172 Riyadh World Games-Mixed Team

◎She must have peeked at our roster!◎

The first mixed group game ended successfully.

The coaches collectively breathed a sigh of relief, but soon realized that the first game ended so quickly because the opponent was not strong.

But that may not be the case after that.

The second game was against the Athens team.

"The Athens team has been very consistent. Although their performance has been average over the past two years, they are still a veteran table tennis team," Maomao said as she and Zhu Qi sat facing each other, holding a piece of paper in front of them. "Their players this time are mostly veterans. All the players from Sister Xia's group are still around."

Zhu Qi sighed, "They are indeed quite experienced. The average age is 35 or above, right?"

Maomao nodded. "Yeah, they all have a lot of competition experience. They were able to go back and forth with Xiaofeng in the men's singles at the Athens tournament. Maybe it's because they're older and their skills are a bit outdated, so they didn't achieve much."

In the 1980s, loop balls were not popular yet, and the main tactics at that time were pushing, blocking and flexible line changes.

Zhu Qi and Maomao spent the entire afternoon studying the individual characteristics of the Athens players. Fortunately, while they had never played against a few of them, they were all veterans of the table tennis world. Zhu Qi had watched a lot of video and had a vague impression of these players.

Among the three players from the Athens men's team this time, one is the captain of the men's team and also one of the players with better performance in the Athens team.

After the Tokyo Games, the captain of the Athens men's team also changed his technique, switching from his previous style to a looping style, and now he's doing quite well.

Zhu Qi was often seen as the captain of the Athens men's team in European competitions, and foreign media even gave him a nickname, "Cyclone Boy".

"There's a guy on the Athens men's team playing with raw rubber this time," Maomao said to Zhu Qi, pointing to a name. "Raw rubber isn't common anymore. It seems like this is the only one currently playing in the World Cup."

The raw rubber playing style is now a special playing style just like the long rubber playing style.

The granules in this rubber are the smallest of all granular rubbers, resulting in low friction and low spin. It is primarily used for dribbling, hitting, and driving the ball. It emphasizes the speed of the ball and its rapid changes.

In this era of spin, raw rubber is more difficult to play than long rubber.

Zhu Qi had an impression of this raw rubber player: "This guy is very tall. The last time we ran into each other, he was more than two heads taller than me, probably around 1.9 meters. This height is considered very tall for a table tennis player, and he can use his height advantage to maximize the 'bounce' effect of the raw rubber."

After the two chatted for a while, Zhu Qi had a plan in mind...

After talking about the men's team, let's talk about the women's team.

Maomao pointed to the name of an Athenian female athlete and said to Zhu Qi, "This person's name is Daphne. She has won the European Women's Singles Championship five times in a row. Her skills and tactics are offensive. She is good at right topspin. Many foreign media have called her the Athenian assassin. She is very good at saving forehands."

Zhu Qi knew this female player, but had never played against her face to face.

Coincidentally, although Zhu Qi has been playing on the world stage for nearly twelve years, there is a small number of players he has never encountered.

Either they were not assigned to the same half zone, or the opponent withdrew early.

In Zhu Qi's impression, the level of this female player should be T3 level. If she were in China, she would be almost at the level of the national second team.

But there is no guarantee that he will perform above his level. After all, he has so many years of competition experience and is more mature mentally.

"Let A Shui go up." Zhu Qi said.

Maomao agreed and nodded. "Sure, let Ah Shui use her for practice. Besides, Daphne is left-handed, and Ah Shui can play with both hands, so it will definitely be easier for her to play against. But... do you think the Athens team will let her play in the women's singles?"

"The other two female players on the Athens team usually play more doubles matches and their singles abilities are weak. The Athens coach probably won't let these two younger ones play in the women's singles." Zhu Qi said as he filled in A Shui's name on the women's singles list.

After thinking for a moment, Zhu Qi placed herself and Maomao in the second women's doubles position.

Maomao took a look and said, "Only let me play women's doubles?"

Zhu Qi glanced at the elastic bandage wrapped around Maomao's shoulder and knew that she had felt Maomao's shoulder injury react when she and Maomao played in the women's doubles match against Kazakhstan that day.

Therefore, Zhu Qi reserved the fifth place mixed doubles for himself, thinking that Maomao could have more rest after playing a game.

Maomao actually wanted to fight a few more games, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he felt as if countless needles were piercing his right shoulder at the same time, so he agreed with Zhu Qi's decision.

And there was another person who was dissatisfied with the list.

After discovering he hadn't made the men's singles match again, Qin Xiaoba looked at the roster and went to Zhu Qi to complain, "They're putting me in doubles again! I think I'm in great shape right now, absolutely no problem! I can handle anything! Didn't I perform well in the men's doubles match in Kazakhstan? Why didn't you give me the third men's singles match?"

Looking at Qin Xiaoba mumbling, Zhu Qi suddenly realized why the coaching staff did not allow players to ask the coach for a list of names.

These young and energetic players are eager for the opportunity to play, and they will inevitably feel indignant if they don’t get the position they want.

But then again, it just means that players are not allowed to ask the coach for the list, but Zhu Qi is not the coach.

Can’t Qin Xiaoba talk to his own sister?

"I want to play in the men's singles! Hurry and change the roster before it's submitted..." Qin Xiaoba circled Zhu Qi, determined not to give up until he got a spot. "I know the captain of the Athens team. I've played against him before. I'm sure I can win straight away..."

Zhu Qi initially didn't want to pay any attention to Qin Xiaoba, but after being annoyed enough by him, he finally said, "Athens won't let that 'tornado kid' play the third men's singles match."

"Why?"

Qin Xiaoba was about to say that he could play even with the other two, but Zhu Qi thought faster than him: "You think the Athens team will let their men's team captain play men's singles, so don't you think the Athens team coach will think the same?"

Zhu Qi’s explanation was too confusing and Qin Xiaoba didn’t understand.

Ah Shui was quick-witted and understood: "Lao Qin, why are you so stupid? Bao Bao means that the Athens coach thinks we might think they're letting 'Tornado Boy' play in the men's singles, so the Athens coach won't let 'Tornado Boy' play in the men's singles. Do you understand?"

Qin Xiaoba seemed to understand, but not quite.

Seeing Qin Xiaoba's foolish look, Ah Shui was even more direct: "Everyone knows that the captain of the Athens team is more capable and has a good chance of playing in the men's singles. The Athens team coach might think the other way around and give the men's singles to another player on his team, playing a Tian Ji horse racing strategy. They might pay more attention to doubles and women's singles!"

Qin Xiaoba was unconvinced: "Then let me take on the other two, I can do it too!"

"Can you do it? Can you play with raw rubber?" Zhu Qi sat in front of the stool in the suite and found a pen to fill out the list.

Ah Shui was also curious: "Bao Bao, do you think the Athens team will let players who use raw rubber play in the men's singles? Is raw rubber still popular now?"

"That depends on who's playing. Someone like Qin Shang, who's never played with raw rubber, is probably going to have a tough time," Zhu Qi said bluntly, writing Daxiong's name after the men's singles. "With raw rubber, you rely on brute force. Qin Shang, you're a rookie, and when you're at a disadvantage, you just play recklessly. You better just sit back and wait out the fifth game."

After saying that, Zhu Qi took the registration form and left.

/

When the list of participants came out the next day, the coach of the Athens team turned green in the face.

His idea was actually very simple. Song Linzhou of the Chinese team was left-handed, and Daxiong was in poor condition.

Judging from the recent order of players playing for the Chinese team, it seems that they are focusing on training the player named Qin Shang, so the Athens coach thinks that the Chinese team will most likely let Qin Xiaoba play in the men's singles.

If this is the case, we can arrange our own natural rubber players to snipe, and maybe we can even get the point in the men's singles.

Unexpectedly, Zhu Qi predicted the Athens coach's prediction. He originally wanted to snipe Qin Xiaoba, but unexpectedly, the Athens coach found out that he was the one being sniped.

how so?

The Athens coach felt a very strange and terrifying feeling as if his thoughts were known.

If he plays against Qin Xiaoba with raw rubber, he might have a 60% chance of winning.

Qin Xiaoba's style of play is a combination of fast break and loop, and he is most afraid of encountering players with a fast pace.

Moreover, according to the Athens coach's understanding of Qin Xiaoba, this kid plays slowly, and as long as he can gain an advantage in the early stages, he can increase the Athens team's winning rate!

As a result, the Athens coach studied Qin Xiaoba all night, and when he opened his eyes the next day, he found that he was going to fight against Daxiong.

How is that possible?

Everyone knows that Chinese team's Lu Yaohan's old injury relapsed after playing the men's singles game. I heard that he was pushed away in a wheelchair when he got off the men's singles podium!

Even if Song Linzhou of the Chinese team played in the men's singles, the Athens coach could understand it, but how could it be that Daxiong came?

"She must have peeked at our roster!" Coach Athens couldn't believe it and thought it was outrageous. He ran to find the organizer angrily.

The organizer's conclusion is naturally "the confidentiality work is very good, and it is impossible to reveal the list of players in advance."

After the Chinese team learned about this, Qin Xiaoba was still very curious. He ran to Zhu Qi's seat and asked, "Sister, how did you know that the Athens team would definitely let that raw rubber player play in the men's singles?"

"Anyone with a little common sense can figure that out." Zhu Qi said as he changed his sneakers.

"I'm impressed by you," Qin Xiaoba said with emotion. "No wonder Chairman Ren asked you to lead the team. From now on, let's make a suggestion to the coaching staff and appoint you as the captain of the men's and women's teams."

"Get out of here! Stop giving me work to do! Do you think I'm not tired enough?" Zhu Qi cursed.

After the game started, the doubles match between Song Linzhou and Qin Xiaoba went smoothly. Although Qin Xiaoba grumbled about not getting the men's singles, he played the balls he was supposed to.

In the second game, Zhu Qi and A Shui progressed faster and won the game in less than fifteen minutes.

At the beginning of the third game, the Athens coach was hoping that Big Bear would make mistakes on his own. However, Big Bear had received four injections before the game and drank a large glass of glucose water to replenish his energy. He won the game with a score of [3:0].

The Chinese team successfully qualified again.

Zhu Qi sat in the coaching seat and applauded Daxiong for his quick victory.

Everyone thought that Zhu Qi just wanted Big Bear to encircle and destroy the Athens team's raw rubber.

But when he saw Daxiong holding the racket and raising his arms to cheer, Song Linzhou felt that Daxiong, who had been depressed after the men's singles game, looked a little happier. Song Linzhou felt that Zhu Qi had a little clever idea in making this arrangement.

It’s just to get Big Bear back to his form.

After all, there are still many tough battles to fight...

/

All the members of the Hong Kong team who were assigned to the mixed team competition with the Chinese team stood by and watched the Chinese team packing up to leave the stadium. Everyone had a strange expression on their face.

"I heard that Zhu Qi arranged this list and submitted it to the organizers," the Hong Kong team coach said with emotion. "I only knew she was a good tennis player before, but I didn't expect she had this talent."

Mori Yunan was standing next to the coach. After hearing the coach's words, he suddenly realized how far the player he had been following had developed.

It was no wonder that when Zhu Qi learned that I admired her during the national team training, she acted calm and indifferent.

Perhaps at that time, he was thinking about whether he could narrow the distance between him and the person he admired, but Zhu Qi was thinking about all the plans for his future.

The distance between them seems to be getting farther and farther...

The Hong Kong team coach narrowed his eyes and clapped his hands at everyone: "Prepare well and look forward to a solid match with the Chinese team."

"Coach, let me arrange the Chinese team's roster." Mori Yunan narrowed his eyes, wanting to have a remote duel with that person in this way.

Huang Jiajia was surprised and said, "Wow, second brother, are you going to make it so big?"

"I want to try." Mori Yunan smiled, looking confident of winning.

The Hong Kong team coach looked back at Mori Yunan and nodded: "Then I'll leave it to you."

【Author’s words】

As I was writing, I realized that this guy always wanted to suppress our Baobao. No, no, this kid passed.