Upon seeing Chen Jin, Zhang Jiahao jumped up, his face beaming with joy, like a daisy suddenly blooming, and quickly went to greet him.

"Brother Jin."

Zhang Jiahao gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Awesome!"

"Watching your game, Brother Jin, is a complete stomp. In short, it's a fucking enjoyment."

After showering him with compliments, the tone suddenly shifted.

"Unlike some people, when you ask them to do an outsourcing job, it's either windy or rainy."

His expression and tone were veiled and full of sarcasm: "It was a lot of hard work, a complete disaster, and in the end we still lost, adding another member to the top 32."

Although no name was mentioned, his name was implied throughout the text.

"Godly!"

Chen Jin glared at him and muttered a curse.

Then, he stopped paying attention to Zhang Jiahao.

He turned to look at Xie Mingyang.

"They played well, but there's still a significant gap in their overall strength."

His words were disjointed and incoherent.

However, Xie Mingyang understood perfectly.

"Ah."

Xie Mingyang nodded, "His backhand is thicker than mine, and he has a lot more variety in rallies."

"The World Cup match seemed to have helped him overcome his mental block and bring about a qualitative transformation."

His tone was calm, and there was no frustration in his eyes.

It was as if this defeat had ignited a fire within them, yet they also clearly recognized the gap between them.

"Yes."

Chen Jin put his backpack on the ground. "However, in my opinion, some opportunities are simply not seized by yourself."

"Especially in the second game, otherwise we wouldn't have been in such a passive position."

"You were too eager to break through his backhand, giving him too many opportunities to attack, which made him more and more confident as the game progressed."

Chen Jin did not watch Xie Mingyang's matches except for the final game.

However, while waiting backstage, the previous game was severely delayed.

With nothing else to do, I watched the replay of the match with Wang Hao.

Therefore, he knows Xie Mingyang's match like the back of his hand.

"really."

Xie Mingyang nodded.

"Generally speaking, to win a game, you have to use your strengths to attack the opponent's weaknesses."

Chen Jin said, "Hugo's backhand is his strongest point, but you want to go head-to-head and break through his backhand."

"That's definitely your personality."

"But that also shows that from the beginning, you never thought you could beat Hugo, right?"

Hear the words.

Xie Mingyang's body trembled, and he immediately fell silent.

Indeed, before the match, he had already accepted deep down that he was no match for Hugo.

Therefore, his idea was to hone his skills as much as possible through Hugo's help.

In the first two games, especially the second game, I did play a bit carelessly and not rigorously enough.

At that time, Li Qian also saw the problem and spoke sharply, forcefully changing Xie Mingyang's mindset.

This ignited Xie Mingyang's fighting spirit to win.

Upon seeing Xie Mingyang's expression, Chen Jin knew his prediction was correct and sighed, "A single misstep."

"If you can stay firm in your beliefs and give it your all, the outcome is uncertain."

"can only say……"

Chen Jin stared at Xie Mingyang, "What a pity."

It should be noted that the two spent every day together and trained together, so he knew Xie Mingyang's strength very well.

If Xie Mingyang sticks to his tactics and fights with all his might, he has at least a 50% chance of winning.

Upon closer reflection, although the situation on the field is ever-changing and the outcome is unpredictable, Chen Jin's analysis is not without merit.

Xie Mingyang remained silent for a long time, refusing to speak.

"Of course, even if you are determined and fight with all your might, you may not be able to beat Hugo..."

Chen Jin hadn't finished speaking.

At this moment, Xie Mingyang suddenly spoke up: "But at least it can greatly increase the chances of winning."

"In fact, we won't be so passive in the deciding game."

Xie Mingyang did not refute Chen Jin's "hindsight bias," but instead directly acknowledged the matter.

If it were anyone else, they might have already started arguing with Chen Jin.

"It's ok."

Chen Jin patted Xie Mingyang on the shoulder, "Next time we fight, go all out against him."

"Ok!"

Xie Mingyang nodded emphatically, his eyes resolute. "Next time we fight, I will definitely defeat him!"

His right fist was clenched, as if he had already grasped the racket for future revenge.

……

The next day, at 6:30 pm.

Lusail Stadium.

Chen Jin stepped onto the court again, facing another young talent from the Swedish team, Anton Karlberg.

In less than a year, the two had already faced off twice.

One was at the Champions League in Frankfurt last year, and the other was at the World Cup last month.

In both encounters, Chen Jin swept Karlberg in a shutout victory.

Unexpectedly, the two clashed again so soon.

Having learned that his opponent in the round of 16 would be Chen Jin, Karlberg, who had already suffered two defeats, was already in a calm state of mind.

"Round of 16 at the World Table Tennis Championships, that sounds pretty good."

"Of course, if we can defeat Chen Jin and advance to the top 8, that would be even more... comfortable."

So what if I'm number one in the world? It's not like I haven't beaten them before! However...

As it turns out, Chen Jin's status as the world's number one is completely different from that of the previous world number one.

Compared to yesterday's match against Karlsson, Chen Jin's attack was more aggressive against the younger and more aggressive Karlberg.

From the very first serve in the first game, Chen Jin was already unleashing his deadly attack.

Whether it's a quick attack in the first three shots or a rallied exchange between forehand and backhand, he handles it all with ease and precision.

Carlberg also tried everything he could to struggle.

Every shot is a powerful effort, every ball a fierce battle.

Unfortunately, his all-out effort seemed somewhat futile in the face of Chen Jin's impenetrable defense and lightning-fast counterattacks.

Chen Jin's prediction was extremely accurate.

His footwork is light and efficient, always arriving in time to block Karlberg's offensive routes.

Then, with a high-quality return shot, he broke down the opponent's offensive and entered his own smooth and flowing offensive rhythm.

Chen Jin maintained firm control of the score.

11: 3.

11: 5.

11: 5.

11: 4.

The four games were uneventful.

There was no suspense, no miracle occurred, and it was another 4-0 victory.

Chen Jin once again defeated Karlberg to advance to the men's singles quarterfinals.

Back on the sidelines.

He gave Wang Hao a high five.

Wang Hao sized up Chen Jin and laughed, "You look rather dull."

"No way."

Chen Jin buried himself in packing his things.

However, the opponents in these matches were indeed not that strong in comparison.

"Your opponent in the next quarterfinal round was already determined before your match with Kalberg even started."

Wang Hao asked, "Do you know who it is?"

"Who?"

Chen Jinqing raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "Dake or Hushang?"

"Household."

Wang Hao replied.

"Oh?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Chen Jin's eyes.

Judging solely from his performance at this World Table Tennis Championships, Togami Hayato seems to have the potential to be a dark horse.

In the round of 32, they encountered an all-Japanese battle, with their opponent being Tomokazu Harimoto, the top male table tennis player in Japan.

Before the match, almost everyone favored Tomokazu Harimoto.

After all, in terms of both world ranking and international performance, Tomokazu Harimoto is better than Hayato Togami.

Hayato Togami is known as the "King of Civil Wars," and is said to be the "Master of All-Year Preparations."

In many previous matches, I had just won against Zhang Ben, only to lose to an outside player.

In this match, Togami Hayato once again demonstrated his "internal battle expert" buff, allowing the highly anticipated Harimoto Tomokazu to retrace the steps of the legendary Frenchman in Paris.

Immediately, doubts arose about Togami Hayabusa's chances, with many believing that he would inevitably lose to Dako.

Surprisingly, Togami Hayato and Dako battled it out for seven innings.

In the deciding game, they were down 2-5 at the start.

Facing match point at 9:10, they withstood the pressure, scored three consecutive points, and reversed the game.

He ultimately defeated Darko 4-3, advancing to the quarterfinals of the World Table Tennis Championships for the first time and becoming Japan's sole male representative.

In this match, especially the last two games, Togami Hayato, after losing match point, staged a thrilling comeback with fierce fighting and extreme resilience, showing the potential of a dark horse.

"It's Togami who made it to the quarterfinals."

Chen Jin predicted before the match that it would be Darko, saying, "Tomorrow's match will be interesting."

"Yes."

Wang Hao seemed to have foreseen tomorrow's match: "Togami is making his first appearance in the quarterfinals and is the only Japanese player remaining in the men's singles. To prove himself, he will definitely fight with all his might in tomorrow's match."

Hayato Togami's fighting style is somewhat similar to the explosive blood-bursting style in Japanese anime.

Therefore, Togami Hayato, who embodies confidence, belief, and responsibility, will likely be a formidable opponent on the field tomorrow.

……

A hotel room.

The windows were tightly closed, shutting out the noise.

The atmosphere inside the room was somewhat heavy.

"As expected."

The silence was suddenly broken by the words of the Japanese team's head coach, Seiya Kishikawa, "Togami-kun, tomorrow's quarterfinal opponent is Chen Jin."

"Ah."

Togami Hayabusa clenched his fist involuntarily.

In today's table tennis world, who doesn't know the name Chen Jin?

At the tender age of fifteen or sixteen, he seemed to descend from the heavens, appearing out of nowhere and sweeping away all his opponents with invincible grace.

The youngest world number one, and also the youngest World Cup men's singles champion in history!

Although they had never fought each other before, they knew each other.

Chen Jin's terrifying strength was already evident in the match that just ended.

"Togami-kun".

Kishikawa Seiya looked at Togami Hayato, seemingly understanding the latter's thoughts. His expression was serious, and his tone was firm. "You should understand that you now bear the responsibility and honor of our Japanese men's singles team."

"Without a doubt, tomorrow's fight against Chen Jin will be the most important fight of your career so far!"

"This might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"

At the height of his excitement, Kishikawa Seiya waved his arms, as if every word was a blow to the air, “Defeat him, right here, in the quarterfinals of the World Table Tennis Championships!”

"You will become famous overnight, a hero of the Japanese team, and the entire world of table tennis will remember your name!"

Listening to the coach's highly persuasive words, Togami Hayabusa's breathing involuntarily quickened, and his chest rose and fell slightly.

His eyes gleamed with intense excitement and longing—a primal desire for victory and an ultimate pursuit of proving himself.

Like a warrior who has caught the scent of blood, adrenaline begins to surge.

The fingers resting on her knees unconsciously clenched tighter, the knuckles turning slightly white.

Kishikawa Seiya observed Togami Hayasuke's expression and reaction, knowing that the time was right.

"Listen, Togami-kun!"

Seiya Kishikawa placed a hand on Hayato Togami's shoulder, applying slight pressure, "There's only one tactic for tomorrow's match!"

"Don't have any conservative ideas whatsoever!"

"From the first ball to the last, fight tooth and nail for every single one!"

"Use your strongest power, fastest speed, and most difficult angle to attack him and put pressure on him!"

His words resonated deeply within Togami Hayato, stirring his blood and making him feel a surge of passion.

However, the remaining rationality allowed Togami Hayasuke to calm down somewhat.

"I understand the need for oversight."

Hayato Togami had some concerns, "But if we fight for every ball, our stamina might not be able to keep up."

"Chen Jin's defensive and sustained attack abilities are very strong. Playing against him, even for just four games, would be extremely taxing on our stamina."

The key point is that there is only one timeout opportunity per game.

If the rhythm gets out of control, or needs to be adjusted, there's simply no way to fix it.

"rest assured."

Kishikawa Seiya had clearly considered all the details, a confident expression on his face, his eyes becoming deep. "I already have a solution for the issue of physical exertion, you don't need to worry about that."

"You only need to remember one thing: fight, fight continuously!"

"Unleash all your energy in the shortest possible time!"

"As for the rest, leave it to me."

His tone carried an unquestionable determination, as if victory was already assured.

Seeing Kishikawa Seiya's unwavering resolve, Togami Shunsuke's last remaining doubts were overwhelmed by his surging fighting spirit.

"Yes, sir!"

Togami Hayato stood up, nodded emphatically, his voice slightly hoarse with excitement, "Tomorrow's match, from the very first point, we'll fight to the bitter end!"

(End of this chapter)