31 Tokyo Direct Tournament②

◎【2nd update】People who truly love basketball don't care how many opponents are stronger than themselves.◎

"That was six years ago, when Maomao participated in the national youth training camp..."

...That night Zhu Qi and A Shui chatted until very late.

Zhu Qi also understood why Maomao didn't like to meddle in other people's affairs.

When they woke up the next day, they didn't know if Ah Shui's joke from last night had worked. Zhu Qi had indeed slept soundly. They were both woken by the cat's call.

Today is the last day of the century's strongest twelve-man direct qualifying tournament in Tokyo.

The roster for the men's team has basically been finalized.

Song Linzhou, Daxiong and Gao Xiaofeng are among the top.

Fat Tiger is also stuck in sixth place.

In addition, there are two veteran members of the men's team.

Before the women's table tennis match started, the spectators were already eager to try, and they put the seats on all sides around a table. Whether they were athletes or reporters who came to shoot documentaries, they all gathered outside the fence and waited for the match to start in ten minutes.

This is a match between the two most promising and absolute key players in the women's table tennis team. It's sure to be exciting!

[But since they've already been confirmed as one of the six, is this fight still necessary?]

Of course it's necessary. We're just selecting six players who can represent the Chinese team at the World Games. The roster distribution hasn't been announced yet. Who will play singles and who will play doubles will depend on their performance over the next year.

Zu Tianjiao and Zhu Qi are both young players in the women's table tennis team. Judging from their results in the grand rounds, they should be basically confirmed as singles players, right?

[Not necessarily. The women's team captain, Chang Hongxia, also performed quite well. She also participated in the World Games once, so she has more experience.]

While Zhu Qi was sitting alone in the warm-up area, he could occasionally hear people discussing the upcoming game.

She shook her ankles and wrists, practiced her racket backswing a few times...for some reason, she didn't feel overly nervous or excited.

The story that Ah Shui told her last night kept coming to her mind...

"Hey, kid."

A figure overshadowed Zhu Qi who was sitting on the ground.

When she looked up, she saw Gao Xiaofeng smiling at her with his back to the light.

The sports shirt he was wearing was partially soaked with sweat, and the sweat on his crew cut reflected in the light.

"Practice alone, play a few reps together." He waved his racket at Zhu Qi and nodded at the table next to him. "I'll be your sparring partner, do you want me?"

want.

Of course.

These were the two former heroes of the national table tennis team. They were legendary figures who continued to dominate the world for twenty years after their retirement.

A man and a woman stand at the two ends of the table, and the white ball shuttles between the two people.

Gao Xiaofeng is tall, 1.8 meters tall. Because of his long arms and strong bones, he gives people the visual pressure of being over 1.85 meters tall.

When he held the racket, he looked like a swordsman with a cold look in his eyes, completely devoid of the smile and friendliness he had just shown.

Every ball was hit towards Zhu Qi's defensive position. Although he was just a sparring partner, the quality of every ball was very high.

Quick tear, twist and pull, backhand flick, straight line...

He has a tough style of play and is good at hitting all kinds of tricky shots at large angles. He also has a very good grasp of sparring and knows when to stop.

According to his current level of player, he can know the opponent's level after playing a few balls with other players.

This little girl's ball is solid and fast. You can tell she has put a lot of effort into her training. Each ball she hits is of great quality.

The speed, rotation and arc are all very full, but the power is slightly lacking. It is a small pentagonal warrior.

Gao Xiaofeng seemed to know that Zhu Qi was practicing loop balls, and gave her several high-quality topspin balls.

The two people practiced for five minutes and finished warming up.

"Your backhand is pretty good. It's good that you've been practicing with the horizontal racket since you were young. Unlike us with the straight rackets, our backhand has too big flaws and is easy to be targeted." Gao Xiaofeng stood on the other side of the table, supporting the table and said with a smile.

Zhu Qi took a sip of water and was about to thank him for the compliment when Gao Xiaofeng smiled and said, "When you were sitting on the ground just now, daydreaming, I guessed what you were thinking. You don't know how to play against Maomao, do you?"

Zhu Qi did not answer.

To be honest, I never thought she would have such an idea.

Isn’t it just a competition?

What's so difficult about fighting?

Just take turns on the board, it’s no big deal.

When he was in the provincial team, he had a few good friends, so Zhu Qi didn’t find it difficult to play during the competition.

After all, those who practice sports all rely on their strength.

If you lose a game, you might be in a bad mood that night, but you’ll be back to square one the next day and no one will care about the game.

Sometimes, when I look at the tenacity in my roommate, Maomao—Zhu Qi, I can empathize with her.

A Shui said Zhu Qi is curly, but actually Maomao is also curly.

All year round, 365 days, without a single day of slacking.

Maomao's shoulder injury was an old one, and his withdrawal from the World Cup was forced by Ren Xinhua, because at that time Maomao's shoulder was swollen with a bump the size of a steamed bun, and even lifting it up was excruciating and made him sweat coldly.

But according to Maomao, she wanted to win another "Golden Throne" because she wanted to compete for the double Grand Slam, so the sooner she won the singles championship in the three major tournaments, the better.

Although Maomao repeatedly stated that she was able to fight, Ren Xinhua still forced her to withdraw from the competition.

I heard that A Shui said that after Maomao withdrew from the competition, he locked himself in the bathroom and cried for a long time.

Over the past six months, Maomao has cared for her teammates, including some of the girls on the second team, like an older sister. Even when a needle had to be inserted into a bone joint to seal it, someone who had never shed tears would weep because the coach wouldn't let her play.

When Zhu Qi heard this, he began to recall when was the last time he cried?

I don’t remember, it seems like my tears had dried up in my previous life.

She had always believed that she was someone who didn't even have the right to cry after losing a game.

Because no one will give her a second chance, she must win all the way to qualify.

She always felt that everyone in the world had an easier life than her.

Everyone, every one!

They all have things that she can never get in her entire life.

Family, friendship, money, honor, social status...

The world is full of dust, only sports competitions are relatively clean.

At least here, those who are truly capable will not be annihilated.

You can tell who is more capable by looking at the podium.

She just didn't expect that there were so many people who were also carrying the same burden, including her roommate who was concerned every day about whether she slept well and whether she could adapt to the national team.

Because I have a shoulder injury, I also bought a shoulder and neck brace for Zhu Qi when I bought one. When I went to the logistics department to get rubber, I also picked up a set for Zhu Qi. I even reminded Zhu Qi to drink more water to promote metabolism and avoid various dietary restrictions...

Even though Maomao had been backstabbed by her roommate...even though Zhu Qi was her biggest competitor...she never hesitated to show her care for Zhu Qi.

Zhu Qi felt her heart pounding, with an indescribable feeling, so she asked Gao Xiaofeng a question she had always wanted to ask: "At the Berlin World Games, you were just one step away from a Grand Slam. What were you thinking at that moment?"

Zhu Qi asked directly.

Gao Xiaofeng wiped the sweat off his face and smiled, "At that time... I didn't think much of it. I just felt that I had contributed to the raising of the national flag. Sports competition is like this. Only one person can always stand at the top. It's better for a family member to win the award than for it to be taken away by an outsider. Having an equally matched opponent can also motivate you to work harder. Every day when I open my eyes and see someone of similar level working hard, I won't let my guard down. People who truly love basketball don't care how many opponents are stronger than themselves. If I really were unbeatable, undefeated, and without rivals, then I would find playing basketball boring and would have retired long ago... Do you understand what I mean?"

Zhu Qi nodded: "I understand."

The same is true of how Maomao and she view each other.

As a competitor.

I don't agree with you.

But I’m also happy to have you here.

An opponent but not an enemy.

/

There is one minute left in the game.

The contestants enter.

It was the first time that the two of them stood face to face so formally. They looked at each other without any extra expression on their faces.

Once you get into the game state, you won't be able to laugh at the other person like you would during normal training.

After a simple warm-up with double-pull, start guessing the side of the coin.

The cat serves first.

She tested the ball's bounce, then tossed it lightly and hit it with a slightly hooking motion using the racket.

The ball bounced quickly to Zhu Qi's forehand position.

After training with Maomao for so long, Zhu Qi is familiar with many of her fighting techniques.

This is the serve she is best at and uses the most, a hidden hook serve.

When Zhu Qi answered the call, he didn't connect it properly and it got disconnected.

Lose one point first.

[First game, Zhu Qi 0:1 Zu Tianjiao]

Zhu Qi took a deep breath and rubbed the ball in his hand.

Ah Shui, who was standing nearby, sighed, "Maomao's hook serve is so clean."

There was a young reporter nearby who was recording the scene. When he heard Ah Shui say this, he came over curiously and asked, "What does clean mean?"

Qin Xiaoba on the other side replied, "A hook serve can be 100% clean and 100% blocked. Now that the ITTF doesn't allow blocked serves, not many people are willing to practice it. If the referee finds out, it will be considered blocked and you'll get a yellow card. But Maomao's hook serve is always the cleanest one. From toss to hit, it's so clear, and I've never gotten a yellow card."

Moreover, cats have a characteristic, that is, as long as the first ball is hit well, the next two balls will often perform very well as well.

The opposite is also true. If you don’t play well at the beginning, you will lose the ball later.

Therefore, many people who have played against cats more often will try to overshadow cats from the beginning.

And that's what's happening now.

[First game, Zhu Qi 0:2 Zu Tianjiao]

[First game, Zhu Qi 0:3 Zu Tianjiao]

Maomao scored three points in a row.

Ah Shui sat in the audience chair, holding his face and staring at the white ball running back and forth between the two ends of the table. He said intently, "I can't see any difference at all."

The reporter then asked, "Is there any difference between a hook serve and a hook serve?"

"People who are good at this hook serve can't tell whether it's topspin or backspin. Some people's hook serves go really high, while others' go really low, often brushing the net. So you can tell at a glance whether it's topspin or backspin," Ah Shui explained. "But Maomao's hook serve is incredibly concealed. Whether she serves it topspin or backspin, the arc is the same."

The difference between a spinning ball and a non-spinning ball is the difference between a spinning ball and a non-spinning ball.

The hook serve is side up and side down.

The reporter was a little confused again: "Can't you tell from the racket-drawing posture?"

Ah Shui shook his head: "I can't tell... Oh, at least I can't tell. During the big cycle, Maomao used this hook shot to almost beat me to death. I dreamed of her hooking me like crazy at night. It was so scary."

Qin Xiaoba then explained, "Only you know the intricacies of a hook serve. If you want to hit a backspin shot, use the edge of the racket to rub the ball downwards. If you want to hit a topspin shot, use the center of the racket to rub the ball outwards. The friction is very fast and the amplitude is very small. You can't even see it from across the table."

"How should we receive this kind of serve?" the reporter became curious.

Qin Xiaoba and A Shui looked at each other, and no one spoke.

Who can casually reveal the method to defeat teammates?

Not to mention that they don’t know how to break the serve yet, even if they knew, they couldn’t tell it.

In the first game, both sides won by serving each other.

[First game, Zhu Qi 9:11 Zu Tianjiao]

[First round, Zhu Qi 0:1 Zu Tianjiao]

If you want to play table tennis well, serving and receiving are of utmost importance.

If you serve well, you can score points for your opponent in one go.

On the other hand, you should also practice various serve and receive moves so that you will have the opportunity to receive the ball in the next shot.

The Chinese national table tennis team has always adhered to the spirit of unity in dealing with the outside world.

In addition to commercial competitions at the provincial level such as the Table Tennis League.

When participating in international competitions involving national teams, if both teams are Chinese, no off-field coaching will be provided to either side.

It all depends on the players' self-guidance and performance, so many players feel that playing against foreign teams is more tiring than playing against foreign teams.

The same is true for internal direct competitions.

Self-regulation under high pressure is also necessary.

The first game was just a test between the two opponents.

Zhu Qi failed to catch Maomao's hook serve, and Maomao could not withstand her fast serve beyond the baseline.

But after the two sides changed fields in the second game, the situation changed slightly.

Zhu Qi began to catch up quietly.

"Maomao's racket-drawing action is still a problem." Ren Xinhua sat in the center of the table, looking at the girls running on both sides of the table, squinting his eyes to appreciate this match between the "companion stars" of the women's table tennis team.

Chang Hongxia, who was standing nearby, heard this and added, "From my angle, I can't tell whether Maomao's serve is topspin or backspin. Two years ago, I caught two of Maomao's hook serves, and it was really frustrating."

Ren Xinhua nodded at Zhu Qi: "Didn't she see it?"

Zhu Qi has a strong ability to adapt.

Although the error rate when receiving hook serves is still high, two out of four hook serves have been successfully returned.

Furthermore, Zhu Qi's topspin was of high quality, a skill he had acquired after two years of hard practice. Furthermore, Zhu Qi incorporated the Chinese team's signature close-to-the-table quick attack, posing a significant threat to Maomao.

Everyone saw Zhu Qi hit a semicircular arc ball. Maomao just tried to hit it back with his forehand, but was immediately rushed sideways by Zhu Qi to the small triangle position.

Bang!

Zhu Qi scores!

[Second game score: Zhu Qi 13:11 Zu Tianjiao]

[Second round, Zhu Qi 1:1 Zu Tianjiao]

The two played back and forth, and each ball was of high quality, flying back and forth like a cannonball.

Everyone watching at the scene felt that they were still not satisfied.

Even the sports channel reporter was filming and explaining: "This is truly an exciting battle between dragons and tigers."

But Ren Xinhua disagrees. She said, "They know each other too well to have a very intense match."

A Shui, who was watching the game, also thought so.

In the final between Bao Bao and Xia Jie, the score changed every two or three seconds. It was so intense! My heart was beating up and down, sometimes pounding and sometimes falling.

Now, the competition between Baobao and Maomao is like boiling a frog in warm water.

If you were to describe it like a boxing match, it would be like one of the two men throws a punch, and the other, having anticipated it, immediately ducks! Then throws another punch! And ducks again!

No one can find anyone else's weakness, and no one can score points against the other!

Although the quality of the balls is very high.

But later on, it almost all comes down to basic skills.

Baobao's state was also very calm, not as excited as when competing with others.

Until the end of the third game, Ah Shui sat on the bench watching the game and recalled the shocked expression on Zhu Qi's face when he told him the story last night.

"When Maomao was in the national youth team training camp, one night she was lying on the ground doing warm-up exercises. Two male national youth team players were playing around and knocked over the barbell rack next to her. One of the barbells happened to hit Maomao's shoulder. In addition, she was lying on the ground to expand her shoulders, and her entire shoulder was in an open position... I heard that the team doctor took her to take an X-ray and found a bone fracture. But Maomao got a shot to close the gap and insisted on completing the training camp. Later, she was promoted to the national second team, where the training was heavy and she couldn't find time to go out for treatment. She has been half-heartedly treating it until now, so the old injury has become more and more serious... I heard that the two male team players didn't say anything at the time, but were punished by withdrawing from the competition and being banned from the national team forever. Her family even went to the national team to make a scene..."

【Author’s words】

I was moved when I wrote this chapter. Maomao and Baobao are each other's biggest rivals but also the most trusted teammates.

When Baobao applied the medicine to Maomao for the first time, Maomao was actually thinking a lot in his mind, perhaps thinking of the player who had hurt him, but he still showed Baobao the place where he had been injured.

Since this story was originally conceived as a story about everyone's growth, Maomao and Shui each have their own paths to growth. Shui shouldn't just be a sparring partner forever; as an athlete, she has the right to strive for the best. Baobao, on the other hand, has experienced their downfalls from a bird's-eye view, feeling both rationally and emotionally burdened, a sense of uncertainty about what to do when seeing a friend suffer. So, if Maomao and Shui show progress, Baobao will be incredibly happy too. Anyway, let's raise the national flag together, hand in hand!