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

Chapter 500: Another Defeat to the Lebrunn Brothers! The Golden Armor Duo is the True World's Number One Men's Doubles Team!

Zhang Jiahao, carrying a backpack, walked towards the contestant entrance accompanied by Li Qian.

The water hadn't completely dried and clung to my skin, bringing a slight coolness.

Not far behind him, Lin Yun-ju was being interviewed after the match.

Li Qian glanced at Zhang Jiahao, who was walking with his head down, opened his mouth as if to say something, hesitated, and finally fell silent.

The end of the passage.

Two familiar figures leaned against the wall.

It was Chen Jin and Xie Mingyang.

Upon seeing Chen Jin in the distance, Zhang Jiahao, whose back was originally somewhat hunched, immediately straightened up.

It felt like I had grasped at a straw.

He took a quick step and rushed forward.

She grabbed Chen Jin's arm, her voice trembling with exaggerated sobs.

"Father!"

Zhang Jiahao cried out with great emotion, "You must avenge your child!"

In the match against Lin Yun-ju, the score was 1:3.

His first Grand Slam singles journey thus came to an abrupt end.

Although I was unwilling, I was powerless to do anything about it.

After all, there is a significant gap between him and Lin Yun-ju, both in terms of raw skill and experience.

"I just watched your match."

Chen Jin gently pulled his hand away. "There is a gap in strength, but not a big one. The bigger problem lies in experience and mentality."

"Several key points were handled too hastily."

"You were a beat too slow to adapt to Lin Yunru's changes in rhythm."

"If you lose a few more times, you'll be able to get your revenge."

There were no excessive words of comfort, only calm analysis and unwavering expectations.

If someone else had said these words, they might have sounded rather cold.

However, when Chen Jin said it, it carried a strange persuasive power.

Zhang Jiahao was greatly encouraged.

It was as if he had already foreseen the scene of his future victory over Lin Yun-ru.

The "sorrow" on his face vanished completely.

Changing faces is faster than turning the pages of a book.

"Brother Jin truly understands me!"

Zhang Jiahao slapped his thigh and grinned, "Brother Jin really understands me!"

"Fortunately, I wasn't eliminated in the first round, nor was I among the top 32. Making it to the top 16 is a real treat. Even if I lost to Lin Yunru, I'm still quite satisfied."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Xie Mingyang.

"Hey Xie, we're both in the top sixteen, it's a close call, we're evenly matched."

Zhang Jiahao raised his chin, "So, eldest brother, don't talk about second brother."

"Ah."

Xie Mingyang sneered.

Before he could speak, Zhang Jiahao added, "No, I have at least one more men's doubles title than you."

"Men's doubles champion?"

Chen Jin smiled slightly, "Let's talk about it tomorrow if we can get past the Lebrunn brothers."

It was already 9:30 when we got back to the hotel.

The four of them headed straight for the restaurant.

After finishing their late-night snack, Li Qian and Xie Mingyang went back to rest.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao went straight to Wang Hao's room and knocked on the door.

"crunch-"

The door opened slowly.

It revealed a dark, unremarkable face with no facial features.

"Fuck!"

Zhang Jiahao was startled. "What kind of monster is this?!"

"You are here."

The black-faced monster didn't seem to move its mouth; its voice squeezed out from its throat, "Come in."

"Instructor Wang?"

Zhang Jiahao, still in shock, asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"I put on a face mask, seaweed mud."

Wang Hao said, "Would you like to apply one too?"

"no need."

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao spoke in unison.

"Ah."

Wang Hao stepped aside to let you pass, and closed the door behind him. "You two sit for a while, I'll be right there."

After saying that, he turned and walked towards the bathroom.

An open laptop sits on the coffee table.

On the computer screen, a table tennis match was paused.

Next to it, there were paper and pens.

The surface was covered with dense writing.

A quick glance revealed a plethora of analyses of the Lebrunn brothers' doubles match.

"What are you standing for?"

Wang Hao's voice came through, "Do it."

Looking back, I saw that Wang Hao had already washed his face and looked radiant.

In a daze, the former glory of "Wang Zuxian of the Chinese Table Tennis Team" can still be vaguely seen.

It's just a little swollen.

Wang Hao pointed to two sofas, gesturing for Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao to sit down.

He himself pulled up a chair.

"Zhang Jiahao".

Wang Hao shouted.

"To!"

Zhang Jiahao's body tensed, and his heart trembled inexplicably.

"I watched your match against Lin Yunru tonight..."

Hearing this, Zhang Jiahao became even more nervous.

The man in front of me is the head coach of the men's table tennis team, who holds the power of life and death over my future opportunities to participate in competitions.

Within the Chinese national table tennis team, the most taboo thing is losing to foreign opponents.

He finally got the chance to play singles thanks to his men's doubles gold medal at the Doha World Table Tennis Championships.

If losing an international match results in losing the singles opportunity, wouldn't that be a waste of Chen Jin's hard work in helping him?
"Although we lost, our overall performance was not bad."

Wang Hao continued, "The main reason for the loss was our mentality and lack of experience; we failed to capitalize on several scoring opportunities."

This assessment is almost identical to what Chen Jin had said earlier.

"Thank you, Coach Wang."

Zhang Jiahao breathed a sigh of relief, "If I have the chance in the future, I will definitely be able to play better."

Opportunities are earned through ability.

Wang Hao smiled, but his tone was serious. "This time, the result of reaching the top 16 is considered a passing grade."

"When you get back, reflect on your performance and make sure the coaching staff sees your improvement in the next match."

Zhang Jiahao straightened his back: "Understood!"

Afterwards, they exchanged a few more words.

Wang Hao turned the computer screen towards Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao.

His expression became focused.

"Okay, let's get to the point, tomorrow's men's doubles semi-final."

With a click, Wang Hao tapped the keyboard, and the screen began playing a recording of the Lebrunn brothers' recent doubles matches. "The Lebrunn brothers, you are no strangers to them."

Admittedly, the two players faced off once at the Singapore Grand Slam a few months ago.

In that match, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao won the game.

"I carefully studied the Lebrunn brothers' doubles matches in this US Grand Slam. Their handling of the game at the table was more refined, and their control over the attack and defense was stronger."

Wang Hao said, "Moreover, they have also strengthened the protection of the middle position."

"This time, it may be a bit difficult to break through from the center position and control of the table."

"However, the two brothers are a right-handed combination, which still has a natural disadvantage in terms of positioning and covering, namely their middle position which is more backhanded."

As Wang Hao spoke, he dragged the progress bar and pointed to the Lebrunn brothers' positioning on the screen. "So, our tactical approach is to suppress the Lebrunn brothers' backhand position."

Chen Jin stared intently for a while, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Coach Wang."

Chen Jin pondered for a moment and said, "I have two ideas."

"explain."

Wang Hao looked at Chen Jin.

"First, both Lebrun brothers have strong backhands, Alex has high-quality singles shots, and Felix has fast, continuous smashes."

Chen Jin calmly analyzed, "If you simply want to break through from the backhand position, you need extremely high quality and consistency, which is not an easy thing."

"Moreover, the middle-left side is an open weakness of the double-right combination. They must be well aware of this and will definitely strengthen the protection of their backhand side. We may not be able to gain any advantage."

"Why not do the opposite? After probing them at the start, we can attack their forehand side. That might disrupt their plans and catch them off guard."

Wang Hao listened quietly, arms crossed, lost in thought.

At that moment, a match round was playing on the computer screen.

The opponents tried to suppress the Lebrun brothers' backhand, but were overwhelmed by the Lebrun brothers' consecutive powerful backhand smashes.

"Makes sense."

Wang Hao nodded, his eyes showing appreciation. "The Lebrun brothers are indeed very defensive towards the backhand, but they tend to neglect the forehand..."

"That's settled then. We'll start with the usual tactics, attacking their backhand first to test their defensive intensity and focus."

"If the effect is not good, or if the game becomes deadlocked, immediately change tactics and focus on attacking their middle position and forehand corner."

This statement came out.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao responded in unison.

"Zhang Jiahao, same old rules."

Wang Hao looked at Zhang Jiahao and instructed him, "During the match, listen to Chen Jin's instructions."

After all, Chen Jin's ability to read the game and his control of timing are far superior to Zhang Jiahao's.

"necessary."

Zhang Jiahao patted his chest and declared, "I am Brother Jin's gun; wherever Brother Jin points, I will shoot!"

Next.

The three men gathered around the laptop, carefully studying the Lebrunn brothers' tactical habits.

Wang Hao repeatedly paused and replayed the game, analyzing frame by frame the movement patterns of the two brothers during serve reception and rallies.

Chen Jin occasionally added his own suggestions, offering targeted advice on ball handling and trajectory changes.

Zhang Jiahao remained silent, listening attentively and trying his best to memorize all the information.

The tactical discussion was detailed and in-depth.

From the routines of serving and attacking, to the control and counter-control of receiving serves, and then to the distribution of landing points and changes in rhythm during mid-to-long-range rallies, all have been thoroughly analyzed.

Before we knew it, it was already past midnight. "Alright, it's getting late, go back and get some rest."

Wang Hao closed his laptop and said to Chen Jin, "Especially you."

"There are three more games tomorrow, and the intensity will be very high. Perseverance is the key to victory."

……

The next day.

at noon.

The first men's doubles semi-final started on time.

Chen Jin/Zhang Jiahao vs. A. Lebrunn/F. Lebrunn.

Zhang Jiahao served first.

The right half of the platform is short and sideways.

Felix quickly stepped forward and placed a short pass down the middle.

Chen Jin quickly chopped Alex's backhand baseline.

Alex makes a forward run.

Zhang Jiahao's forehand counter-loop.

Felix tore it up quickly.

Chen and Jin tear each other apart.

Felix stepped back half a step and hit a backhand straight shot.

Zhang Jiahao quickly returned to defend the right half of the table.

Unfortunately, it couldn't stick.

The ball went out of bounds.

0: 1.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao exchanged a glance.

Although it was the first goal of the game, it still gave us a glimpse into the bigger picture.

The Lebrun brothers' attention was indeed focused more on the backhand side.

"Brother Jin."

Zhang Jiahao whispered, "How about we change our strategy and attack their forehand position?"

"Do not."

Chen Jin gently shook his head, "Continue attacking with your backhand."

"Okay."

Zhang Jiahao resolutely obeyed.

Subsequently, the two continued to adhere to their tactic of attacking the backhand side.

As expected, the Lebrunn brothers positioned themselves on the left side of the stage.

Whether it's the topspin return of serve or the backhand counter-attack in rallies, the performance is extremely strong and stable.

The score went back and forth.

1: 1.

2: 1.

1: 3.

2: 3.

3: 3.

……

Wang Hao sat on the sidelines, arms crossed, his gaze slightly somber.

The situation on the field unfolded exactly as Chen Jin had predicted last night.

It would be extremely difficult to defeat the Lebrun brothers simply by dominating their backhand.

You might even fall into the opponent's rhythm.

However, despite knowing this, Chen Jin did not immediately change tactics and, together with Zhang Jiahao, continued to attack the Lebrunn brothers' backhand.

"They played very cleverly."

Wang Hao curled his lips into a smile, "Continue to suppress the Lebrun brothers' backhand, let the opponents fall into their mental inertia, and then suddenly change your approach, that will be surprisingly effective."

Moreover, the Lebrunn brothers' backhand was indeed formidable.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao's backhands were equally impressive.

Although the score was close, they were unable to widen the gap.

But all of this was clearly part of Chen Jin's plan.

soon.

The score came to 6:7.

The Lebrunn brothers are leading by one point.

Taking advantage of the break in the serve, Chen Jin quickly whispered to Zhang Jiahao, "Attack with your forehand."

"Understood!"

Zhang Jiahao rallied his spirits.

It was Chen Jin's turn to play.

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

"laugh!"

Laterally spiraling upwards.

Felix then twists and pulls the diagonal line.

Zhang Jiahao forcefully turned to the side and executed a forehand reverse pull.

"Snapped!"

The white ball, like a cannonball, spins intensely, tracing a beautiful arc as it hurtles towards the opponent's right corner of the table.

Alex subconsciously shifted his center of gravity half a step towards his backhand side.

Upon noticing the ball heading towards his forehand, he quickly pushed off with his foot.

Fortunately, he was extremely fast.

They saved the ball.

This shot was of slightly lower quality.

Slow speed, high arc.

Chen Jin had anticipated this perfectly, sliding to the side and using his waist and legs to generate power.

With arms outstretched like a fully drawn bow, he met the incoming ball with a violent swing.

"Snapped!"

A powerful forehand smash, with immense force and weight.

The ball, like a thunderbolt, once again slammed into the opponent's forehand corner.

Felix attempted a diving save.

However, the ball was too fast and the angle was too wide.

7: 7.

The score is tied again.

But this ball, like a thunderclap, shattered the balance of power on the field.

In the next few balls, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao began to consciously combine tactics.

Instead of relentlessly pressuring the backhand, they frequently utilize variations in serves and returns to attack the opponent's forehand and middle positions.

The Lebrunn brothers' attention was fully mobilized.

The two players began to hesitate in their positioning.

You must guard against strong attacks from the backhand side, and also be constantly vigilant against sneak attacks from the forehand side.

Trying to cover up one thing while neglecting another is counterproductive.

11: 8.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao narrowly escaped defeat and won the first game.

Break between games.

The coach is discussing tactics with the Lebrunn brothers.

Suddenly, for some unknown reason, Alex grabbed the water bottle in his hand and punched it several times.

It seems like they're venting something.

Having long been accustomed to Alex's temper, the coach and Felix didn't say anything.

This scene startled Zhang Jiahao.

"what's the situation?"

Zhang Jiahao was puzzled. "Is Alex a boxer? Doesn't his hand hurt?"

"Don't worry about others."

Chen Jin reminded everyone, "Take care of yourselves first."

Second round.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao's tactics became increasingly flexible and unpredictable, catching the enemy off guard.

The serve can be varied in length, spin, and direction.

The continuous rallies, with forehand and backhand attacks flowing like mercury, kept the Lebrun brothers constantly on their toes.

The brothers' tacit understanding began to crack under this all-encompassing pressure.

Several unnecessary overlapping runs and missed shots caused the already emotional brothers to hit the ball with agitation and anger.

Their footsteps were disordered, and their movements were distorted.

11: 5.

Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao won another victory effortlessly.

The score is 2-0.

In the third game.

The Lebrunn brothers fought a desperate battle, engaging in a fierce fight from the outset.

They did manage to gain a slight lead.

However, Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao remained calm and quickly composed themselves, retaliating in kind.

Despite repeated strong attacks, the Lebrun brothers were unable to break through the defensive and counter-attacking system built by Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao.

Under Chen Jin's guidance, Zhang Jiahao became more and more relaxed as he played.

Several high-quality bursts of speed drew gasps from the audience.

finally.

Felix quickly ripped the ball out of bounds with a backhand.

The score is now set.

11: 7.

The score is 3-0.

"Zhu--"

Zhang Jiahao clenched his fist and roared, then high-fived Chen Jin in celebration.

Several months later, he faced the Lebrunn brothers again on the court.

It is clear that Chen Jin and Zhang Jiahao's teamwork is becoming increasingly seamless and confident.

It's a step above the Singapore Grand Slam.

During the Doha World Table Tennis Championships, they were unable to meet the Lebru brothers in the same half of the draw.

Therefore, some people took the opportunity to belittle him.

And now, they have once again defeated the Lebrunn brothers, silencing the doubters.

"Me and Kim, the Golden Armor Duo, are the true world's number one men's doubles team!"

Zhang Jiahao looked around the audience, raised his left hand high, index finger pointing to the sky, and silently shouted in his heart.

(End of this chapter)