Over the past two weeks, Shasha taught Wang Chuqin her signature moves and the areas where she felt he was slightly weaker. The first was the short push in the forecourt, and the second was the surprise long push down the line.
Wang Chuqin usually preferred serving long and liked to jump straight into fast, wide-open rallies during the first three strokes. He had never really cared for the "sneaky" tactics of short pushes. Yet Shasha put him through rigorous training specifically for this, pushing and pulling him around the table until he felt like vomiting.
The second tactic—suddenly switching to a straight-line shot with a feint—was extremely familiar to him because Shasha used it in mixed doubles too. Back in the tournament at Nanyang, she had used this exact move to frustrate Xu Xin to the point of collapse, and it played a crucial role in securing their ultimate victory.
Chapter 166