123 Florida Table Tennis Championships
◎Thanks to these two great players for giving us such a wonderful game! ◎
This was A Shui's second time participating in the National Table Tennis Championships. Although he failed to reach the finals, the coaches on the team were very satisfied with his performance.
The last day of the National Table Tennis Championships.
All four players in the men's and women's singles are Chinese.
It's very interesting.
This is clearly America's home ground, but there is not a single white-skinned, yellow-haired person to be seen.
Sen Qiaobei even thought of the title of the first issue of the magazine, which was called "The Chinese Civil War in Florida, USA."
Before watching the final, the coaches of the Chinese team looked more relaxed than each other, chatting and laughing as they walked from the waiting room to the audience seats.
There were even a few people who were strolling around the corridor leisurely, holding a piece of bread they had gotten from somewhere and stuffing it into their mouths.
When I met the reporter, I saw some outsourced workers joking happily with each other on the road, chatting about everything from climate to food, with a leisurely attitude of having paid fun.
Sen Qiaobei also joked, "There's no outside competition today. No matter how we play, the championship will be Chinese. So, don't the coaches have any psychological pressure? I bet they slept well last night, right?"
Several coaches laughed out loud after hearing this, and all showed an expression that said, "I see it all, but don't say it out loud."
Of course, there was still one coach who was worried.
That is what Maomao’s head coach, Coach Cun, has been thinking about since before he went to bed last night.
Zhu Qi is now in his golden period and has almost no rivals at home or abroad.
Although Maomao turned the tide in the semi-finals, winning two games in a row after falling behind, and fought Xi Lingen for seven games to qualify for the finals, avenging his defeat in the World Games, it was difficult to guarantee that Maomao could withstand Zhu Qi's firepower.
And most importantly, because of the game with Xi Ling'en, Maomao had muscle reaction in his waist again. Last night, he called the team doctor over and gave him acupuncture for an hour and a half before going back to rest.
Zhu Qi's condition was actually relatively poor. He had just undergone ankle surgery and hadn't participated in such a high-intensity game for a long time. He suddenly found it a bit difficult to accept it, and his feet felt a little numb when he played.
Ah Shui had always thought that he was in good physical condition, but after the semi-final match with Zhu Qi, he injured his wrist. His tendons felt sore and swollen as if they were glued together.
"Your performance this time was above average. You made virtually no mistakes against Bao Bao. Even though you lost, it was a glorious defeat," Chang Hongxia consoled Ah Shui as she helped him pack. "We still have the bronze medal match. Maomao eliminated Xi Ling'en, and you're competing with him for the bronze medal. If you can win..."
Holy crap.
That means raising three national flags at the same time!
Think of this.
Chang Hongxia's palms were hot.
A Shui lost the game. Although he was a little sad, he recovered quickly.
After all, it was a civil war, and we lost to Zhu Qi, so we wouldn't be asked to write a self-criticism like we would if we lost to an external organization.
Hearing Chang Hongxia talk about this, Ah Shui's blood boiled again and he clenched his fists: "Let's fight!"
She wants to treat the bronze medal match as the final!
Sen Qiaobei was also very interested in the two female players of the national table tennis team competing for the "Miriam" Cup. If it were written in text form, it would definitely attract a lot of attention. So before the game started, Sen Qiaobei ran to the training ground to conduct another pre-match interview with Maomao and Zhu Qi.
The question was very simple, which was what preparations had been made for the game.
For Maomao, this game can be regarded as a game in her life that is no less important than the World Games, because it is the last Grand Slam puzzle in her career.
If she wins, she will become the second active table tennis player to win a Grand Slam.
But Maomao wasn't one to speak so bluntly, so he could only put on a polite smile and say, "Baobao's current level is recognized as the best in the world. No matter who wins or loses, the honor belongs to the country."
To put it in simple terms, as a national-level athlete, Maomao defended his own half and met his teammates in the finals, thus completing the task given to him by the people.
So no matter what the result of today's game is, it is acceptable to Maomao.
Sen Qiaobei actually has known Maomao for quite a long time. He is two years older than Maomao. When Maomao participated in the World Cup for the first time, he had not yet graduated from the Broadcasting Academy. As an intern, he went to the stadium to watch Maomao's game in the Macau Palace World Cup.
Maomao was only 19 years old at that time, but Sen Qiaobei felt that such athletes possessed many good qualities.
Humble, brave, and capable, but never takes the initiative to show off. Always remains calm and kind to others.
But unfortunately, Maomao withdrew from the Macau World Cup due to a recurrence of his shoulder injury.
After watching all the games, Sen Qiaobei looked at the 25-year-old female team captain in front of him and asked a question he had always wanted to ask: "But the result of today's game is very important to you."
Maomao paused for a moment, as if he hadn't really considered this question, but in the end, Maomao still said to Sen Qiaobei: "For me, the process of the game is more important than the result."
Perhaps many athletes will comfort themselves in this way when they are frustrated.
Later, when Sen Qiaobei wrote about this pre-match interview in Table Tennis World magazine, he added: "...Actually, before this National Table Tennis Championships, Zhu Qi and Zu Tianjiao had always had the same winning rate as opponents on opposite sides of the table. It's difficult to describe their odds with probability, as there's never a fixed winner in sports. But for the first time, I hope this match will have two winners..."
Zhu Qi sat in the waiting room and followed the staff's instructions to enter the stadium. He watched the lights on the stadium being adjusted to a fragmented golden color.
Somewhat yellow.
It looked like golden light pouring down from the depths of the sky, shining on a square billiard table, the center of everyone's gaze.
There was a thunderous roar from all directions, as if thousands of troops were coming from all over the world and climbing over the mountains.
Although the stadium is smaller than that of the World Games, it is packed with people, making it seem very crowded.
The beam of light turned back and forth in all directions, and finally all focused on the "Miriam" cup.
The camera on the big screen shifted, following the faces of countless fans in all four directions, finally settling on the Holy Grail, a figure resembling a female warrior's longsword. The "Miriam" cup glowed with a silver-gray hue, a vibrant candlelight. As the camera zoomed out, it shifted to the pool table, slowly zooming out to encompass the players at either end.
The American commentators gave a passionate speech: "They represent the highest level of active female athletes! They will compete here for this year's Miriam Cup!"
Many Americans come here to see Shackleides Jamie represent the United States and kick off the American table tennis journey.
But unexpectedly, the situation of "why not bow to the American empire since we are here" did not happen.
After Jamie lost to Xi Ling'en, he left the competition venue in a hurry. Afterwards, he used the reason of needing to rest and refused to be interviewed even by his own American media.
To use Qin Xiaoba's words to describe it, it was like the Qing Dynasty fell and he wanted to be a eunuch, but he was stabbed in vain.
The United States has always insisted that Jamie's indicators in all aspects are in compliance and she has not occupied the track of normal women. She even brought Zhu Qi in to talk about it.
Look, this Chinese guy can beat Jamie, right? This shows that testosterone levels aren't the determining factor in a match; a normal female athlete can win. If you're not good enough, go back and practice more. Don't blame this or that every time you lose. What's wrong with us white guys?
This attitude of "I know I'm wrong but you should correct it" completely angered active female players from other countries.
Now almost all countries outside the United States are demanding that the blood testosterone testing standards for athletes be revised, otherwise they will jointly boycott all games played in the United States.
This is a bit of a big deal because the next World Games will be held in Riyadh and the one after that will be in Los Angeles.
It seems like there are still eight years in between, but if the Los Angeles World Games are really boycotted by everyone, and no country except the United States comes to participate...that wouldn't look good, right?
As for the subsequent handling results, the US attitude has always been that as long as I do not respond, it is the best response.
However, because the United States pulled Zhu Qi out to take the blame, Zhu Qi inexplicably became popular in the United States.
Many Americans who didn't want to continue watching the competition because Jamie was eliminated waited until the final.
"She looks very agile. Although she doesn't have much power, her ball quality is very good."
"Oh my God, she looks so young. She has a lot of potential in the future. Will other athletes never be able to stand on the highest podium?"
"It seems...that's the case."
"It turns out that every Chinese person can play table tennis."
Many Americans discussed it passionately.
There are two young female players next to the table, one in blue and one in red, but the patterns on their bodies both represent the dragon in traditional Chinese culture.
Standing in front of the camera, both of them have already immersed themselves in the game.
It is still a civil war in China, with no off-field guidance.
Zhu Qi got the serve in the first game.
After catching the ball thrown by the referee, Zhu Qi reached out and grasped the white ball, rubbing it lightly in his palm for a few times, and then he felt his heartbeat inexplicably become faster.
Boom boom boom.
Those with keen hearing can hear the frequency of the meat beating inside the chest.
It's different from every previous game.
Zhu Qi has always had a very obsessive pursuit of victory. For her, the only thing she has to do is to win.
Of course, she also knew that the cat really needed the "Miriam" cup.
Although no one mentioned it to Zhu Qi, Zhu Qi asked herself, if she had not participated in the National Table Tennis Championships, the championship would have been 99% to Maomao, not to mention that Maomao was in great shape and defeated Xi Ling'en this time.
But Zhu Qi quickly dismissed this idea, feeling it was disrespectful to her teammates. She and Maomao had always won and lost against each other, so why was it that the "Miriam" Cup was hers this time?
In fact, before the game, Maomao and Zhu Qi both tacitly agreed not to warm up together, and separated the two areas.
Because I am afraid that emotions will hinder my skills.
While serving, Zhu Qi thought of the agreement they had made before leaving for the Moscow World Games.
This final is a matter between the two of them.
Just do your best.
Zhu Qi leaned back slightly, raised his arm, threw the white ball, leaned back, and swung his arm with power.
Pop.
As the white ball flew away with unstoppable force, it was like a long blade mixed with sword energy swung over.
The first ball had all the mass, and many players who couldn't react quickly enough didn't even know what was going on. They just saw a small white cannonball flying out.
Maomao's reaction ability also surprised everyone. He immediately assisted each other in the forehand corner and hit a straight ball to the middle.
Zhu Qi seemed to have predicted the route of Mao Mao's ball long ago. Before the ball flew over the net, he slid to the left, and then hit a looping ball with his backhand - this ball was hit very tricky, and continued to land on the opponent's white line!
The cat actually defended it!
There were bursts of exclamations from the seats.
It seemed like this game was different from what he expected.
That’s not right. Is this how you play table tennis?
Shouldn't it be that I hit it, you pick up the ball, and then you hit it back, and I pick up the ball?
Qin Xiaoba was sitting in the crowd, with a group of young players from the women's team behind him. The oldest were Zuo Zuo and You You. The others had never seen such a high-quality game and exclaimed in amazement.
"So strong! I definitely can't catch a ball like that. I don't even have time to react, let alone catch it."
"I don't know how long it will take to reach the level of our captain and Sister Baobao...
"Don't even think about it. This is a talent. Someone like you can take an hour to run 10,000 meters..."
During the conversation, the score on the court reached [7:5].
Zhu Qi is temporarily leading by two points.
During the break between games, Zhu Qi looked down at the floor mat under his feet, which had already left traces of slipping.
The degree of pressure a player is under during the game can also be seen from the movement of his steps.
When Zhu Qi is fully focused on catching the ball, his footsteps will be very fast, and the increased force of his stomping will cause the color of the stepped areas on the floor to be a little darker.
After wiping the sweat, Maomao relied on friction to add to the center line and scored two points in a row.
The score was tied to [7:7].
Many foreign media commentators know Zhu Qi, but they also know Maomao, the captain of the women's team, and they are very fair when analyzing the actual combat level of the two.
It's only the first game, and they've already given us so many wonderful pull shots! Every swing of their racket looks like a dancer in a stage play, their movements are crisp and smooth, and it's a pleasure to watch.
Look at these offenses! Look at these defenses!
I seemed to see the hardest knife in the world swinging against the strongest shield, and it made a sound like a racket tearing through the air!
Look at how fast the ball is going! It's truly dazzling! Even the air around it is exclaiming in amazement as the ball flies through the air.
[Look at the faces of the coaches in the stands. They seem to be saying, look, these are our most amazing players.] …
Ren Xinhua knew that the two girls were in very good shape today, but he didn't expect it to be so good.
Only fourteen balls were played in the first inning.
It can be seen that the two of them showed their cards right from the start.
The two men held endless bombs in their hands, all of which were skewers and airplanes with wings.
In fact, many fans in China have been discussing who is the strongest female player now, because Zhu Qi became famous because of the Moscow World Games.
But as the head coach, having witnessed the growth of all the children on the team, she doesn't necessarily want to pick a leader.
The national table tennis team should not be a solo performance of one person. Only when a hundred flowers bloom can it be called the Chinese Dream Team.
Zhu Qi and Maomao, both the palms and the backs of their hands are made of flesh.
Sen Qiaobei also asked her whether she would provide individual tactical guidance to the two players before the game.
Ren Xinhua naturally wouldn't.
There is no off-field coaching assigned in civil wars, which actually tests the players' own mentality.
Another benefit of such a requirement is that it is possible to judge whether a player has the potential to be a coach based on his or her mentality during the game.
Ren Xinhua is old.
I have been leading this team for fifteen years. I estimate that I can only take these kids to Los Angeles at the latest. It is almost time for me to retire.
At that time, the position of head coach will naturally be handed over to the next coach.
It is still necessary to train reserve coaches at this time.
From the current perspective... Zhu Qi and Maomao both seem to have this potential.
As the score progressed, the score in the first game began to chase above double digits. Zhu Qi scored one point, Maomao followed with one point... It was like two strong men playing tug-of-war at both ends of the net.
Two figures and white meteor arcs intertwined, attracting everyone's attention and heartbeats as they ran left and right.
Finally, Zhu Qi hit a very thrilling edge ball and spread out in front of the table on the left.
The cat tried to reach out and grab the board, but failed.
[First game, Zhu Qi 15:13 Zu Tianjiao]
[Big score, Zhu Qi 1:0 Zu Tianjiao]
This game seemed no different from any other game we had played before.
It is still a evenly matched battle.
After Zhu Qi finished fighting with Jamie, his level rose to a higher level. When his touch improved, he was like a cheetah with sharpened claws.
The ping-pong ball that was hit made a curve in the air like a claw mark.
This loop shot seems to be more lethal.
Every time Maomao caught the ball, he felt his right arm was tired and heavy, as if he was pulling the ball with a sandbag hanging on his arm, because the quality of the ball Zhu Qi gave was too high.
When the camera zooms in, you can see that every bone and muscle of the two people from head to toe is exerting force.
The director even gave Zhu Qi a very slow close-up shot.
Zhu Qi sat on the lounge chair and drank water with his head tilted back.
Normally, Zhu Qi would start sweating only after the third round, but he sweated so much in the first round that beads of sweat ran down his throat as he drank water.
Her skin has always been fair and tender.
Although I get tanned for a month every time I go for military training, I will get back to my original color in no time.
Now it looks like there is a kind of milk cake with water hanging on it, which looks delicious.
But as soon as she held the racket, the atmosphere around her began to become murderous.
Maomao played very well in the second game and won the second game with a score of [11:7].
For Zhu Qi, this is a high quality that is hard to come by.
Whether it is manipulating the landing point, rotating and pulling each other, especially the cat in the middle even gave two very thrilling large-angle line changes.
Even foreign media outlets joined in the shouting.
[Oh my god, she actually dared to change her line on her match point. This is crazy!]
Once the cat gets into shape, every bite is of high quality.
The stronger the opponent, the more excited Zhu Qi becomes.
By the third round, Zhu Qi felt like his blood vessels were about to burst from his skin.
It’s so hard to fight... It’s so hard to fight...
Although Jamie's ball is very heavy and hard, "she" plays without thinking. A few fake moves can fool "her" and she will make mistakes and give Zhu Qi a lot of points.
But Mao Mao is different...He is the one who plays the game seriously with his brain.
Zhu Qi wanted to use the classic fake long and real short to trick Maomao, but Maomao didn't fall for it at all and stayed close to the table to fight Zhu Qi's forehand.
Snap, bang, snap, bang...
Even people who don't have as good hearing as Zhu Qi, but are used to the sound of playing ball, can feel that the balls played by these two girls are very scary.
A question popped up in many people's minds at the same time: If this ball hits someone, won't it kill them?
Just as he was thinking about it, he realized that there was something wrong with the angle of Zhu Qi's arm swing. The ball that Maomao pulled over turned sharply downward, passed over Zhu Qi's racket and flew straight to the root of Zhu Qi's thigh.
Bang!
Maomao was stunned for a moment and raised his hand to apologize.
Zhu Qi felt a hit on her leg. She gasped and rubbed the place where the ball hit her.
Ouch, that hurts!
It is normal for ping-pong balls to hit your body when playing tennis. After all, the court is so small and the ball goes so fast. The next day, there will be round bruises all over your body.
But Zhu Qi felt the force of the ball pulled by Mao Mao, and felt that his thighs would be blue in ten minutes, not tomorrow.
[Score of the third game: Zhu Qi 8:11 Zu Tianjiao]
[Big score, Zhu Qi 1:2 Zu Tianjiao]
Maomao suddenly caught up and scored two big points in a row.
This kind of situation happened in Zhu Qi's previous games. It was always Zhu Qi who chased others, and it was rare for him to be chased by others.
Zhu Qi could feel Maomao's desire for the score, which came from the pursuit of a Grand Slam.
The next National Table Tennis Championships will be held in three years.
Maomao was 28 years old at that time. Although it was only three short years, in fact, anything could happen in any situation during these three years.
Just like when Maomao was training, he ran in at some point, and the two playing players bumped into the equipment rack next to them.
It can be said that along the way, Maomao believes that he has tried his best and has no regrets.
If...if I could get the "Miriam" cup this time.
Then in the future, she might be able to take a breather.
In the three games against Zhu Qi, Maomao knew that he had not made any mistakes and handled every ball beautifully.
But as I get older and injuries accumulate,
Many times, there is indeed a sense of helplessness and frustration.
In the past, if I had a muscle strain, I would just sleep it off and it would heal the next day. But now, not only do I have to apply plasters, but I also have to go to physical therapy and sometimes even have acupuncture.
She doesn't have much time left.
Zhu Qi looked up at the scoreboard next to him. He was now one round behind. But for Zhu Qi and Maomao, every round was like starting over.
At the beginning of the fifth game, Zhu Qi knew that he had to change his playing style.
Maomao is a forehand player herself, and when she first started practicing loop shots, she found it easier than others to get started. Moreover, the loop shots she hits can lift the ball upwards. The force generated not only adds spin and forward momentum to the ball, but as the height of the lift increases, the ball lands closer and closer to the edge of the table.
In the third game, Maomao hit several high arc balls that brushed the white edge.
It looks like a lucky ball. One is luck, but two is not.
"The captain is so strong. It seems that no one can stop his momentum." The two girls from the female team at the back whispered and sighed.
Do they also want to witness history and see the birth of a new Grand Slam winner?
But after the fourth round, a trick that opened the eyes of these kids even more emerged.
Zhu Qi's counterattack came immediately.
People began to discover that no matter what ball Maomao hit, Zhu Qi would cut it off in the middle of its rise!
When the Japanese media saw this scene, a certain fear engraved in their bones was brought out!
At the beginning, they claimed that they had developed a loop ball that could dominate the entire table tennis world, and wanted to show it off at the Tokyo World Games to declare their return to the table tennis throne.
However, Zhu Qi's technique of intercepting the ball as it was rising made him cry for help.
Japanese media were shouting in front of the camera.
【Appeared! 】
【Half volley! 】
Cats add difficulty to the ball.
But Zhu Qi could intercept it.
It is too difficult for the receiver to pull the ball back when it is at its hardest and highest point as it rises.
But looking at Zhu Qi's backhand, it was really terrifyingly strong.
It seems that the swing angle is not large, the power is not strong, and even the shape of the racket does not seem to have changed, but it can be torn back.
The girls looked at the two main players of the team chasing the ball madly on both sides of the table. It felt like two beasts were biting each other. After being bitten on the thigh, they quickly broke free and pounced on the other's trachea.
He bit so hard that his sweat and blood were all over his body and his hair was disheveled.
"This is a feast of violent art!" Foreign media praised it. "This is a scene you never see in European competitions. Many athletes are controlled by the ping-pong ball, driven around by it. But these two people are controlling the ball, hitting it where they want it to touch..."
Maomao knew that Zhu Qi would use the half-volley ball. This technique was originally designed by Ren Xinhua on a whim. At the beginning, no one thought that this technique would be retained. The most it could do was to make Zhu Qi be on guard against the half-volley ball.
Unexpectedly, this technique was used by Zhu Qi himself and mixed with a little bit of the feel of the slice to become a technique in his forehand system.
[Look, Miss Zhupernova is simply the queen of the arsenal. Each of her skills can be used as a special skill by others, but to her, it is just the most insignificant item in her "arsenal."]
[I think only after she retires will we have a chance to fight for a spot on the podium.]...
Zhu Qi successfully won back a game in the fourth game with [13:11].
The score was once again widened to [2:2].
/
And the other side.
The bronze medal match between A Shui and Xi Ling'en is also over.
They started the competition an hour earlier than Zhu Qi and Maomao, so it should have ended long ago.
A Shui fully utilized the effects of both hands. In addition, he used a long rubber style and met Xi Lingen's anti-arc rubber style. Both of them used an offensive and defensive style, holding a shield in one hand and a spear in the other.
Each game lasted longer than the last, and they played for nearly an hour and a half.
Xi Ling'en didn't know if it was a relapse of an old wrist injury, or maybe it was because he'd spent so much energy fighting Maomao after fighting Jamie. Towards the end, he felt exhausted and made several mistakes. Ah Shui, on the other hand, was different. Ah Shui's stamina was renowned on the women's team, and she was always the fastest runner in every physical test.
When she was a sparring partner in her early years, she was also a brick, moved wherever she was needed.
No matter who asks her to come over for practice, she will go no matter how tired she is.
During the Tokyo World Games, when Jin Lili was still there, it was because Ah Shui had finished practicing with Zhu Qi that Coach Dami called him over to practice with Jin Lili, which almost caused a quarrel between Zhu Qi and Coach Dami.
But the gift given by fate had already been delivered to A Shui's hands while he was working hard.
After playing for an hour and a half, A Shui's endurance was shocking.
Even the commentator from another station was tired of shouting at the end. From shouting at the top of his lungs at the beginning to his voice becoming hoarse, he could only exclaim "Oh my God" when he saw Ah Shui repeatedly picking up the ball that was about to fall to the ground.
A Shui came back from 2-0 down to score 3-0 and took the lead in grabbing 11 points in the deciding game.
This female tank, called "China's Strongest Shield" by foreign media, used her enduring physical strength to exhaust her opponents.
At that moment, there was complete cheering for her.
When the last ball landed, A Shui was so tired that he couldn't even lift his hands.
Chang Hongxia rushed over, laughing and crying, to hug Ah Shui. Ah Shui even stretched out his arms to hug the coach who had fought with him for four years, but found that his shoulders were shaking slightly due to muscle reaction...
She closed her eyes and listened to everyone in the audience shouting her name.
Although it was a bronze medal, for A Shui, it was the beginning of her golden period.
/
When Ah Shui changed into his award-winning clothes and came out, preparing to go receive the award together after the final, he found that Zhu Qi and Maomao had also reached the seventh game.
In the middle, Maomao caught up with one game, and Zhu Qi followed with another.
The two of them also seemed to be trying to reach an extra long duration of one and a half hours.
The main point is that everyone who comes to watch the game today will get their ticket price worthwhile.
Sun Tzu's Art of War says.
A good warrior first makes himself invincible, waiting for the enemy to be defeated.
Zhu Qi and Maomao are both strong people. If they want to score, they can only see who makes a mistake first.
The match between the two of them was different from when Zhu Qi unilaterally beat Jamie.
Although Zhu Qi played very meticulously at that time and broke down Jamie's techniques and tactics one by one, Jamie's level was there, and if someone practiced hard, he could win with his brain.
Zhu Qi and Maomao are both talented players with very delicate touch. Even if they can understand how to break the opponent's tactics, they cannot achieve the strong half-volley touch like Zhu Qi.
The ball that the cat pulled over spun so much that the pattern on it couldn't even be seen. Who would dare to intercept the ball halfway? They're courting death. Wouldn't it be useless if they hit it?
See the game here.
The fans in the stadium no longer distinguished who was whose fan; they would applaud and cheer whenever they saw a great ball.
Sports competitions challenge people's limits.
Now, there is also a huge mountain in front of Zhu Qi.
She wants to achieve a double Grand Slam, three consecutive championships in table tennis, and the "Miriam" replica cup.
We have to win now.
"Hah——" Zhu Qi gathered his strength and swung his racket!
Using the backhand as a blade, he pulled out a flat arc ball. After it landed on the table, there was almost no possibility of returning the ball because the ball almost flew straight into the sky!
Bang!
The angle at which the ball bounced shocked everyone!
It actually hit the chandelier which was more than three meters high!
The chandelier's chain swayed twice due to the extremely strong impact.
The lights shining on the ground also shook.
This ball had an earth-shaking effect.
“Ahhhhhhhhh—”
There was thunderous applause, and many people waved Zhu Qi's small flags, extremely excited.
Maomao watched the ball rolling at his feet and heard the sound of the referee flipping the scoreboard.
[Seventh game, Zhu Qi 8:7 Zu Tianjiao]
Maomao's right hand was also shaking a little, and the action of swinging the racket began to feel dull for 0.01 seconds. Although she tried hard to push back, her steps became heavier and heavier.
The last ball... the last ball...
No matter what score the ball reaches, the cat will play it as if it were the last ball.
It seemed that he understood the cat's fearless look.
Although foreign media commentators admired Zhu Qi, they still gave the highest praise to Maomao's wonderful and decisive performance today.
Since the advent of the loop four years ago, many slicers have changed their style. They've discovered that defense is useless against loops; only a more aggressive offense can produce them.
Zhu's ball gives me the feeling that there's no way you can beat her, but once she gets ahold of you, you're done for.
[As you can see, the two strongest offensive players right now are standing in this game.]
The analysis of CCTV commentary is more down-to-earth.
After the Tokyo World Games, Zu Tianjiao rushed to Los Angeles for surgery on an old injury. From the ages of 18 to 21, she had virtually no rivals within the national table tennis team. Even Chang Hongxia, the previous captain of the women's team, considered her the best candidate to succeed her.
Zu Tianjiao's career was a grueling journey, occurring during the most challenging period of transition for women's table tennis players. During that time, the team lost two veteran players, Chang Hongxia and Ding Shushu, and later, another key player, Jin Lili, to compete in South Korea.
Doctors told her shoulder wasn't suitable for intense training, nearly spelling the end of her career. But she overcame all odds with her immense willpower, raised the national flag in Tokyo, and became a staunch pillar of the women's table tennis team as the new generation transitioned to the old.
However, her defeat at the Moscow World Games made her a target of disapproval by many fans during that dark August. People prioritized Zhu Qi, the newly crowned Grand Slam champion who, despite losing an eye, had managed to tear apart Shackleides Jamie with her bare hands, having only lost to foreign teams four times during the entire Moscow cycle. They forgot that she had shed blood in the operating room for her national honor in her pursuit of a return to competition.
Yesterday, she defeated her North Korean opponent, who had defeated her in the Moscow women's singles, and will meet her teammate Zhu Qi in the final. Regardless of the outcome today, she has demonstrated with her actions that migratory birds never count the number of times they fly, because wings cannot measure the distance to their dreams.
The score entered double digits again.
11:10, 12:13, 14:15, 16:16...
Crazy, crazy!
Is this going to be a 20-point game?
When it came to the match point, neither Zhu Qi nor Maomao wanted to be weak anymore, and every ball was very powerful.
They know each other too well; rubbing, twisting, pulling, and picking... have been intertwined over countless overlapping years in the past.
Zhu Qi had a feeling that Maomao had slightly reduced his strength and increased his insurance starting from the fifth round.
She didn't know if the cat had a muscle reaction again, but when she was wiping the sweat off her face, she suddenly remembered the scene before leaving for Moscow when the two of them were sitting in the room, discussing what to do if they met an opponent in the women's singles match.
Zhu Qi always felt that when Maomao talked about a personal battle, she hoped that Zhu Qi would use all his strength when facing her.
For several of the balls, Zhu Qi also lowered the quality, trying to score by retreating from the table and pulling the ball, not wanting to aggravate Maomao's injury.
But Maomao continued to tear the diagonal line vigorously and fight with Zhu Qi.
This scene also appeared before during the Jianghuai Chinese Games.
Zhu Qi knew that Maomao was a very strong-willed athlete and would never allow himself to score under any circumstances where he was "handed".
The competition between the two players on the table became more and more intense, and they swung their rackets with great force every time.
Zhu Qi's backhand loop ball has also become more ferocious, and he can attack unexpectedly every time.
Maomao suffered several losses in the first two games and slowly began to avoid topspin balls, making it impossible for Zhu Qi to hit a backhand loop.
But for some reason, at [18:17], Maomao suddenly blocked with a forehand and hit the ball to Zhu Qi's left hand.
This is a very good chance!
Zhu Qi felt as if the time of the whole world was being slowed down to an extremely slow speed in this second.
She watched the slowly rising white ball, and once again recalled Maomao's words in her mind: "No matter who makes it to the finals tomorrow, Ah Shui or you, I hope to play a game of the greatest value."
The cat tried to snatch the "Miriam" cup from her hand.
The strongest opponent is not outside, but beside you.
Zhu Qi's muscle reaction has taken the first step into action!
She raised her arms with tremendous force, like a Valkyrie drawing a sword from its sheath, and slashed at her teammates who were fighting alongside her.
"Is Maomao crazy? This is Baobao's absolute backhand dominance area. Don't you understand and give points?" Foye couldn't help but shouted along with Zhu Qi's swing of the racket.
Coach Cun was so anxious that he almost pinched his thigh until it turned blue, and he gritted his teeth secretly.
Zhu Qi sent out this backhand loop, and he was 90% sure that Maomao would not be able to catch it.
The ball was like a flexible and agile bird in the air, tearing the air apart and turning it into a long hissing sound.
But - Maomao took a sliding step forward, tilted his arms back greatly, and used a smashing posture to forcefully block the high looping ball that was flying straight into the sky and almost hitting the chandelier!
clatter!
Bang!
The bat pulled the ball with all its strength!
Zhu Qi's keen hearing caught a very subtle tearing sound when the ball touched the racket!
This sound is very special!
At that moment! Zhu Qi reacted immediately!
The ball cracked!
But it did not completely crack, and it flew over the net in a half-open form and hit Zhu Qi's table.
If the crack was facing the table, it would be almost impossible for the ball to bounce back. But maybe Zhu Qi was just too lucky, the ball landed on the side that wasn't cracked, and it raised a slight arc.
And it was this arc that gave Zhu Qi the opportunity.
Because the plastic ball had cracks, its rotation was greatly weakened, so Zhu Qi simply used a short, hard hit to hit it back.
Da! Bang!
The ball couldn't withstand the gravity exerted by Zhu Qi again, and it was completely broken into two pieces on the table on the other side of the cat.
The cat looked at the ball that was breaking apart in front of it, and suddenly felt very calm, as if nothing could cause any waves.
Her calmness is very endearing in the eyes of many fans who love her.
But at that moment, Maomao accepted the result.
She found a way to return Zhu Qi's backhand loop and wanted to give it her all on the last ball. But the goddess of luck didn't seem to favor her. No, in other words, she was indeed a long way from the current Zhu Qi.
Because she didn't notice that the ball was cracked, she thought the ball she hit was normal. If Zhu Qi wanted to withstand her smash, he would have to retreat to the table to defend... But Zhu Qi's reaction was faster than hers and he discovered the abnormality of the ball earlier.
Yes.
She lost.
Maomao closed his eyes, feeling the beads of sweat running down his cheeks.
The whole audience was silent.
He stared in amazement at the white ball that shattered like an eggshell.
Each half falls from the left and right sides of the table and then rolls to the left and right sides.
The whole world seemed to be silent for three seconds at this moment.
Three seconds later—everyone burst into violent screams.
Oh my god, did you see that? They actually cracked the ball! They really cracked it!
[I can guarantee that no other game in the future will be able to surpass this one!]
【Thanks to these two great players for giving us such a wonderful game! 】
【They are the bravest warriors! 】
[They! There are no losers!]
【Author’s words】
Ping pong balls are made of plastic, not tennis balls, so they can easily break if hit hard.
Bao Bao is too powerful now. He will fully evolve after fighting Jamie.
The Riyadh cycle will be written faster later. The time span is so long that there is really no rival. It is unrealistic to write one that can compete with Bao Bao. It is just invincible, with no rivals [flowers]
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