Ping Pong Episode 1 Recap
> Ping Pong Recap
The 53rd Suzhou World Ping-Pong Tournament men's singles final captivated a full stadium, with commentators describing the intense match between China national team captain Xu Tan and the prodigious Grand Slam winner Yu Kenan. The stakes were high, as victory promised not only the world champion title but also qualification for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Xu Tan, known as the "National Ping-Pong Diviner" for his strategic mind and deep understanding of his opponents, especially Yu Kenan, expertly attacked Yu Kenan's backhand with a series of backhand flicks, backhand loops, and forehand loops. He secured a tough win in the fifth game, despite Yu Kenan being hampered by a shoulder injury, which forced him to switch to using his forehand mid-match.
Coaches Lei Cheng and Teng Biao observed the game, with Lei Cheng reflecting that success in table tennis, like chess, hinges on careful planning, and victory belongs to those who put in more effort. The commentators noted the rare direct confrontation between these two national teammates, whose paths had previously always diverged in official competitions. As the sixth game progressed with Yu Kenan leading 3-2, Xu Tan’s performance unexpectedly faltered.
The commentators quickly observed that an old knee injury had relapsed, severely impacting his play. Despite the pain, Xu Tan pushed through, even predicting Yu Kenan’s return to execute a lightning flick, winning a crucial point to reach match point at 10-9. However, during the decisive final rally, a powerful backhand drive from Yu Kenan caused Xu Tan's knee to twist sharply, sending him to the ground in agony.
Coach Fang Yue immediately called for a ten-minute medical suspension, warning Xu Tan that further injury could permanently end his career. Fang Yue urged him to withdraw, emphasizing that resting now would preserve his future opportunities for Olympic Games, World Cups, Grand Slams, and even future World Ping-Pong Tournaments, all of which he could still win. But Xu Tan, having awaited this official match against Yu Kenan for ten years, declared his unwavering desire to play.
When Fang Yue asked why he played if he didn't care about Grand Slams, Xu Tan asserted, "Because I like it. Very much." As the medical suspension neared its end and Fang Yue submitted a withdrawal application form to the committee, Xu Tan, propelled by his deep passion, walked back onto the court. The narrative then shifts back ten years to 2004, when a sixteen-year-old Xu Tan was a struggling member of the Beijing Ping-Pong Training Team.
He frequently lost matches, often being mocked by teammates like Su Chang, Su Shun, and Lu Xiao Bei for his perceived lack of skill. His mother, Lin Di, distressed by his stagnant progress, arrived at the training center to insist he quit the team and return to Liaoning to focus on academics.
She cited daunting statistics about the slim odds of becoming a champion, arguing that if he couldn't be "that one in fifteen million," he would just be "the denominator." Xu Tan reluctantly signed the retirement form, though his heart clung to his dream, evidenced by his personal notebook titled "The first world championship of Tan Tan." His mother, lacking confidence in his future, even feigned chest pain to pressure him.
Shortly after Xu Tan signed his withdrawal form, the list for Regional Training was announced. To the surprise and indignation of his teammates, Xu Tan, despite his poor performance and impending departure, was selected for one of the three coveted spots, a recommendation secured by his coach, Lei Cheng, who valued potential beyond current results. A heated argument erupted, with teammates accusing Xu Tan of favoritism, asking if he got the spot "just because of Coach Lei."
Lei Lei, Lei Cheng’s spirited daughter and Xu Tan’s friend, dramatically intervened by spraying the fighting teammates with a fire extinguisher, urging Xu Tan to stand up for himself. Upon hearing Xu Tan's plan to retire the day after tomorrow, Lei Lei, ever the free spirit, found it a "good thing," contrasting it with her own father's singular devotion to ping-pong. She vowed to make his last day in Beijing unforgettable.
Later, she dragged Xu Tan to a high school singing competition, where she performed a surprise act, defying the rules and getting pulled off stage by security, with Xu Tan instinctively shielding her. Lei Lei’s conviction in living without regret, doing what one loves, resonated deeply with Xu Tan, who confessed to feeling "empty" about quitting.
He shared that he initially took up ping-pong on his grandfather's advice to manage childhood asthma, but eventually grew to love the sport and remembered his grandfather's hopes. Lei Lei encouraged him to follow his heart, telling him he could win a world championship and prove everyone wrong.
The next day, as Xu Tan was on a bus heading home to Liaoning with his parents, his father discreetly revealed that his mother's illness was faked, assuring Xu Tan of his unconditional support and giving him a ping-pong ball. Remembering Lei Lei’s encouraging words and his grandfather’s expectations, Xu Tan made a decisive choice. Despite his mother's protests, Xu Tan leaped off the departing bus, shouting a promise to the receding vehicle: "Mom! I want to win world championships!"
Lei Cheng, acknowledging the effort he put into securing Xu Tan’s Regional Training spot, imparted a final message: Xu Tan was now on his own. Xu Tan arrived at the Xiamen Regional Training Center, brimming with renewed purpose. He was met by an elder staff member who chided him for his lateness.
Upon checking his room assignment, 203, which he noticed was also Yu Kenan's, he briefly spoke with his girlfriend on the phone, reassuring her about his roommates and the center's policy of collecting cell phones. Immediately after, Lei Lei called him, and he informed her of his arrival in Xiamen and the phone policy.
Coach Teng Biao, a coach for the second national team, appeared and reinforced the strict rules regarding phone usage and outside excursions, explaining the dormitory structure and introducing the other coaches, Mr. Sun and Mr. Lin. Xu Tan’s new roommates introduced themselves, including Ju Lai Ti (from Xinjiang), Na Seng (from Tibet), He Jin Bao (from Lanzhou), Guo Yuan, and Bo Bo (both from Shanghai). Guo Yuan implied Xu Tan was an obscure 18th-tier player from Beijing.
Soon after, a commotion erupted outside. Yu Kenan, Xu Tan’s fated rival and a renowned genius player, was being physically compelled into the training center by his father. Yu Kenan vehemently resisted, declaring his disdain for Regional Training and his intent to return home, defiantly breaking a pen while signing the attendance form. Coach Teng Biao, in front of the assembled trainees, issued a stern warning about discipline and photographic memory for any future infractions.
A "Little Drama" segment detailed the prestige of Regional Training, which gathers top players from across the country and offers a pathway to the national team through intensive physical and mental development, concluding that Xu Tan was now a lucky recipient of this crucial "ticket." Xu Tan and Yu Kenan found themselves assigned to the same room, setting the stage for their intertwined journeys.
