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

Chapter 426 Catching Up! As long as the ball doesn't hit the ground, a miracle is still possible!
Although Chen Jin managed to pull back two points by changing his serves, he still couldn't change the 5-9 deficit.

The situation is not optimistic.

After all, Chen Jin needs to score seven consecutive points to turn the game around.

Hugo, on the other hand, only needs to secure two points to change the score to 1-2 and reverse the downward trend.

Facing a top player like Hugo, a comeback under these circumstances is no easy feat.

The key point is that next is Hugo's serving turn.

In other words, the initiative in the game is temporarily in Hugo's hands.

"5:9... It's going to be very difficult to turn this game around."

"Are we really going to let Hugo come back from a 0-2 deficit to win 4-2?"

"Chen Jin, hold on!"

The audience members were all talking at once, discussing the matter animatedly.

However, the cheers for Chen Jin never stopped for a moment.

Despite holding a significant lead, Hugo dared not be careless in the face of Chen Jin.

My brain was racing, pondering the tactics for the next shot.

As he stood at the serve position, he spun the ping-pong ball in his hand.

The scene immediately fell silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Toss the ball and prepare to swing.

Hugo flicked his wrist.

The forehand is short and arched.

Chen Jin took a step forward quickly, seized the take-off point, pressed down on the racket, used the opponent's force against him, and gently pushed straight with his forehand.

The ball's speed was not fast, nor was its power great.

However, the route is clear.

The goal isn't to finish the game with a single blow, but rather to change the pace of the match.

However, Hugo's backhand is recognized as a representative of violent aesthetics in the world of table tennis today.

But he reacted quickly, stepping back with his left foot and shifting his weight onto his right leg.

The immense force was instantly transmitted from the waist and abdomen to the arms, and then converged at the wrist.

The moment the ball touches the forearm, the wrist is suddenly swung out as if whipped.

"Snapped!"

A dull yet explosive bang.

The ping-pong ball suddenly transformed into a white afterimage, carrying terrifying power and spin, cutting through the air like a meteorite, and smashing towards Chen Jin's backhand side.

Hugo's powerful backhand smash, with its immense power, speed, and tricky placement, drew gasps from the audience.

This powerful backhand cross-court smash was almost a culmination of Hugo's strength and confidence, as swift as thunder, aiming to completely shatter Chen Jin's backhand defense and end the entanglement of this point.

At the critical moment.

Chen Jin made a move.

Take a large step and stride towards your backhand side with lightning speed.

There's no time to prepare the racket and complete the full movement; it relies entirely on the core strength of the waist and abdomen for an explosive twist.

Lean to the side at your limit, shifting your weight onto your left leg.

He met the incoming ball with a backhand flick.

"Snapped!"

That powerful backhand strike, carrying immense force, was abruptly altered from its raging trajectory by Chen Jin's seemingly awkward twist.

whoosh-

The white ball, moving at an even faster speed, landed directly on the sideline of Hugo's open forehand position.

Backhand straight cut!
This shot had no element of showing off.

It's purely a feeling and instinctive reaction forced out of desperation.

It was a stroke of genius that brought about a miraculous turn of events, a resurgence from the brink of death.

Hugo originally thought that his powerful counter-attack would surely secure victory.

The body's center of gravity naturally shifts forward due to the full force of the swing, while the arm remains in the swinging posture.

Witnessing the white trajectory that shot straight into his open hand like a cold arrow, Hugo's pupils suddenly contracted.

"!"

The body reacts instinctively.

He forcefully shifted his power and attempted a diving forehand save.

However, it was too late.

The momentum of the forward thrust was still there, and the sluggishness caused by the forced twist was despairing.

Hugo could only watch as the ball bounced away less than half a foot in front of his racket.

9: 6.

"Wow—"

The cheers were deafening, shaking the stadium and impacting the eardrums of everyone present.

"Choo-hoo!"

"Zhu--"

Wang Hao clenched his fist and roared.

VIP viewing area.

Zhang Jiahao sprang up from his chair as if propelled by a spring, swung his fist, and roared like a wild beast: "Good shot!"

"Brother Jin, you're awesome!"

He was so excited that his face turned red and the veins on his forehead bulged.

"Pretty!"

Lin Shidong slapped his thigh hard, his face filled with shock. "You can even bend that straight with your hand?"

He had fought Hugo before and knew the power of Hugo's backhand smash.

If it were him, he would probably only be able to sigh in despair at this ball.

xuperman's live stream.

With his heart pounding in his chest, Cheng Jingqi relaxed his clenched fists and let out a long sigh of relief: "That was close, that was close..."

That last shot was extremely dangerous.

Hugo's backhand was known for its power, speed, and unpredictable trajectory.

Ordinary players would find it difficult to withstand.

But Chen Jin's reaction speed was beyond imagination; he snapped the handle in a straight line with an amazing feel.

"Let's keep doing this, chasing point by point!"

Xu Xin said, "As long as there are no more lucky shots, Chen Jin can completely turn the tide if it comes down to hard skills."

He paused for a moment, then his tone suddenly became serious, "We must keep a close eye on this next serve to prevent Hugo from getting a free throw."

Unsurprisingly.

Next serve.

Hugo indeed stole a fast, long pass down the middle.

The ball is fast and lands high.

Fortunately, Chen Jin had taken precautions.

The moment Hugo served, Chen Jin's left foot had already taken a large step back to the left of his body, making room for Hugo.

At the same time, the body's center of gravity shifted backward, and the right arm had already been drawn back to its maximum extent.

Facing the incoming ball, the waist and hips twist sharply, driving the arm, and the racket, carrying a powerful force, is released suddenly like a fully drawn bowstring.

"Snapped!"

A powerful side-step forward sprint down a diagonal line.

The ball, like a cannonball, whistled sharply and slammed into Hugo's backhand.

I thought I could score with one shot.

But Hugo truly deserves his reputation as a top expert; his reaction time is astonishingly fast.

He anticipated Chen Jin's sidestep and stepped off the stage in advance.

Although he was somewhat uncomfortable from Chen Jin's explosive attack, his strong physique and solid skills allowed him to flick his wrist sharply and adjust the racket face instantly.

"Snapped!"

Backhand quick straight cut.

After Chen Jin's explosive side-step attack, his body weight was completely on the left side, leaving his forehand position almost wide open.

His pupils contracted as he faced the return shot that went straight for his open forehand.

Without the slightest hesitation, he slammed his right leg into the ground.

His body flew like an arrow released from a bow, lunging towards the far corner of his forehand side.

With his right arm fully extended, he barely managed to scoop up the ball from a position where the racket could almost not reach it.

The ping-pong ball traced a high, graceful arc, landing near the center of Hugo's table.

Although it was barely salvaged, the arc was extremely high.

It was undoubtedly a golden opportunity delivered right to Hugo's lips.

With a glint of light in his eyes, Hugo instantly shifted his weight forward, raising his center of gravity and raising his arms high, his muscles bulging, ready to deliver a fatal slam dunk and end the point.

All of a sudden.

A murderous aura filled the arena.

After making a diving save, Chen Jin was still staggering and adjusting his body.

A fleeting glance revealed Hugo's poised and ready stance, and alarm bells rang in my mind.

Without any conscious thought, the body's instinctive reaction kicked in again.

He pushed off the ground with both legs and leaped backward.

With five quick steps in one second, he had instantly retreated to the mid-to-long range, ready to receive Hugo's smash.

however.

Just as Chen Jin was about to retire from Taiwan.

Across the pool table, Hugo's arm, which was raised high, suddenly relaxed just before he touched the ball.

The smash instantly transformed into a short, deliberate shot. From thunderous force to effortless grace, it all happened in the blink of an eye with Hugo's wrist flick.

This change was too sudden.

Chen Jin had just retreated to the mid-to-long range, and his center of gravity was still shifting backward.

Seeing that short ball fall as lightly as a feather, the hairs on my body stood on end instantly.

A chill ran down my spine and straight to the top of my head.

has it ended?

Do not!
The ball hasn't even hit the ground yet!
An instinctive reaction, erupting forth.

His thigh muscles were taut, and his whole body felt like a spring compressed to its limit.

In an instant, it forcibly changed from a retreating posture to a forward dive.

With a huge stride of his left foot, like a light-footed gliding movement, he almost traversed half of the table.

The instant the ball bounced up, Chen Jin's body was already poised near the table.

Fortunately, Hugo's ability to absorb information was not yet fully developed.

Two and a half jumps out.

This gave Chen Jin a fleeting chance to save the ball.

The center of gravity sinks, like trying to catch the moon's reflection in the sea.

"laugh!"

Despite the added spin from under the table, the return ball still bounced high.

Hugo no longer held back.

He instantly adjusted his footing, shifting his weight entirely to his right leg.

The initial shot was small, but it was full of potential.

Facing this high and slow ball, without any fancy moves, his arm swung out like a heavy hammer.

"Snapped!"

The ping-pong ball, with a deathly whistle, hurtled towards Chen Jin's forehand corner.

At this moment, Chen Jin moved with light steps, as if a dragonfly skimming the water, and miraculously retreated from the stage.

Facing the oncoming white arc, he swung his racket upwards with all his might.

—Put the ball high!

Trading space for time.

After clearing the high ball, Chen Jin immediately returned to the vicinity of the center line, constantly adjusting his footwork with small, quick steps, his eyes fixed on Hugo's every move.

Hugo missed his first shot and smashed it again.

But this time, they were targeting Chen Jin's left side of the table.

"Snapped!"

A powerful spike, heavy and forceful.

Chen Jin leaped into the air, flicked his wrist, and, facing the ball in its mid-to-late descent, steadily sliced ​​it from left to right.

"laugh--"

The white ball, with strong backspin, traced a low, light arc, almost skimming the net, flying towards Hugo's forehand triangle area on the table.

After landing, it barely moved forward; instead, it exhibited a strong tendency to spin.

This slice shot—the timing, the landing point, the arc, the spin—is all exquisitely precise.

Knowing that this ball had extremely strong backspin and that a slight mistake would surely result in it going into the net, Hugo dared not take the risk. So he extended his racket, adjusted the racket angle, and gently flicked the ball.

As the force is released, the rotation weakens.

The speed has also slowed down considerably.

Whoosh!
A figure flashed by, and Chen Jin instantly appeared from the mid-to-long-distance platform to the near-distance platform.

The body's center of gravity shifts entirely to the right leg, the right arm is pulled back to its maximum extent, and the waist and hips are like a tightly wound spring, unleashing the power of the whole body.

The arm drives the racket, moving from back to front and from bottom to top, drawing a powerful and unparalleled arc.

"Give me--"

"die!!!"

Accompanied by Chen Jin's silent roar of anger.

The racket struck hard.

"Snapped!"

The ball was like a cannonball, relentlessly bombarding the area.

Power, speed, rotation... a perfect fusion.

Hugo's reaction was incredibly quick; after returning the ball, he immediately regained his balance and prepared to connect with the next shot.

However, Chen Jin's powerful shot was too fast and the landing point was too tricky.

Before Hugo could react,

The left half of the baseline corner has been violently breached by Chen Jin.

"Wow—"

The entire venue erupted in cheers.

A tremendous gasp, ecstasy, and unbelievable excitement swept through every corner like a tsunami.

7: 9.

In that last shot, Chen Jin was put on the defensive and faced numerous dangers.

Fortunately, Hugo's cautious approach allowed him to seize the opportunity and launch a successful counterattack.

Now, they've closed the gap to four points.

They narrowed the score gap to two points.

The pressure suddenly fell on Hugo.

Hugo failed to capitalize on his two serves and went on to win the point.

With the serve back in Chen Jin's hands, his situation began to become somewhat passive.

"Hold on!"

"Keep your eyes on the ball!"

Hugo mentally encouraged himself, "Forsa!"

Followed by.

Chen Jinfa went to the ball.

Still a forehand high toss.

Middle lane, do not turn.

Hugo took a step forward, cutting the baseline long.

However, the moment he touched the ball, Hugo's expression changed slightly.

He clearly felt that his wrist was exerting too much force, and the angle of the slap seemed a little off.

"Oops!"

Hugo inwardly sensed something was wrong.

Judging from its arc, even Chen Jin thought the ball would definitely fly out of bounds.

But then, an equally baffling scene unfolded once again.

The ball descended, and surprisingly, it grazed the white edge of the baseline of the table in front of Chen Jin without deviating too far.

歘!
The ping-pong ball bounced diagonally downwards and landed on the ground.

—Just barely touching the edge!
7: 10.

Hugo took the lead and reached game point in the third set.

"what?!"

After a brief silence, a huge uproar erupted at the scene.

This uproar was not a cheer.

Instead, it was filled with astonishment, anger, resentment, and disbelief.

"Damn, another borderline case?!"

"How many lucky balls is this now?"

"We finally rallied from 3-9 to 7-9, and it looked like we were about to turn the game around, but then that crucial point went just wide? Are you trying to mess with our mentality?!"

"Damn, Hugo's luck is just too good tonight!"

……

This crucial edge ball was like a bucket of ice water, poured over the hopes that had just begun to burn brightly.

Wrong!

This is so damn frustrating!

The stands erupted in chaos.

Zhang Jiahao sprang to his feet, pointing at the arena, his lips trembling as a torrent of profanities burst forth: "I f***ing...#￥%&*..."

Once Zhang Jiahao's anger subsided slightly, Xie Mingyang glanced at him and asked, "Where are your Zhang family's ancestors?"

"Shouldn't we let them show their power and do something about it?"

Zhang Jiahao took a deep breath, staring intently at the figure by the pool table who still stood with his back straight. He gritted his teeth and said, word by word, "No need!"

"I believe in Brother Jin!"

Zhang Jiahao's voice carried an almost obsessive determination: "My brother Jin plays with skill, not luck or any underhanded tricks. He can still win this game!"

Courtside.

Wang Hao's heart clenched suddenly.

He was well aware of how much of a blow a player's mentality could be to a lucky shot on such a crucial point.

In particular, Chen Jin just showed such a tenacious momentum in catching up.

"It's ok!"

Wang Hao leaped to his feet, clapping his hands forcefully. The sound pierced through the noisy jeers and reached Chen Jin's ears clearly. "Stay calm, don't let this affect you!"

"Just pretend it didn't happen, and focus on the next ball!"

"As long as the ball hasn't hit the ground, there's always a chance for a miracle!"

"trust yourself!"

(End of this chapter)