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

Chapter 1 [001] National Table Tennis Trials, Straight Blade is Not Dead
"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

"Snapped!"

……

The loud, crisp and rhythmic sound of the ball hitting the ball, like the sound of cannons, echoed in the training hall of the S Province Table Tennis Professional Team.

The huge venue was empty.

Only a row of lights remained, shining down from the high dome of the arena, illuminating one of the tables.

On one side of the table, there is a ball-blocking net.

An old-fashioned serving machine, like a beast of burden forced to work overtime, was turning mechanically and dully spitting out powerful backspin balls that landed accurately on the opposite half of the table.

On the opposite side, a tall figure bent his body and swung his racket, whipping it with force, his feet sliding quickly left and right, diligently practicing multiple forward and downward spins.

The jersey was already soaked with sweat.

Especially the vest part, the jersey sticks to the skin, and two words can be seen through the folds.

"Chen Jin."

There is an electronic clock hanging on the wall not far away.

“2024年8月13日，23时17分33秒。”

The red numbers looked particularly strange and eye-catching in the empty and dim space.

Not long after.

Chen Jin had served all the two hundred serves in a round.

Almost no ball was lost and everyone was on stage.

"Huff, huff..."

Chen Jin bent over, supported his thighs with his hands, and gasped heavily.

Sweat flowed down his forehead like a waterfall, slid down his cheeks, and dripped onto the ground.

"Five hundred and seventy-two left."

After his breathing became more even, Chen Jin put down his racket, picked up a towel, and wiped the sweat from his face and wet hair.

Tons, tons, tons, I drank half a bottle of sports drink.

"continue!"

While moving his sore right arm, he walked towards the opposite half of the stage.

Wow!

He scooped up handfuls of ping-pong training balls from the net and filled the serving machine again.

Just as Chen Jin was setting the speed, rotation and landing point of the serving machine.

"crunch-"

A door of the training hall was pushed open.

A slightly accusing voice of Trump sounded: "I didn't see you in the dormitory, so I guessed you were still training."

Chen Jin looked in the direction of the voice.

The light was dim and someone was walking slowly towards them.

Although I couldn't see his face clearly, I recognized him just by his voice and outline.

The person who came was his coach.

"Coach Wu."

Chen Jin called out and hurried over to meet him, "It's so late, why haven't you rested yet?"

"Didn't you take a break, too?"

Coach Wu looked at Chen Jin, who was sweating profusely, with a look of heartache in his eyes. "Although this opportunity is rare, you don't have to work so hard."

"I believe in my judgment and your ability. It's just a national table tennis trial. There are more than enough mistakes. Don't worry about it."

National table tennis trials?
As soon as he heard these words, Chen Jin's eyes flashed.

The Paris Olympics, which was in full swing, has just ended.

The leadership team of the national table tennis team immediately held a closed-door meeting.

Although in this Olympics, the Chinese table tennis team won five gold medals without any trouble.

However, many problems were also exposed.

Except for the top 32.

The echelon construction of the men's table tennis team is also worrying.

In view of this, the leadership team decided to break the convention and issued a notice of the "National Table Tennis U16 Selection Tournament" to all provincial teams.

Different from previous national table tennis trials.

This time, there is no need to participate in training camp, but instead a direct PK competition between the talented young men of the provincial team.

The top three players will automatically qualify for the WTT Regular Challenge Lima Station, and all entry expenses will be borne by the national table tennis team.

In general.

If members of the provincial team want to join the national table tennis team, they must first train for several months before they can participate in the trials.

Even if you win the first place in the qualifiers, you cannot immediately participate in world events such as WTT.

Therefore, this reform of the national table tennis team can be said to be unprecedented.

All major provincial teams attach great importance to it.

However, according to regulations, each provincial team is only qualified to recommend two men and two women.

Chen Jin is naturally one of the recommended candidates for the S Province provincial team.

"Go to bed early tonight. You have to get up early for your flight at 9:30 tomorrow."

Coach Wu reached out and patted Chen Jin on the shoulder.

"Coach Wu, are you really planning to go to Beijing with us?" Chen Jin was a little worried.

After all, Coach Wu is already in his seventies this year.

At the age of seventy, he has already retired and should be at home tending to flowers and plants, enjoying his retirement.

But just two and a half years ago.

The provincial team suddenly called him and said that they had discovered a promising player in the straight-blade horizontal hitting game.

Even after ten years of drinking ice, his passion for football could not fade. Without hesitation, Coach Wu returned to the provincial team and became Chen Jin's coach.

And for this national table tennis trial, Coach Wu decided to lead the team himself.

At such an old age and traveling such long distances, Chen Jin couldn't help but worry that his body wouldn't be able to bear it.

"I paid for the plane tickets out of my own pocket. Are you asking me to refund them at the last minute?"

Coach Wu curled his lips and said, "I've inquired about it. If I refund the ticket now, I need to pay a 10% handling fee. I can't bear it."

Chen Jin: …”

He knew in his heart that Mr. Wu must have another purpose for this visit.

There was a pause.

Coach Wu stroked the table and said to himself, "With your ability, you will definitely make the national team in this tryout."

"I have been in the national table tennis team for more than 20 years. At least I have trained a few apprentices who are doing well now. Maybe I can save my reputation and ask them to take care of you in the future so that you don't have to take detours..."

Mr. Wu, you are too modest!
Among the apprentices you have trained, one is the head coach of the men's table tennis team, one is the head coach of the women's table tennis team, and another just won the Olympic singles gold medal and became a super Grand Slam!
It’s more than just “doing pretty well”!
Chen Jinxin said.

"...Don't think I'm helping you get in through the back door. You're a smart kid, but you're still young and don't understand the twists and turns here."

Coach Wu spoke earnestly, like a weathered elder in the family, "Sometimes, if you want to go further, strength alone is not enough."

Listen quietly to Coach Wu's words.

Chen Jin remained silent, not saying a word, and no one knew what he was thinking.

But in my heart, I am full of gratitude to Coach Wu.

It is obvious that Coach Wu has invested a lot of effort in him.

At the same time, I also have different hopes.

"Coach Wu, don't worry."

Chen Jin whispered, "I won't let you down."

The voice was low but firm.

"All right."

Coach Wu's tone suddenly became much more relaxed. He tapped the table with his fingers, making a clacking sound. "Pack up and go back to the dormitory to rest."

"Coach Wu, that..."

Chen Jin hesitated to speak, and smiled at Coach Wu, very childish, "I want to practice for a while longer."

"you……"

Coach Wu frowned, "You're pushing it too far."

"Coach Wu..."

Chen Jin behaved more and more obediently, trying to get away with it.

As expected, Coach Wu was completely unable to defend himself after this move was made.

I can only sigh and compromise.

The key point is that after two and a half years of living together day and night, he understands the character of the boy in front of him.

Once you make up your mind, even ten cows will not be able to pull you back.

"You must return to the dormitory before twelve o'clock."

Coach Wu had a stern face and a serious expression, "If you don't reply, I will come and pull the plug myself."

"Yes!"

Chen Jin stood at attention and said, "Promise to be back in the dormitory before twelve o'clock."

"You boy!"

Coach Wu smiled.

In that smile, there is helpless doting and also the relief of having a child in old age.

He is gifted, yet so hardworking!
There is finally hope for the straight-blank slate to come to the fore!
Coach Wu was full of anticipation and filled with emotion.

In this era of inorganic glue and 40+ large balls.

The horizontal board has the best of time and location.

However, straight-bar keyboards have long since become remnants of the old era and no longer have the glory they once had.

Especially after Xu Xin, who was known as the "Golden Left Straight", retired from the national team.

Nowadays, there are very few straight-blade players in the national table tennis team.

Due to the superposition of many factors, it is difficult to become a true main force.

Not to mention reaching the same level as Liu Guoliang, Wang Hao, and Ma Lin.

It's Europe instead.

The strong rise of Qiu Dang and Felix has made people exclaim that "the straight-blade style of Chinese table tennis is dead" and "the orthodoxy of straight-blade style is in Europe."

not to mention.

Felix won a bronze medal in singles at this Olympics, which will only fuel this argument.

This made Coach Wu, who had trained three world-class straight-blade players, Ma Lin, Wang Hao and Xu Xin, extremely unwilling.

This time he returned to coaching, he wanted to let the world know——

The straight blade of Chinese table tennis will never die!
It is our responsibility to restore the glory of straight-bar keyboards!
Without a doubt, all his efforts and hopes were placed on the boy in front of him who was less than sixteen years old.

(End of this chapter)