Araya Maruo
I'll do something about it, no matter what!
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.
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.
Choices and Explosive Power
First set winner: Takasaki. Score: 6-2.
Yes!
Takasaki Natsu's really strong!
And cute, too!
She's in the nation's top four, so she's bound to be great in Kanazawa.
Araya Maruo
Come to think of it, I wonder how the boys' side is doing.
Time.
For now, I've figured out how to deal with a left-handed player.
But in my current state, this is the best I can do.
I have to hold this next serve.
Aim mainly toward his backhand!
I may not be used to his left backhand,
but I'll make this work!
Even if I mainly aim for his backhand,
I can still scope out the right time for a...
Forehand!
I want to move up, but if I can't do that,
I'll watch for his left forehand crosscourt!
That's it!
Forehand crosscourt!
The ball reaches farther than his right backhand!
Until I get used to it,
I'll play it safe and use my 1/36 control!
Out. 15-love.
Looks like he's used to my left-handed play.
Even if it was his mistake,
I scored by returning his forehand with my backhand!
I can do this!
Araya, don't worry about it!
Keep attacking during the return game!
Way to hang in there, Ei-chan!
That's right.
You've got no choice but to come up with a safe strategy for now.
All the while trying to avoid being trumped by his backhand.
Their strokes are getting longer.
Yeah, Maruo's keeping up, too.
If I can get an edge on him while it's my serve,
I can figure out how to deal with left-handed play
by testing out different safe strategies.
Learn it with my body,
and increase the accuracy of my control little by little.
By taking technical misses out of the equation,
I'll be less likely to lose confidence.
Game: Maruo. 1-0.
Yes!
I held!
Nice job, Ei-chan!
Yeah, it looks like he's bouncing back.
You can do it, Maruo-kun!
No, not yet.
All I did was hold out.
I haven't gotten up to being able to break in a return game.
I learned during the first set that
I should disrupt the tempo or do something unexpected
when facing someone who has both speed and power.
Also, that he's left-handed,
and that his serves are especially intense.
Which means how I return this serve and surprise him
is what will lead to my break!
A step and a half out, forward two ball widths!
It's too fast to get to in time.
But it went in!
Love-15.
Huh?
What was that error just now?
I barely returned that ball. It was his chance to win the point.
Maybe his timing was off because I swung harder?
If that's the case, does it mean I was able
to surprise him, even if it was accidental?
I knew that doing something unexpected would be effective,
but I was too occupied with how to deal with his left-handed play.
But I have to break next.
How can I surprise him to neutralize his speed and power
so I can break?
A slice that tails outwards!
A step and a half out.
Imagine three ball widths ahead of where it is!
I sent it back somehow!
This forehand is a beat faster.
Until I get used to it, 1/36!
Yes!
Now throw him off!
He noticed!
15-all.
Yeah!
He got me!
The change in the ball's speed from that last point made him more aware of it!
A drop shot may not work until I'm in a more advantageous position.
How do I gain the advantage?
Out. 30-15.
Huh? He returned it full force all of a sudden.
That had a bit too much power to it.
But you can't take on Araya without that kind of force.
A break is always risky.
I have to switch gears and gain the upper hand,
even if it's just for a second.
It's impossible to surprise someone who's so aware of changes in the ball's speed.
A ad court slice goes about a step and a half outside the sideline.
40-15.
He's starting to change up his trajectories.
That's right. Araya-kun can change directions with his wrists,
even if it's right before making contact.
Watch closely.
Prepare in advance.
Hit it with all I've got!
It went in!
The court's open now!
I have less risk in this moment, which gives me the advantage!
And now...
Throw him off!
40-30.
Yes!
Wow! That was a great drop shot!
Araya couldn't get to it. Isn't that unbelievable?
It was really well-controlled.
But wouldn't he have won that point even without a drop shot?
Probably.
But that's exactly when you should hit a drop shot.
Until now, Maruo has been returning those shots crosscourt and running up.
Because those have been successful,
Araya got there a step too late.
It's a big breakthrough for him to make the choice to play offensively.
Huh...
That was unexpected.
Are you planning to increase the variety of your attack patterns?
Give it a try.
I never questioned it in the past,
but I didn't know how many ways there are
to win points when you have the upper hand in a match.
That point just now may have been a big deal!
Okay. First, I have to find a way to return wide serves that put me at a disadvantage
so that I can turn it to my advantage.
Wide Step and a half
I can get to the wide shot in a step and a half.
But if I'm too fast,
he'll switch his aim to the center.
Center
Then first, I'll...
Huh?
Ei-chan's farther to the side than usual.
Is that okay?
Yeah, I think that's fine.
What, really?
Yeah, it's a pretty common way of dealing with a left-handed serve.
Just watch.
How's this?
Hard to hit Normal position
Wide slice
If I stay on the left side of court as usual,
Hard to hit Normal position
it's hard to hit a slice that goes out wide,
a shot typical of left-handed players.
Difficult, but... Where I currently am
I know it'll be difficult to get to the center,
but here, I don't have to worry about wide shots.
Hard to hit Normal position
In order to have the upper hand in a return game,
I have to stop this serve first!
Just minutes ago, he was baffled by my being left-handed,
and he's come this far already?
That's fine.
I'm already used to petty tricks like that!
Fault!
Whoa, that was so close!
If the center's wide open like that,
he'll obviously go for it.
But the zone for an ace is narrow for a serve down the center.
Wide (Front of opponent)
Center (Easy to fault)
That being said, I can't say that
boldly aiming wide is a good plan.
I see.
It ends up being difficult to aim for either target.
Of course, Araya knows this already.
He probably chose to aim for the center after considering his options.
But that was a big asset for Maruo.
Now Araya has to give a lot more thought to something
he used to be able to do without thinking.
That was dangerous because it was flat,
so the second serve will probably be safer, like a slice.
A slice would be slower, too, so I can deal with it.
If this gets to deuce, I can go for the break!
Good! A wide slice!
Since I have more leeway in this position, I can do it!
He's running to the net!
It's a great return, too!
Now, bring it! Counter!
Forehand
Cross
Cross!
Damn!
Deuce!
I barely touched it, and I hit a winner!
He hit it so low, all I could do was hit a deep return...
That drop shot earlier really did work.
The time it took him to decide which attack to use delayed him.
Okay!
Only two more points until a break!
I'll return it toward the deuce court with all I've got.
His serve is fast, so I won't need a huge swing or a lot of power.
Imagine hitting the ball with my weight.
It's all about timing!
It cut in at him!
It's in!
Advantage: Maruo!
Yes!
Game, set, and match.
Winner: Takasaki. Score: 6-2, 6-0.
Takasaki Natsu's won the Kanagawa tournament two years in a row!
And she's cute!
She did it! Congratulations!
Now Maruo's got break point.
It's not like Araya's doing poorly.
The game's just in Maruo's favor right now.
Good job, Ei-chan!
Maybe luck's been on his side since the ball that hit the net went in.
It went in because he really went for it.
It's not just luck.
If I can do this, I can break!
I have to concentrate on the first serve here.
That means...
Wide!
It hit!
If I have the upper hand, then...
Another drop shot!
Game: Maruo. 2-0.
Second set.
I got it!
Yes!
Nice, Bro!
He finally broke Araya's serve!
Seriously?
Maruo's awesome.
Yes... Yes!
My first break in this match!
Huh?
N-No, it's still the beginning of the second set, and it's just one break!
Pull it together!
Since I lost the first set, I have to win this set, no matter what.
And yet, I'm still handling the left crosscourt shot cautiously.
But now I know that if I have the upper hand, I have more options.
The more options I have, the more opportunities I can create.
On top of that, it's my serve.
If I can get my first serve in,
there's a good chance I can choose the best option right away.
All right...
Here I go!
Here it comes.
What do I choose here?
Araya-kun's probably assuming
I'll either go for a deep stroke or a shallow drop shot.
Then I'll split the difference,
and go for a spin that tails out!
Araya-kun's balance is off because he was expecting a short ball.
Now I can...
15-love.
Yes!
I'm able to disrupt Araya-kun's tempo.
I can match him even with slower shots.
If I hit hard now, it'll be a power shot!
Out. 30-love.
Wasn't that shot by Maruo incredible?
Yeah, it looked really fast!
Araya's really irritated.
He's always so easy to read.
Bro is making good use of speed.
Yeah, even if he can't hit a fast ball,
he can make it feel like it's fast.
And when facing an opponent who's strengths are speed and power,
changing your pace is an effective strategy.
So switching up speeds is a tactic?
Right.
Generally, it's easy to get into the rhythm if the same pace continues,
so matches often settle into a steady pace.
Altering that pace will disrupt your opponent's rhythm.
You can take control by switching up your speeds and shots.
Maruo's shots are average in terms of power,
but he has great control.
Players like that are best suited to use this strategy.
If his ability to change pace becomes even greater,
he should even be able to face the top players in the country.
After all, this is the essence of his mantra,
"If you can return all shots with excellent control, theoretically, you will never lose."
30-love in a serve game.
I should give it my all here and...
It didn't go in.
But it's okay as long as I get 70% of my first serves in.
40-love.
Huh?
Did that go in just now?
Uh, I couldn't tell.
Wasn't that a fault?
Hey, that was in?
Y-Yes...
That felt like a fault.
But that's for the ref to decide.
Are you kidding me?!
...is what I want to say.
But after facing him last year, I learned...
Anger doesn't help.
Anger can momentarily change the situation
if you take it out on something or someone.
But in the end, it warps you.
Release the anger unto the sky.
His expression changed.
While Araya-kun is trying to recover is when
I should strike!
Game: Maruo. 3-0.
Second set.
Maruo's still holding the lead.
After increasing the number of options for attacks,
I've had some leverage.
But it won't be so easy from here on.
Even if Araya-kun doesn't base his play on strategies or skills,
he can change his play by altering his mental state.
Our last match was like that, too.
I have to be extremely cautious of Araya-kun after he causes a scene.
People who can play while expressing their emotions
always surpass what I expect of them.
Time.
At any rate, Araya-kun will be playing harder from here on.
And if I can't surpass him when he's like that, I can't win.
Concentrate.
15-love.
There's the ace!
I can't do anything about those, so I'll switch gears.
30-love.
Two aces in a row!
Araya-senpai! Nice serve!
To think he improved the accuracy
of his flat serve this much with just that one yell.
I was finally able to figure out how to deal with the power and speed
of his left-handed shots and gain the upper hand.
I won't let him just flip that around on me so easily!
Wow, nice return!
With the advantage I have now,
I can go with my 1/64 control!
Out. 30-15.
Yes!
Even if Araya-kun's on a roll while it's his serve,
I can gain the advantage if I overcome the risks.
What? He went back to his original return position.
You sure about that?
It's dangerous to split the center when the serves are good.
And if I return them, Araya-kun will definitely go for...
a wide slice!
My swing was too late!
40-15.
It's no use, even if I'm aware of it.
Game: Araya. 3-1.
Second set.
Yeah!
I guess breaking twice in a row was impossible.
Araya Maruo
But the score is 3-1.
I can win this set if I can protect my lead.
No matter what...
I have to hold!
After gaining the advantage, I choose...
A high-arching shot deep to his backhand!
He's taking smaller steps than usual!
Love-15.
He got me!
Yeah! Bring it!
No, he's just adjusting to the change in pace faster than I expected.
Araya-kun plays rough, but maybe the reason he's good at adjusting
is that he's always been second best to Takuma.
True...
Maybe the more you lose, the easier it is to accept and learn from it.
Instead of going for a slow ball with a fast-paced hit,
he matched my timing.
If he's able to do that, using too many slow shots is dangerous.
If I focus on fast balls, when should I change the pace,
and what should I break down to attack?
Maruo!
You're the best opponent I've ever had.
Thanks to you, I can fix my weaknesses!
I'll show you where your limit is!
I tried with a slower hit last time, but this time...
Fast ball!
After he collapses his stance, aim for the open court!
15-all.
Yes! That slow shot earlier worked here!
Nat-chan!
Her match is over.
Nat-chan won!
Takasaki-san!
I won!
That's amazing!
Congratulations on the win, Nat-chan!
Congrats! That was fast.
Thanks!
So Ei-chan is leading in the second set?
He just made his first break.
He changed the tempo by mixing up his shots.
It was a very Ei-chan-like play.
So he's able to change the pace well, huh?
Game: Maruo. 4-1.
Second set!
Yes, I held!
But I've still broken only once.
Araya 2-4 Maruo
Araya 2-5 Maruo
Araya 3-5 Maruo
You can do it, Ei-chan!
If you win this game...
Set point!
If I win this, we'll be going to the final set!
I'll go for...
Another drop shot!
He's already over there!
That's so risky!
He got it!
Second set winner: Maruo.
Score: 6-3.
Yes!
Amazing! He took the set from Araya!
Seriously? Wasn't Araya ranked in the nation's top eight last year?
Well, he only won the set. We don't know how it'll end!
This means they're tied, right?
Yeah! Whoever gets the next set wins!
It's curious, though...
Araya's reactions are gradually improving.
My moves are getting better every time I return his drop shots.
Maybe it's because it reminds me of facing Takuma.
Even though it's the prefectural final,
I honestly didn't think my engine would start since I'm not facing Takuma.
I could never admit that to my teammates who left...
But I honestly couldn't do it.
But this match reminded me
how I felt when I first started playing tennis.
Playing you, not Takuma, in this final round
made me remember that.
In the end, I'm not doing this for someone,
or for honor, or anything like that.
I just hate to lose!
I hope Ei-chan can keep this up and win.
I'm not so sure about that.
Not only does Araya have explosive power, but he's playing better and better, too.
On top of that, he has more experience than Maruo,
so he knows how to deal with a critical close contest.
The final set will be a rough battle, no matter what.
Still, I think he'll be fine.
Because Ei-chan looks like he's having fun!
Time!
It's time! The final set!
Next Time
Araya-kun is on his game, which is dangerous for me!
I need to learn to trust my instincts more.
But for now, I'll trust my reason!
After playing against you for this long, I can tell...
You want to go pro, don't you?
All the more reason I can't let you win.
No matter when you change your pace,
no matter where you control your shots.
In the end, my legs will catch up to you!
Next time on Baby Steps,
Full Force Toward Adversity
"Full Force Toward Adversity."
End