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

Chapter 499 Young people, this is the time to strive!
"Zizzi-"

The low-frequency sound waves emitted by the physiotherapy device gently echoed in the quiet room.

It was like an invisible hand gently massaging Chen Jin's muscles.

Three matches a day, even for a young and strong physique like Chen Jin, have accumulated some minor strain.

If not dealt with promptly, it will inevitably become a hidden danger over time.

At this moment, Chen Jin lay on the bed, burying his face in the ventilation holes of the headrest, closing his eyes, and enjoying the comfort of the physical therapy.

In my mind, the scenes from the three matches flashed by like a revolving lantern.

Every detail of the matches has become experience, ingrained in his very being.

The physical therapy session is over.

Chen Jin felt much lighter.

The lingering soreness that had been present was largely dispelled.

I changed into clean clothes and checked the time.

"I wonder if Lao Xie's match is over yet?"

Think of this.

Chen Jin did not choose to return to his hotel room to rest, but went straight to the competition venue.

As expected, Xie Mingyang's match against Wang Chuqin is not over yet.

I just approached the venue's passageway.

The commotion surged in like ocean waves.

Almost all the voices were cheering for Wang Chuqin.

VIP viewing area.

Wang Liqin, Qin Zhijian, Wang Hao, and others sat side by side, watching this civil war showdown.

Perhaps hearing the commotion from the back row, Wang Liqin turned around and saw Chen Jin, a smile immediately spreading across his face.

He immediately raised his hand and beckoned, "Chen Jin, come and sit down."

Upon hearing this.

Qin Zhijian and Wang Hao were very considerate and moved to the side.

They were just waiting for Chen Jin to take his seat.

Faced with Wang Liqin's enthusiastic invitation, Chen Jin couldn't refuse, so he walked over and sat down next to Wang Liqin.

Seeing this, Huang Youzheng and the others couldn't help but cast envious glances at them.

This is blatant pampering!
But I can only admire them; I dare not be jealous.

After all, Chen Jin's strength and achievements speak for themselves.

"Thank you for your hard work in this competition."

Wang Liqin's voice was deep and powerful.

His gaze lingered on Chen Jin's face for a moment before he continued, "Three battles in one day, and all three were won. The intensity was considerable."

Moreover, it happened for two consecutive days.

The intensity is at its maximum.

The physical and mental exertion involved is naturally considerable.

Having been a competitor himself, how could Wang Liqin not understand?
But there was nothing he could do.

Today, the Chinese national table tennis team needs Chen Jin to step up and support the team.

"The mixed doubles final is tomorrow."

Wang Hao continued, "After the fight, things will be a little easier."

The pairings for the mixed doubles final have been determined.

Chen Jin/Ye Sijia vs. Lin Shidong/Kuai Man.

It was a civil war.

Without the pressure and burden of external wars, things are indeed much easier.

"To participate in three events simultaneously is indeed a considerable test of physical strength and energy."

Qin Zhijian also said, "The schedule next month is even more packed, with the Yokohama Championship and the Swedish Grand Slam back-to-back."

"Chen Jin, you can choose to be exempted from one of the options and take a break next month to regroup."

According to WTT rules, each player has the right to exemption from two championship events and one Grand Slam event within a year.

Chen Jin has not used it yet.

The Yokohama Championship and the Swedish Grand Slam next month are only a few days apart.

More importantly, they traveled between Europe and Asia, enduring a lot of hardship.

Qin Zhijian's suggestion seemed to be genuinely for Chen Jin's benefit.

Hear the words.

Chen Jin lowered his head and smiled.

Before he could even speak, Wang Hao interjected, "Young man, this is the time to strive, how can you rest so easily? Let's go all out and take the WTT Grand Slam."

"Right, Chen Jin?"

Wang Hao looked at Chen Jin with a smile.

"What Coach Wang said is exactly what I was thinking."

Chen Jin nodded, his tone calm, "Matches are the best training. Only by facing different opponents can you discover different problems, whether it's tactics or energy management. These are all experiences worth learning."

"I want to play more and practice more."

Wang Liqin smiled and nodded, his eyes full of admiration: "This kind of attitude and spirit is exactly what our national table tennis team needs."

Whether it's the Shanghai team or the national team, they've seen too many talented players.

However, people like Chen Jin, who possess unparalleled talent while also being so clear-headed, self-disciplined, never satisfied, and ambitious, are extremely rare.

After hearing Wang Liqin's definitive conclusion.

Qin Zhijian chuckled twice and echoed, "Yes, yes, I was just concerned about Chen Jin and mentioned it casually."

at this time.

The volume of the audience suddenly rose considerably.

Everyone's attention was immediately drawn back to the competition.

Wang Chuqin VS Xie Mingyang.

The fifth and decisive game.

Both players have returned to the field.

"Xie Mingyang, that kid, has clearly improved his skills to be able to play like this against Da Tou."

Wang Hao looked at the arena, clapping as he spoke.

His tone carried a hint of surprise and affirmation.

"indeed."

Wang Liqin nodded slightly.

They could see the first four games clearly.

The two games that Xie Mingyang lost were both very close in score.

Moreover, they all pushed themselves to the limit to get the highest scores.

They lost by a score of 13:15 and 11:13.

He won two games, one 11-8 and the other 11-5.

For the coaching staff, the internal competition among players, though brutal, is undoubtedly more gratifying to see the rapid growth of young players.

Losing is not terrible.

What's terrible is losing in a humiliating way.

Xie Mingyang's performance tonight was outstanding, both in terms of technique, tactics, and mental attitude.

The fact that a 16-year-old player could push Wang Chuqin to the brink of defeat is, in the coaching staff's view, a testament to his ability.

The decisive game was intense from the very beginning.

On the pool table.

The white spheres transformed into afterimages of lightning, rapidly darting, spinning, and exploding under control.

Give it your all for every ball.

Not an inch will be yielded.

Control of the table, aggressive attacks in the first three shots, forehand smashes, backhand quick rips, mid-to-long-range rallies, power exchanges, placement adjustments... all kinds of tactics and techniques were brought to their fullest potential between the two players' rackets.

The score went back and forth.

1: 1.

2: 2.

2: 4.

4: 4.

5: 6.

6: 6.

……

The competition was fierce and the match was intense.

Every sound of the ball hitting the shuttlecock struck the tense hearts of the fans in the stadium.

VIP viewing area.

The players and coaches stopped talking.

Everyone was completely focused on watching the game.

Chen Jin's gaze was fixed on the bouncing ping-pong ball on the court.

At the same time, the brain is working at lightning speed.

Like a supercomputer, it analyzes in real time the tactical intentions, technical strengths and weaknesses, and possible variables of both sides.

8: 7.

Xie Mingyang is leading by one point.

8: 8.

Wang Chuqin tied the score.

9: 8.

Xie Mingyang has overtaken him again.

"Choo-hoo!"

"Zhu--"

Xie Mingyang clenched his fists and let out a low growl.

And at this time.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers and shouts.

"Wang Chuqin—"

"come on!"

……

"Go for it—" "Wang Chuqin!"

The enormous sound almost blew the roof off.

Seeing that something was wrong, Wang Chuqin made a quick decision and switched to his most proficient and skillful hook serve.

This serve is a nightmare for even the devil!
Once the shot is made, it can be said to decide the fate of the game.

As expected, Xie Mingyang guessed the wrong spin and returned the ball only halfway up the height.

Wang Chuqin was prepared and seized the opportunity, making a decisive side-step and explosive straight-line charge.

"Snapped!"

The ball flew like a cannonball.

This caught Xie Mingyang off guard.

9: 9.

The score is tied again.

“Wow——!!!”

The fans in the stadium cheered continuously.

Xie Mingyang remained calm and unmoved.

He walked to the sidelines, picked up a towel, wiped away his sweat, and pondered the tactics for the next serving round.

Wang Chuqin was also wiping away sweat, his eyes darting away as he glanced at Xie Mingyang, calculating as well.

Watching Xie Mingyang wipe his sweat, Chen Jin frowned almost imperceptibly.

Based on his understanding of Xie Mingyang's playing style and mentality, he felt a sense of foreboding.

"Old Xie, don't try to grow taller, absolutely don't try to grow taller..."

Chen Jin silently told himself, "Stay calm, serve a short ball, control his forehand, don't rush, fight him in rallies, that's how you'll have a chance."

He guessed that under these circumstances, Xie Mingyang would most likely choose to steal the initiative, disrupt Wang Chuqin's positioning, and gain the upper hand.

The tactic of stealing the long distance might be considered a surprise move under normal circumstances.

However, at the crucial point of 9-9 in the deciding game, facing an opponent as quick-reacting as Wang Chuqin was like dancing on a knife's edge, extremely risky.

But things went counterproductive.

After a brief moment of thought, Xie Mingyang returned to his serving position and took a deep breath.

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

The movements were swift and decisive.

"Break!"

A fast and powerful long ball from the side was aimed straight at Wang Chuqin's backhand corner.

"broken!"

Chen Jin's heart skipped a beat.

The moment Xie Mingyang made his move, Wang Chuqin seemed to have a premonition.

With incredible speed, he slid sideways to create space.

The left hand draws back the racket, while the waist and abdomen gather power, like a fully drawn bowstring.

Meet the incoming ball head-on and strike hard.

"Snapped!"

A sudden, sharp upward slant.

The ping-pong ball, carrying terrifying power, speed, and spin, grazed Xie Ming's right sideline and flew out.

Xie Mingyang quickly lunged forward with his forehand.

But, it's too late.

9: 10.

Wang Chuqin has reached match point.

"boom--!"

The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers and applause.

Some people were so excited that they jumped up from their seats.

After losing the point, Xie Mingyang's eyes flashed with regret for a moment.

But soon, I forced myself to calm down.

He stepped back to serve.

"There's still a chance, one more serve."

Chen Jin encouraged Xie Mingyang in his heart, "Keep going long, be bolder, serve to his backhand corner, and withstand his power."

This time, Xie Mingyang seemed to hear Chen Jin's innermost thoughts.

The second serve was another long serve.

Wang Chuqin was clearly taken aback.

Fortunately, his body's instincts reacted faster than his thoughts.

Take a half step back, then turn your hand forward to meet the attack.

Using the strength of his wrist to counteract the spin, he barely managed to brush the ball back.

The quality of the return shot was not very high.

Xie Mingyang quickly turned to the side and, with a snap, unleashed a powerful forehand strike.

Forced to retreat from the table to deflect the ball, Wang Chuqin had no choice but to counter-attack.

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

The two players engaged in a mid-to-long-range rally with forehand and backhand strokes.

The ping-pong ball moves back and forth at high speed on both sides of the table, drawing dazzling white trajectories.

Power, speed, spin, landing point... every shot from either player was filled with a calculated move to kill the other.

The fifth board!
Eighth board!
The twelfth board!

……

After fifteen or sixteen rounds of back-and-forth, the situation remained deadlocked.

Sweat flew through the air as the two players ran vigorously and swung their rackets to hit the ball.

The expressions on their faces were somewhat ferocious from exerting their utmost strength.

This kind of high-intensity, long rally is not only a test of skill, but also the ultimate test of willpower.

"hold onto!"

Chen Jin's gaze darkened. "Wang Chuqin's footing is slipping, and his movements are starting to become distorted..."

He could clearly see that when Wang Chuqin was playing the thirteenth or fourteenth stroke, his steps were noticeably heavy.

The quality of the return shot showed a slight decrease.

The recovery from the forehand position was also a beat too slow.

"Have the opportunity!"

As long as Xie Mingyang can hold on for another one or two more rounds, victory is assured.

however.

Right in the middle of this electric light.

The scales of fate are often tipped by small and uncontrollable factors.

After Wang Chuqin unleashed another powerful forehand counter-attack, his footwork was clearly off.

Both strength and speed have weakened.

But just as the ball was flying over the net, it gently grazed the top edge of the net.

This turn of events came too suddenly.

Xie Mingyang had already prepared to continue the confrontation.

The body's center of gravity and the backswing motion were carried out exactly according to the original trajectory.

It was too late to restart.

11: 9.

The score is now set, and the game is over.

Wang Chuqin narrowly defeated Xie Mingyang 3-2 to advance to the men's singles quarterfinals.

"Whoo~"

Qin Zhijian's palms were sweaty, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Da Tou won this ball by luck."

"Yes."

Wang Hao nodded, "Xie Mingyang played quite well in this match."

"Unfortunately, we were a little unlucky."

If it weren't for that lucky net touch on the last ball, given his understanding of Wang Chuqin, he might not have been able to counter Xie Mingyang's return shot.

"He's still a bit inexperienced when it comes to handling crucial points."

Wang Liqin frowned slightly, "In the training to come, we still need to strengthen Xie Mingyang's tactical routines and ability to withstand pressure in crucial points."

"As for Wang Chuqin, he should also reflect on this when he gets back."

Chen Jin remained silent.

Their gaze remained fixed on Xie Mingyang.

Two points short, all efforts were in vain... He had never experienced this feeling, but he could imagine the bitterness of it.

Xie Mingyang stood still, looking down to wipe the racket in his hand.

"Almost, almost..."

Xie Mingyang felt a pang of regret. "If even Wang Chuqin can't get past this, how can we talk about meeting Chen Jin at the top?"

In the end, however, he still couldn't defeat Wang Chuqin.

"I'm sure I'll win next time we face off!"

Xie Mingyang clenched his fists inwardly.

at the same time.

The hashtag #WangChuqinvsXieMingyang# has already topped the trending search list.

The discussion was lively on the topic forum.

"This newcomer Xie Mingyang is really good! He dares to fight and has a strong mentality. If it weren't for Chu Sheng's hook and net, it's really hard to say who would win."

"Holy crap, I haven't watched a match in ages. When did this newcomer appear? He's so amazing!"

"The development of the men's table tennis team has finally shown some hope. Apart from Chen Jin, who is a bug, young players like Xie Mingyang and Lin Shidong are very promising."

"Compared to Chen Jin, he's quite a bit behind, but still not bad. After all, Chen Jin is in a league of his own. Xie Mingyang has a bright future ahead of him, keep up the good work!"

"According to TZM's algorithm, after five rounds, Xie Mingyang and Dice (the total score) were 55:52. Xie Mingyang not only didn't lose, but he actually won by three points! Dice stole Xie Mingyang's victory! (Just kidding)"

"Hehe, Wang Chuqin almost lost to a sixteen-year-old kid, that's hilarious."

……

(End of this chapter)