Now it comes down to Miyagawa-kun's volley and my practiced footwork!
Here it comes!
A d-drive volley?!
This is my new weapon that's going to help me change!
Incredible! He pulled off a full swing on a volley!
How did that even go in?
I see...
For a drive volley, you run up, but don't change your form.
He can do a full swing like he does with his stroke.
As expected, Miyagawa-kun really is strong!
The Speed of Evolution
A drive volley is indeed a threat,
but I'm glad I got to see it early.
It's a one-set match,
so I want the data on all threats as early as possible.
And he got a point off me only because it was the second serve.
As long as I get the first serve in...
I'll put a slight spin on this...
and increase my chances of getting my first serve in!
Good!
I can't move up.
I'll hit it back down the line using my 1/64 control...
And win it with the next shot!
40-15.
Yes!
I can pull ahead on my serve.
I won't let him break!
He did it!
Everyone, everyone...
Oh, Yukichi.
I won my second-round match!
I'm going to the Kanto Junior!
Wow, good job.
Congrats!
I was against a lower rank,
so it makes sense that I won, though.
So how's Bro doing?
Take a look.
All right!
Game: Maruo. 1-0.
Single-handed strokes and drive volleys...
Miyagawa-kun certainly does have a powerful weapon.
But my serve is working, too!
As long as my first serve goes in, I can hold serve in this match.
And if I can hold serve,
I can afford to take risks during my return game!
I should've known he wouldn't let me break his serve so easily.
But I was able to score with my drive volley.
The rest is up to how I use it.
Time!
I'm sure his serve has evolved as well,
but for now, I have to rely on previous data, watch carefully, and judge...
So fast!
He moved up from that strong shot!
Can I get past him?!
15-love.
Drive volley...
I have to do something about that drive volley.
First and foremost, don't let him move up.
That means I can't give him a chance to move up after his ground stroke!
Which means...
I can't be flustered by his powerful stroke!
Side Spin Top Spin Slice
Cuts left or right Sinks then bounces Doesn't bounce
Determine what shot it'll be early on...
Top Spin Slice Side Stroke
Control it well, and don't let him move up!
But relying on my stroke will just get me cornered.
A strong, flat hit down the line!
If I hit this haphazardly, it'll give him an opportunity to move up!
I'll have to risk it and use my 1/81 control!
It went in!
But it's not fast enough.
Miyagawa-kun will be able to reach it with one hand!
30-love.
I didn't even let him move up, and yet...
I should've known using strokes to hold a demon of strokes at bay would be tough.
If that's the case,
I have to turn it around during my return, before it becomes a ground stroke battle!
40-love.
Wide with a slice!
It's tough when he gets his first serve to go in.
But compared to a year ago,
his serve's evolved the least.
He's running up after the serve!
He's pushing forward!
Prevent him from getting a strong hit by aiming at his feet...
But a shot like that will get returned.
Swinging for a drive volley takes preparation.
So I have to go faster!
Game: Miyagawa. 1-all.
I aimed too much.
But...
Miyagawa-kun wasn't fully prepared for the swing that time.
If I'd gotten the ball in, it would've been a regular volley instead of a drive volley.
Even though the risk is high,
I have a chance if I can hit a hard shot near his feet.
And although it's crude,
I've decided to chip away at him, starting with serves.
In a one-set match, victory goes to the swiftest.
Whoever breaks first will have an overwhelming advantage.
I have to hold serve so I can move on to breaking his serve.
To do that, I have to get my first serve in.
I'll keep my chance of success over 70% with
the fastest serve I can hit!
After it goes in, I'll use my advantage to keep him from going for the drive volley.
I won't ease up on my offense and won't let him move up!
His strokes are just as good one-handed.
Be aware of his wider range of coverage and use my control!
15-love.
Yes!
While that flat serve is still ingrained in Miyagawa-kun's brain...
Go for a slice!
Use the two-phase method I learned in Florida,
and score with it!
Yes!
30-love.
His serving speed and stability.
His stroke strength and its accuracy.
His decisiveness in volleys.
His offensive style of play, along with his footwork...
The improvement Maruo-kun has shown this past year is extraordinary.
Calm down.
It's only natural to be at a disadvantage in a return game.
And it's not as if his serves are impossible to hit.
40-love.
They're getting faster?!
Game: Maruo. 2-1.
That guy's doing really well against a third-seeded player.
Maruo Miyagawa
This is beyond my expectations.
That serve can't be returned on technique alone.
The basis for technique, his body itself, has evolved.
His explosive force and flexibility are aiding the evolution of all his techniques.
I should consider him a different person from who he was last year.
In the time it took for me to master single-handed strokes and drive volleys...
How did he evolve so much more during the same time period?!
He's already drinking kobu tea.
He's drinking tea during a match?
Who cares when he drinks tea?
No, he drinks kobu tea only when he's either trying to improve his focus
or switch gears.
The score is only 2-1, and they're both holding serve,
so it just seems early for that.
I personally think it's just the right time.
What?!
So you think they're at a pivotal point already?
Time!
Maruo-kun is incredible for
evolving his entire tennis style in such a short period of time.
But evolving isn't just about the number of new things learned.
I've only evolved in my drive volleys and strokes.
But since I concentrated all my effort into those techniques,
the effect is increased!
What I learned from the last game...
It's tough going toe to toe with ground strokes during my return game.
| Serve | More power but no change | Stroke | Seven different types with power Single-handed strokes add coverage | Volley | Strong drive volley
So I should aim for a winner when I return his serve.
Miyagawa-kun's serves are more powerful,
but there aren't any other significant changes.
Wide Front Center Front Wide
Which means it's likely that my data from last year will be helpful.
If that's true, then it's more than 60% likely that it'll be wide!
Here it comes!
Love-15.
What an amazing return!
All right!
He went straight for it!
He read my serve!
Then...
Forward spin!
He's going off-center!
Damn... It's going over the net!
But don't panic.
If I can hit a fast ball near his feet,
he can't use his drive volley!
Ei-chan's moved up, too!
Love-30.
Yes!
Why didn't Miyagawa use his drive volley?
You can't swing when a ball that fast comes at your feet.
He kept him from hitting a drive volley,
then anticipated that the ball would pop up and went up for the shot.
Miyagawa
There's not enough space to hit it past Miyagawa from the sides.
Shooting a fast ball near his feet, since it's closer with more space,
is less risky, so long as he doesn't hit the net.
It's a great method for getting around a drive volley.
He went after my drive volley.
Drive volleys aren't strong against fast balls.
I shouldn't have moved up aggressively like that.
I have to corner him with my ground stroke first.
To do that, I need to gain the upper hand with my serve.
But even my serve is a target now.
First, I have to fluster his serve.
On my return, I have to take the initiative
and prevent him from moving forward.
If he moves forward anyway,
hit a fast ball at his feet, making him unable to use his drive volley.
I now know exactly what to do to break his serve!
Love-30...
Wide Front Center Front Wide
Right now, Miyagawa-kun will definitely want to get his first serve in.
So it's highly likely that he'll go wide, his strong suit.
But I'm sure he already knows how I plan to return that, so he might change it up.
30% of my attention will be focused on the center,
and the rest on wide.
It's wide!
Out!
15-30.
Damn!
I should've focused 100% on wide!
I was leading in a return game...
This is no time to be careful!
I have to break his serve!
So far it's been wide, center, then wide.
He'll most likely go for the center next.
I'll put 100% of my focus on the center this time!
Center!
Not only did he read my serve, he moved up to the net!
Single-handed!
But it'll go in!
Reach!
15-40.
He nailed it on the return dash!
That means...
Maruo's got break point!
That's incredible!
Yes! You can do it, Ei-chan!
You're kidding me, right?
Is Miyagawa not feeling well or something?
No matter how you look at it, Maruo's scoring offensively.
He'll go for the center next.
I'm going all-in on this one!
It's wide!
Send it back far and deep, then come back quickly!
If Miyagawa-kun doesn't come forward,
it'll turn into a ground stroke battle!
As expected, Miyagawa has an edge on ground strokes.
Ei-chan, hang in there!
It's going in!
And how is Miyagawa hitting those tight shots on break point?
Isn't he afraid of making an error?
That's just how dire the situation is for him.
I won't get anywhere by playing defensively.
To pull ahead, I have to go for the turn-around, even if it's aggressive.
Then...
Which of the various shots should I use?
Flat
Probably flat, since it has the most power.
I'll use my strong delivery, be prepared to miss,
and hit it straight into open court!
I couldn't avoid a battle of ground strokes with Miyagawa-kun after all...
I just have to face him!
What is this perseverance?!
I can't be beaten on my serve in a battle of the ground strokes I'm best at!
It's flat!
Hit it with all my strength!
Out!
I broke his serve!
Game: Maruo. 3-1.
He broke Miyagawa's serve!
Maruo pushed for it, too.
I wonder if Miyagawa panicked since his drive volleys
were blocked and his strokes were returned persistently.
Rather than being persistent, Maruo most likely planned ahead for the next moves.
The fear of getting scored on while playing to his strongest suit
is probably what made Miyagawa miss.
I did it!
I was able to get the upper hand by breaking serve first in a one-set match!
But my opponent is Miyagawa-kun.
I can't relax after one break.
I'll go for a first serve with a 70% success rate again.
But I'll go flat through the center without giving up any speed.
No matter what, I have to hold serve!
Damn...
There's still a 30% risk of failure, so I'll switch gears.
For the second serve, I'll use a spin shot that's 100%,
and follow the course!
15-love.
He missed the return on the second serve.
I've never seen him make such a careless error.
What is this?
30-love.
Miyagawa-kun's responses are poor.
Is he flustered by the break?
Is his condition off?
I don't know what's going on,
but I have to keep the lead in this game!
Miyagawa's definitely shaken up by that break.
What? It's only 3-1.
It's way too soon to lose hope.
He's strong...
At this point, Maruo-kun is clearly better than me.
The moment I thought that, my body stopped cooperating.
I've never had this happen before.
No matter how powerful the opponent was,
I gave it my all and fought 'til the end.
Because it'll carry on to the next game.
Out. 40-love.
Next?
Oh, right. There is no "next"...
There's no way a high schooler who loses in the prefecturals
can play tennis professionally.
If that's true,
I can't keep up the confidence to go pro.
Game: Maruo. 4-1.
Yes!
Is that what I'm afraid of?
Bro!
Nice hold!
If he continues to hold serve, he'll win, right?
Seriously? Miyagawa's gonna lose here?
Hey, hey, this is getting crazy!
Hey, Miyagawa!
You can do it, Miyagawa!
If you don't do your best here, you'll regret it forever!
Oobayashi-senpai...
Regret... forever...
That's right.
There is a next time.
I might continue tennis in college like Oobayashi-senpai did.
Even if it's not tennis, so long as I'm alive,
there'll always be more battles to face.
But if I give up here and now,
I'll give up next time and the next time after that, too.
I don't want that!
That was unexpected.
This guy's really passionate.
Is Oobayashi-kun like that at school?
Time!
Maruo Miyagawa
That's right...
I can't give up yet!
Yes!
15-love.
That was fast!
That's his fastest ball today.
It's different from the previous games.
If I can't depend on Miyagawa-kun to miss,
I'll have to chip away at him during his serves like before,
and break again!
He'll definitely get his first serve in.
Which means he's likely to use his favored wide serve.
It's deep!
He's hitting a risky return with an even riskier power shot!
In this type of game, I still have the upper hand, having broken serve!
I'll just go for it!
1/81!
He's moving up!
A lob!
Out! 15-all.
So close!
Miyagawa changed his pace all of the sudden.
Yeah, Maruo completely missed the timing on that one.
I'm well aware of our disparity in skill.
But I won't lose!
The same way Maruo-kun beat me last year,
I'll keep pressing, even if it's risky!
I'll bet all sixteen years of my life on this!
It's faster again!
30-15.
The ball's movements are completely different!
Even though his play is high-risk,
he's not missing.
This feeling...
It feels like he's relying on his instincts and coming at me with all he's got.
He's like me when I played against Alex!
Yes!
40-15.
Even though drop shots aren't Miyagawa's forte, he pulled it off perfectly...
Yeah!
Game: Miyagawa. 4-2.
Maruo leads.
Miyagawa-kun got his rhythm back.
No, it's more than that.
He might be playing his best.
Even so, I have to hold serve!
The power of the serve, the type of hit, and the direction all keep changing.
There are too many patterns. I can't read them all.
Even if I can't return it perfectly,
I have my ground strokes!
He's way too aggressive.
This type of play is bound to miss at some point...
And yet they're all going in!
Anything can happen in a match like this!
If I don't crush him, he'll crush me.
If I get crushed here...
It's over!
Whoa, what an amazing rally!
All right!
I was able to hold serve!
Game: Maruo. 5-2.
Maruo leads.
One more game and Maruo's gonna beat out the third seed!
There's only been one break. You never know!
If I break his serve, I'll win.
Even if I can't do that, as long as I hold my next serve game, I'll win!
I can do this!
But remember that in the end, the one who enjoys their time the most is the winner.
Even if I'm winning, I can't let my guard down even for a second.
How am I supposed to enjoy a match like this?
Time!
I won't regret this!
I won't give up, either!
15-love.
15-all.
30-all.
30-40.
Maruo Miyagawa
Bro's got match point!
Game, set, and match.
Winner: Maruo. Score: 6-2.
Yes!
I won...
I won with my skill!
The third seed lost!
Are you serious?
Maruo's gotten so much stronger!
You did it!
Now you're in Kanto Junior, too, Bro!
Yay!
That's amazing, Ei-chan!
Maruo won by a mile!
That's so unexpected!
Really?! Miyagawa-kun lost?
Thank you very much.
I can't believe it!
No way!
I personally thought I played my best.
But you completely destroyed me.
You not only returned my drive volley,
but also broke my serve twice.
Needless to say, I lost completely.
Maruo-kun, you're better than I am.
Miyagawa-kun...
Oh, yeah. You asked me last summer if I was trying to go pro.
Huh?
You're aiming to go pro too, right?
Yes.
Uh, are you looking to go pro, Miyagawa-kun?
Go pro?
Hmm, well...
Good question.
He dodged it.
Maybe that's the difference between us.
Good luck in the Kanto Junior.
Miyagawa-kun...
Miyagawa-kun must've been playing with the same mindset as me.
Hey.
I ended up losing.
Don't worry about it!
It was a great game.
But...
I gave it my all.
Then,
there'll definitely be a next time.
Yeah.
Next Time
Unlike how it's been in the past,
it was a real struggle to win.
I guess it showed me how intense a real match can be.
I can understand how that feels.
Huh?
But you'll probably have more matches like that in the future.
The more you win, the sooner you'll understand
that the truly fun matches are the ones that feel that way.
Next time on Baby Steps,
Baffled by Intuition
"Baffled by Intuition."
End