Kanagawa Junior Tennis Tournament Arena
Serve.
Then I'll be on this side.
Good luck.
Best-of-three-set match.
Araya to serve.
Here I come!
I'm giving it everything from the start!
What an amazing serve!
But it got returned!
It's so heavy!
He has even more power than last year!
Whoa, that was a great shot!
But Maruo managed to return it, too.
All right!
Start with a Roar
All right!
Looks like it's started.
Hello.
Hey.
He's so loud!
All he did was win a point on his serve.
He's way too hyped up.
Araya-kun...
Nice shot!
Araya-senpai, nice shot!
15-love.
His speed and the volume of his voice have increased,
yet he looks calm.
Take Down Araya File 1. Aim for his weak point: his slow start. 2. Take your time during points and play at your own pace. 3. Contest of endurance. 4. It's important to concede points sometimes. Especially with Araya-kun who has both speed and power on his side, it's normal to lose from time to time. 5. Avoid his fast-paced tempo and surprise him.
Item 1 of my Take Down Araya File from last year, his slow start, has been fixed!
Fifteen seconds.
Fifteen seconds have passed.
Last year, he would've been annoyed
Take Down Araya File 1. Aim for his weak point: his slow start. 2. Take your time during points and play at your own pace. 3. Contest of endurance. 4. It's important to concede points sometimes. Especially with Araya-kun who has both speed and power on his side, it's normal to lose from time to time.
just by me fixing my strings.
But he's able to keep his concentration.
I should cross off everything else I can now,
early in my return game, while my risk factor is low.
Watch carefully
and apply it to last year's data!
Wide!
30-love.
Yes!
That's right...
Araya-kun can change the course of his shots
just before contact, thanks to his strong wrists.
Take Down Araya File 1. Aim for his weak point: his slow start. 2. Take your time during points and play at your own pace. 3. Contest of endurance. 4. It's important to concede points sometimes. Especially with Araya-kun who has both speed and power on his side, it's normal to lose from time to time. 5. Avoid his fast-paced tempo and surprise him.
And his serves are powerful.
I'll have to give up on trying to get those aces.
But that doesn't mean I can stop collecting information.
I returned it somehow!
Last year I had to seize the initiative by force in my return game,
but it's different now.
I'm going to go for it and use my 1/81 control!
Wow! What a spot to aim for!
And he moved up even closer!
He's fast!
His counter's coming!
If I don't see his habit of dropping his shoulder...
It'll be straight!
40-love.
Yeah, bring it! Come on!
He got me even though I used my low-risk 1/81 control.
To top it off, I even knew what direction it was going...
This is Araya-kun's counter.
The weapon of a player in Japan's top eight.
It's not enough for me just to hit a controlled shot.
I have to change up my timing,
or create an open court...
And I have to think about how and when to do it.
Also, Araya-kun is impatient, so he wasn't strong in contests of endurance.
Maybe slowing the pace and just sticking it out would be a viable tactic.
Drop the pace with a slice!
It's no good.
A slower pace and endurance alone won't win me points.
There's no other way but to be aggressive.
In that case, the last item of the Take Down Araya File...
5. Avoid his fast-paced tempo and surprise him.
Do something unexpected to disrupt his tempo!
That's a nice drop shot!
He's rushing in even closer!
Araya's fast, too!
Game: Araya. 1-0.
Yeah!
H-His legs are intense...
But if I can pull it off right, what I just did might be effective.
I knew it wouldn't be like last year...
Take Down Araya File 1. Aim for his weak point: his slow start. 2. Take your time during points and play at your own pace. 3. Contest of endurance. 4. It's important to concede points sometimes. Especially with Araya-kun who has both speed and power on his side, it's normal to lose from time to time. 5. Avoid his fast-paced tempo and surprise him.
But I figured out which tactics I can still use,
as well as which ones I can't use anymore, and why.
In a return game, you can't do much other than inch closer like this.
I'll figure out as much as I can, and when the time comes,
I'll be happy if I can break once, preferably twice.
Time.
I polished my serve so I can make use of my return game!
15-love.
Yes!
Whoa, that was amazing...
Wasn't that as fast as Araya's?
I don't know. It might've been faster.
So this is how you were able to score against Miyagawa.
But that just means if I can do something about this, I can win.
I'll go for the center with a spin!
Out!
30-love.
He returned it with all he had...
Next will be a slice that bounces wide!
40-love.
He returned it with a power shot again, even though it blew his posture.
Just as I thought.
It's hard to hit it with that speed and spin,
but it's not something I can't return.
Is he trying to hit back all the different serves
so his body can learn the varied timing?
He's going for the break in a forceful way that's nothing like mine.
But I won't let that happen!
I've gotten three points with different serves so far,
so here's one he hasn't seen yet: my center slice!
Out!
Game: Maruo. 1-all.
Yes!
First and foremost, hold serve.
Maruo's doing pretty well, too.
He was able to hold serve against Araya.
What a troublesome serve.
He's changing up the trajectory by varying the serve type and power.
That speed is inconceivable with a body like his,
yet he's also balanced.
For now, I'll be prepared for a flat shot, his fastest.
Beyond that, all I can do is make my body itself learn the differences.
Jeez.
He's as good as a national player!
For someone who had no speed or power,
you sure got a lot stronger since last year!
15-love.
To think that even with your build,
you managed to get stronger with only ingenuity and strategy.
I don't want to accept that.
But the fact that you won your way here
is proof that it's true.
Yes!
But as you get better at tennis,
your physique becomes increasingly important.
I'll show you that truth,
and the difference between us that you can't make up for, right here and now!
Game: Araya. 2-1.
It's my serve.
I have to be sure to hold!
His return made it through!
But if it's my serve,
I can do this!
His left shoulder dropped!
Counter to crosscourt!
15-love.
Yes!
If it's my serve, I can return his counters, too.
I can be more than an even match!
A-Amazing...
Bro is able to handle Araya's speed and power.
How is he doing that without making errors?
It's not as though he's winning because of his footwork.
But not only is he exceptionally good at analyzing a situation,
his body, though average, has been trained hard.
And adding his keen eyes to the formula,
that's how he's playing at the same level as Araya.
30-love.
In his current state, he obviously can't win with power.
But by using accurate control to hit courses that are tough to follow,
his offense can match the level of that power shot.
That's the most solid proof that
he's getting closer to the ultimate ideal he held in the beginning: "if you can return all shots
with excellent control, theoretically, you will never lose."
Game: Maruo.
Yes!
2-all.
Which means he has a chance of winning, right?
Yeah. The real battle starts now.
It all depends on which one will break first.
Araya Maruo
Both of them want to break, but neither seems to be getting an opening.
Maruo-kun is aware of Araya-kun's tendency to play at a fast tempo,
so he's going for the break by using his control.
On the other side,
Araya-kun is going for the break with his overwhelming power and speed.
They're both looking for a chance to deal a decisive blow.
But...
The way this is going might be a little problematic.
Yes!
Game: Araya. 4-3.
What is this awkward feeling?
Don't tell me he...
I'm holding serve, but I'm losing ground on this point.
But we should be playing at the same level.
So why?
I haven't been able to win on crucial points.
Is the reason I can't score points in the end
just because I'm unlucky?
It'd be great if I could learn something from looking over my old data,
but court change is only a minute and a half...
Actually...
The beginning of his attacks: crosscourt When Araya-kun plans his attack, he always begins with a crosscourt shot at a sharp angle to move me outside.
When he does, he leans forward slightly just before impact.
Araya-kun fixed his habit from last year of leaning forward after hitting crosscourt.
This couldn't be related to that, could it?
Hey, Yukichi.
When Maruo lost to Araya last year,
did he say anything that stood out?
Huh?
I think he just said he didn't have the skill to beat him, or something.
Is something on your mind?
I almost forgot. He hasn't been playing tennis for that long.
So maybe he doesn't know
that Araya is left-handed.
What does it mean if your opponent is left-handed?
Simply put, a left-handed player has the upper hand in tennis.
What? Why?
The main reason is that there are fewer left-handed players.
That means right-handed players don't get many opportunities to play against them.
But when Bro played against Araya last year,
he didn't mention having trouble with that.
Then maybe he lost before he could realize it.
Especially since there was such a huge difference in their skill levels.
I see.
But it's different now.
Their skill levels are so evenly matched,
the smallest difference between the two will greatly impact the match.
Especially if the game gets drawn out.
He's analytical, so I'm sure he'll notice,
but it's something that can't be helped.
Huh?
Wait a second...
Here, here, and here...
Araya-kun's crosscourt forehand won points off me.
Weaker Araya Forced into missing Araya
Down the Line
Couldn't make it Crosscourt forehand
His forehand crosscourt cornered my backhand...
If the opponent isn't left-handed,
I wouldn't be able to return a crosscourt forehand with my backhand.
If that's the case...
The awkward feeling I had earlier was because
Araya-kun is left-handed?
But are left-handed forehands and right-handed backhands that different?
I feel like the trajectory is pretty similar...
Are Araya-kun's forehands special?
Time!
Since I couldn't find a clear answer,
I'll just have to figure it out as I play.
I'll find out what makes a left-handed forehand unique
during my serve, when I have the upper hand.
Remember to keep an eye out for his crosscourt forehand...
Love-15.
Looks like it's no mistake.
He's really
having trouble dealing with the fact that I'm left-handed.
A right-handed backhand and a left-handed forehand are indeed different.
But how are they different?
Left Forehand
Point of contact is further back for left forehand Right Backhand
The point of contact? Follow-through?
No, that's not it.
Forehands and backhands are two
totally different shots to begin with.
Left Forehand
Left forehands are further away from the center of gravity Right Backhand
That awkward feeling earlier was because I tried
to hit both back in the same way.
If that's the case, then what do I do?
Fifteen seconds.
Okay, for now...
To get used to left-handed shots in an efficient manner,
I'll watch Araya-kun's moves carefully...
And imagine how he looks when he turns just before he shoots.
Araya-kun is moving up!
Love-30.
Yeah!
Araya, the baseliner, moved up!
He's finally going for it!
Two more points and he'll break!
Maruo!
Keep your eyes peeled!
Damn...
Focusing like that narrowed my field of vision,
and I couldn't follow his moves.
That's right.
It's at times like these
that I have to widen my field of vision
and look at both the whole court and Araya-kun.
Don't overthink it...
Don't get stuck on just "right-handed" and "left-handed."
Just hit the way my instincts tell me to!
Out.
Love-40.
Maruo missed again!
Now Araya's got break point!
Wh-What's wrong, Maruo-kun.?
This seriously looks bad.
This isn't good.
Trusting your instincts now isn't going to work.
Much like you,
your instincts don't know how to deal with a left-handed player, either.
If you overwhelm your pure instincts and end up missing,
it might accidentally lead to insecurity.
It's going to be rough if that happens.
Out.
Game: Araya. Score: 5-3.
Araya leads.
Yeah, bring it!
Araya broke serve!
They're not on even footing anymore!
Maruo!
This isn't like you! Get it together!
Yes!
Araya-senpai!
Let's win this set!
Th-That was weird just now.
It's not just that he's left-handed.
Something's weird about my shots, too!
Araya Maruo
Araya!
If you win this, you've got the first set!
It's just one break!
Hang in there, Maruo!
My backhand is off now.
When I think about fixing it, it narrows my field of vision.
But letting my instincts take over isn't working, either.
Is there any data that can help at a time like this?
That's right...
I don't have any data on left-handed players to begin with!
Playing instinctively only worked when I had plenty of experience or data.
There's no way my instincts can understand something my reason doesn't understand.
Reason
Instinct
Being left-handed is a weapon in itself.
Just like Takuma-san's height, Araya-kun's entire body is ideal for tennis.
First, I have to do something about this awkward sensation
and the poor condition my backhand is in.
15-love.
H-He got an ace!
He's gunning to take the set!
A wide slice!
30-love.
I see...
Until now, I've thought of
his serves as just mirror images of right-handed serves.
But a serve is where the
difference between right-handed and left-handed is most apparent!
In particular, that wide slice pushed me to the edge of the court
Goes further out than Spin direction is a right-handed serve. opposite of right-handed.
Ad court Wide slice
Backhand contact doesn't reach as far as forehand
and forced me to use my backhand.
Just when my backhand is being uncooperative as it is...
Backhand again!
Out. 40-love.
He's definitely aiming for it.
No hard feelings, but I'll be taking full advantage of your weaknesses.
Here it comes!
Araya's set point!
Araya-san! Finish this in one shot!
Maruo-kun, you can do it!
Calm down! Calm down!
I feel like he's going to take it all if he scores now!
Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch
I have to organize my thoughts.
Araya Araya
Serve Cross-Forehand
The problem is Araya-kun's left-handed shots.
Especially his serves and crosscourt forehands
that bounce outwards as if there's a spin on them.
Typically Advantageous The closer the point of contact is to the center of gravity, the more centrifugal force is gained along with power. Forehand The point of contact is forced back so there is more power.
The closer the point of contact is to the center of gravity, the less centrifugal force. Backhand Because the point of contact isn't forced back, there is less power.
And the physical factor
is that I can't return those with my backhand.
But that's not the only reason.
Ever since I made an error playing instinctively,
I'm no longer confident in my backhand.
That's my psychological factor.
Physical and psychological factors...
Can I solve both at the same time?
If I can't, then which do I prioritize?
I have to be as efficient as possible.
This is the critical moment.
Fifteen seconds.
That's right!
I was never the type that could be confident with no basis for it.
If I can't figure out how to deal with the physical factor,
there's no way I can have confidence, my psychological factor.
Think!
His serve should come to my backhand again.
Analyze the differences from a right-handed serve as much as possible...
Have my body learn them as I carefully adjust
the predicted point of contact.
How much will a left-handed serve bounce to my backhand?
Wide slice!
First, take one step toward the outside.
Imagine three ball widths ahead of where it is!
It's still not enough!
But I returned it!
I'm ready for the left forehand!
Left Forehand Point of contact for left forehand is pushed backwards. Right Backhand
Left Forehand Left forehands are further away from the center of gravity. Right Backhand
A left forehand can hit a ball farther than a right backhand.
Imagine the point of contact being slightly closer than it actually is.
Faster than usual by a beat!
I aimed for deep right, but it landed in the middle!
I'm still swinging too slowly.
It feels less awkward to return the left backhand.
The problem really is the left forehand!
Here it is!
Faster...
Yes!
That pattern just now...
Weaker Araya
Down the line
Couldn't make it.
When he's been nailing me with aces all this time,
a straight shot after the crosscourt forehand!
First set winner: Araya. Score: 6-3.
Araya won the first set!
As expected, Araya's just a cut above.
I thought Maruo would put up a good fight.
He got me.
But at this point, I still have time to adjust the issues.
Araya Maruo
I'll do something about it, no matter what!
Left Forehand Left Forehand Right Backhand Right Backhand Strong Strong Weak Weak
Strong Weak Strong Weak Right Forehand Right Backhand Right Forehand Right Backhand
Left forehand is not only strong, but also lack experience handling it with right backhand. Right Forehand is powerful, but can be handled with left backhand. Both weak, balances out.
This is why that left crosscourt forehand got me.
I was able to return it after I finally figured it out.
As proof...
I was a step away from being able to return that straight shot
when he'd been hitting aces the whole time.
I was able to get that far during a return game.
I'll be able to hold my next serve!
I was able to prevent myself from getting worse!
I don't understand.
This is the final round of the high-level Kanagawa tournament.
Why would someone who made it this far
be so stymied by a left-handed player?
No...
He was like that, too.
Pardon me.
How many points are needed to win a tiebreaker?
Huh? You don't know?
It's my first time having one in a match.
An unbalance caused by a surge in growth.
Although it's not as much as Ike,
I can't underestimate your speed of growth.
I'll have to do something about that as soon as possible.
Next Time
For now, I've figured out how to deal with a left-handed player.
In my current state, this is the best I can do.
But if I can get the upper hand,
I'll have more options to attack.
All right, here I go!
Araya 2 - 4 Maruo
He was so baffled by dealing with a left-handed player,
Araya 2 - 5 Maruo
Araya 3 - 5 Maruo
and he's come this far already?
That's fine.
I'm already used to petty tricks like that!
Next time on Baby Steps,
Choices and Explosive Power
"Choices and Explosive Power."
End