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

Chapter 459 Whether it's singles or doubles, everyone is treated equally!
5 month 23 day.

The Doha World Table Tennis Championships have entered the final, most crucial stage.

The quarter-final match between Chen Jin and Togami Hayabusa is scheduled to begin at 1:4 PM.

Before that, there was another men's doubles match at 12:30.

It was also a quarterfinal match.

Their opponents are the Egyptian pair of Elbeyali and Abdelaziz.

It was exactly 11:00 AM.

Chen Jin, Zhang Jiahao, and Xie Mingyang arrived at the training hall on time, carrying backpacks.

Jogging around the track helps with ligament stretching.

"Brother Jin."

Zhang Jiahao sat on the ground, doing a split and twisting his waist as a warm-up exercise, looking somewhat lazy and perfunctory. "Today's doubles match, we need to finish quickly and try to win 3-0 within 20 minutes."

"So you can save some energy to prepare for the singles match."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Many people online say that Togami Hayato is the dark horse of this Doha World Table Tennis Championships, just like Fang Bo at the Suzhou World Table Tennis Championships and Jung Young-sik at the Rio Olympics."

The match between Togami Hayato and Dako yesterday was quite exciting, with several comebacks after falling behind.

His ferocity in fighting and his tenacity in mind have long been known and praised.

Although with Chen Jin's strength, there was no need to worry.

But with two matches in one day, energy management is a problem.

Moreover, the Japanese team has always regarded the Chinese team as an irreconcilable rival, and they have their own insights into the competition, having prepared and studied around the clock.

Hayato Togami is the sole representative of the Japanese men's singles team at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships, carrying the hopes of the entire village.

With all these buffs stacked up, Zhang Jiahao couldn't help but feel uneasy.

"A dark horse?"

Chen Jin smiled calmly, "These two words are not exactly pleasant."

For example, Fang Bo at the Suzhou World Table Tennis Championships and Jung Young-sik at the Rio Olympics both showed the potential to be dark horses, but ultimately became stepping stones for others to reach the top.

As for playing two matches a day, energy management is hardly an issue.

There are several hours between doubles and singles matches, enough time to rest and recover physical strength.

Even if we take a step back and say that, as a key player, it is normal to participate in multiple events.

If they can't even handle this, how can they talk about carrying the future of Chinese table tennis?

"I watched the match between Hayato Togami and Darko."

Xie Mingyang was also stretching and warming up, his movements meticulous, but his voice was not out of breath as he spoke, "Actually, Togami Hayato's playing style is similar to before, there's been no change, he fights for every ball."

"This kind of play has its advantages and disadvantages. Like a gambler, if you win, you can turn the tide."

"But if the fight fails, they will be shattered to pieces."

As Xie Mingyang said.

This can be seen from Togami Hayabusa's match against Dako yesterday.

Although they managed to come back from a 9-10 deficit, they also suffered a crushing defeat of 1-11.

"It's true."

Chen Jin nodded.

Having mastered the art of combat, how could he not understand its advantages and disadvantages?
"However, now that your opponent is Togami, the fight will likely be even fiercer and more ruthless."

Xie Mingyang looked at Chen Jin.

Today, Chen Jin is a fearsome figure in the world of table tennis.

Some people avoid him like the plague, while others regard Chen Jin as a super-experienced player.

After all, the higher the BOSS level, the richer the rewards after defeating it.

Without a doubt, Togami Hayasuke is the latter.

Given the vast difference in their abilities and records, it wouldn't be a big deal if Togami Hayato lost to Chen Jin.

If you manage to win by sheer luck, you'll become famous overnight.

Just like Tomokazu Harimoto back then.

Such a temptation was undoubtedly great for Togami Hayasuke.

Therefore, it is only natural to fight to the death in this quarter-final.

"fine."

Chen Jin smiled slightly, "He's not the only one who knows how to fight."

While talking.

Wang Hao strode into the training hall and quickly approached the three men.

"Everyone is here?"

Wang Hao crossed his arms, his gaze sweeping back and forth between Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao, his expression somewhat grave. "I believe everyone knows that Lin Shidong and Lin Gaoyuan have already fallen in the quarterfinals."

"Now, the hopes of winning the men's doubles title rest on the shoulders of the two of you."

According to the competition plan, the coaching staff originally had high hopes for the men's doubles pair of Lin Shidong and Lin Gaoyuan.

After all, Lin Gaoyuan is a veteran doubles player who has achieved many doubles results and is very experienced.

Lin Shidong is also quite capable.

The pairing of the two, with the veteran mentoring the newcomer, is clearly superior to the newcomer duo of Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao.

Unexpectedly, the highly anticipated duo of Hayato and Togami lost to Togami and Shinotsuka in the upper half of the draw, falling in the quarterfinals, which was a great pity.

Now, the men's doubles pairing is down to Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao.

Since doubles gold medals were removed from the Olympics, neither the coaching staff nor the players have attached as much importance to doubles as they have to singles.

Doubles often becomes a choice for young players to gain experience on the court.

However, the doubles gold medal returned to the Los Angeles Olympics.

This means that the priority of doubles will inevitably increase in the coming years.

Therefore, the doubles events at this Doha World Table Tennis Championships—especially the men's doubles—have become a training ground for preparation for the Loo Olympics three years later.

Otherwise, the coaching staff would not have dared to use a newcomer pairing like Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao.

Now, the coaching staff has to pin their hopes for winning the men's doubles title on the newcomers, something they hadn't anticipated before the competition.

Hear the words.

Knowing he had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders, Zhang Jiahao immediately straightened his back.

"Don't worry, Coach Wang."

Zhang Jiahao's eyes were resolute: "If we don't win the men's doubles title, I'll offer my head in resignation."

"it is good."

Wang Hao finally smiled and patted Zhang Jiahao on the shoulder, "With such ambition, how can you not win the championship!"

"However, we should not underestimate our opponent."

"Although the individual strength of this Egyptian pair is not outstanding, their doubles teamwork is very good."

"Abdulaziz's backhand is particularly outstanding, and he has a strong ability to maintain a rally from mid to long range."

"Elbeali is better at close-to-the-table fast drives and changing the landing point."

"Their playing styles complement each other, and their teamwork is excellent. Their ability to reach the quarterfinals speaks for itself."

"Of course, they have a clear weakness: their internal handling is relatively rough."

"If the team can control the board a few more times, their rhythm will naturally be disrupted."

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao nodded in unison: "Understood."

"Because Chen Jin has a tough match to play at 6 pm, the main attacker position for this doubles match will fall to you, Zhang Jiahao."

Wang Hao looked at Zhang Jiahao, "Do you have confidence?"

"Have!"

Zhang Jiahao said loudly, "Coach Wang, to be honest, that's what I think too."

"Judging from Togami Hayabusa's performance in this tournament, he plays aggressively and has a very strong will."

Wang Hao continued, "In this quarterfinal match, he will definitely fight with all his might to challenge Chen Jin."

At this point, he turned to look at Chen Jin and said, "You must conserve your energy as much as possible to prepare for tonight's quarter-final match."

"If all else fails, you have to weigh the pros and cons and know how to make a choice."

This statement came out.

Although not explicitly stated, the implication is quite obvious.

Xie Mingyang and Zhang Jiahao exchanged a glance and then looked at Chen Jin simultaneously.

"As long as I'm on the court, whether it's singles or doubles, I will treat everyone equally and give it my all."

Chen Jin said in a deep voice, "Please rest assured, Coach Wang, I want the singles championship and the doubles gold medal!"

"it is good!"

Wang Hao couldn't hide his admiration. "In that case, thank you for your hard work."

"Zhang Jiahao, in this doubles match, you must take on more responsibility. You need to be proactive from the start, take the initiative, and try to end the match as soon as possible, reduce unnecessary rallies, and shorten the match time."

Zhang Jiahao snapped to attention: "Roger that!"

"Chen Jin, pay attention to control and connection on the field, especially close to the table, to create attacking opportunities for Zhang Jiahao, reduce the strong rallies in the mid and long range, and conserve your energy."

Wang Haodao.

"Ah."

Chen Jin nodded emphatically.

Following that, Wang Hao shared some of his experience and details from doubles matches.

Subsequently, with Xie Mingyang as their sparring partner, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao trained on tactical arrangements.

This situation was anticipated as early as during the closed training period, and there was already a special training plan in place.

Therefore, without much adaptation, the two players were already adept at switching between offense and defense.

……

half past twelve.

Chen Jin/Zhang Jiahao vs. Elbeyali/Abdulaziz.

The quarterfinals have officially begun.

Toss a coin and guess who goes first.

Unsurprisingly, Zhang Jiahao won the right to serve.

Two minutes of warm-up practice before the match. *Snap!*

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao stood one in front of the other, their formation already set up.

On the other hand, the opposite side is relatively parallel.

soon.

Warm-up is over.

The referee signaled the start of the match.

Zhang Jiahao served first.

He glanced down at Chen Jin's hand gesture and immediately understood, serving a short, no-spin ball.

Abdulaziz stepped forward and made a short move.

The ball bounced high.

Before Abdulaziz could run away, he made room for his teammate to hit the ball.

"Snapped!"

His voice was like thunder.

Chen Jin showed no mercy, leaping forward and delivering a powerful strike.

The small white ball, like a heavy artillery shell, carrying an aura of destruction, hurtled towards Abdulaziz.

The speed was so fast that even though Abdulaziz immediately moved to a different position after making his move, he couldn't avoid it in time.

1: 0.

Zhang Jiahao serves again.

Right half of the platform.

Side down.

Abdulaziz takes a short, straight step.

Chen Jin reverses his grip and pulls the diagonal line.

Elbery uses his backhand to defend the middle.

Without hesitation, Zhang Jiahao slid to the side, his entire body's power starting from pushing off the ground with his right foot, rotating through his waist and abdomen, and instantly transferring to his arms and wrists.

"Snapped!"

A powerful forehand smash.

With tremendous power, like a cannonball, it blasted towards the right half of the opponent's baseline corner.

Abdulaziz met the incoming ball and attempted a counter-attack.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jiahao's shot was explosive, with power, speed, spin, and landing point all reaching their peak.

Abdulaziz's position was blocked by the ball, which hit the side of the board.

"昘——"

The ping-pong ball bounced high into the air and flew straight into the sky.

0: 2.

"Choo-hoo!"

Chen Jin gave a low shout and gave Zhang Jiahao a light high five.

Originally, Zhang Jiahao's playing style mainly involved topspin and mid-to-long-range shots.

Killing the enemy with a single blow is by no means his forte.

Moreover, it's slow to start and requires constant adjustments during matches to get into the groove.

But this time, Zhang Jiahao played exceptionally aggressively from the start, unleashing powerful forehand attacks with all his might, which had a hint of surprise.

The Egyptian pair of Elbeyali and Abdelaziz had clearly studied the doubles styles of Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao before the match.

In comparison, Zhang Jiahao's offensive ability is far inferior to Chen Jin's.

They thought Zhang Jiahao was the breakthrough point.

Unexpectedly, Zhang Jiahao suddenly changed his playing style and took the initiative to attack, catching the Egyptian pair off guard.

The Egyptian pair were caught off guard and were not used to Zhang Jiahao's aggressive style of attacking from the start. They seemed unprepared and were somewhat bewildered by the attack.

They quickly fell behind 1-5.

While wiping away sweat, Elbeyali and Abdulaziz exchanged a few words in hushed tones.

Subsequently, the tactics of the two players underwent a significant change.

They focused their attacks more on Chen Jin, trying to avoid Zhang Jiahao's sharp edge.

However, they clearly chose the wrong target.

Chen Jin's powerful smash after falling to the ground, followed by a backhand rip, completely dispelled his opponent's idea of ​​using him as a breakthrough point.

Erbeyali and Abdulaziz exchanged a wry smile: "Were you out of your mind just now?"

"What kind of stupidity would lead someone to use Chen Jin as a breakthrough point?"

At this point, the score was 9-3.

Zhang Jiahao made decisive moves, becoming more and more confident as the game progressed, displaying a variety of techniques.

Forehand smash, backhand rip, side-step attack, diving forehand... every shot contains unprecedented explosive power.

Chen Jin, on the other hand, used his delicate control and precise coordination to create wave after wave of offensive opportunities for Zhang Jiahao.

11: 5.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao easily won the first game.

Break between games.

The two Egyptian athletes looked serious as they discussed countermeasures with their coach.

the other side.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao wiped their sweat and drank water, listening quietly to Wang Hao's tactical arrangements.

"You played very well, keep playing like that."

Wang Hao said, "But in the next game, our opponent will definitely make some adjustments."

"Pay close attention to protecting the corners and the mid-court area where you can use both forehand and backhand strokes."

Unsurprisingly.

At the start of the second game, the Egyptian pair changed their strategy.

They forced their way in and entered a stalemate.

Change the landing point and adjust the route.

Zhang Jiahao was exhausted from running around and had to hit the ball while moving. In order to increase the success rate of hitting the ball on the table, he could only take the risk of using a topspin loop.

As a result, the power and speed are weakened.

This gave the opponent a chance to counterattack.

This tactical strategy did have some effect, with the Egyptian pair scoring two points in the opening minutes.

Seeing that things were not going well, Chen Jin made a quick decision and changed tactics: "Jiahao, switch positions."

"You defend the mid-to-near positions, I'll attack the mid-to-long positions."

Hear the words.

Zhang Jiahao frowned slightly: "Brother Jin, but..."

"It's okay, listen to me."

Chen Jin waved his hand, "Keep an eye on their positions, and use your mid-to-close range speed to pressure their landing points."

"understood."

Zhang Jiahao nodded.

They immediately changed positions.

Chen Jin's ability to counter-attack from mid-to-long range allowed him to handle Egyptian opponents with ease.

Zhang Jiahao tenaciously defended the mid-to-close range, using speed to overcome slowness, skill to break through force, and borrowing force to suppress the landing point, making the Egyptian pair feel extremely awkward.

11: 5.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao won another game.

In the third game.

Zhang Jiahao played better and better, his touch was on fire.

Chen Jin's control and defense in the mid-to-near positions were like an impenetrable fortress.

The two worked together seamlessly.

The offensive was like mercury spilling onto the ground, unstoppable once it began.

Although Elbeyali and Abdulaziz were determined to fight, they were powerless to reverse the situation.

11: 3.

The score is 3-0.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao easily defeated the Egyptian pair to advance to the men's doubles semifinals at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

This means that at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships, a minimum of one bronze medal in men's doubles is guaranteed.

For a new pair participating in the World Table Tennis Championships for the first time, such a result is already quite impressive.

The instant the ball hits the ground.

"Choo-hoo!"

Chen Jin clenched his fist and roared, "Braise—"

In contrast, Zhang Jiahao showed little excitement or agitation, remaining surprisingly calm.

"Brother Jin."

Zhang Jiahao looked up at the stadium dome, his eyes somewhat unfocused. "I think I saw the men's doubles gold medal waving at us."

"Take it one step at a time, don't open the champagne halfway through."

Chen Jin smiled and patted Zhang Jiahao on the shoulder, "Let's get to the finals first."

"Make it to the finals?"

Zhang Jiahao blinked. "I have a feeling that we've already made it to the finals?"

(End of this chapter)