Kanto Junior Tennis Tournament
He went for an ace again!
30-love.
All right, Yosshi! That's it!
My reaction was good that time, too.
Ide-kun's aim is just too tight.
The shots that just missed going in before
are going in now.
Don't panic. I'm always at a disadvantage in my return game.
I'm doing what I need to do.
Now he's moving up!
40-love.
Okay, get one more point and hold serve!
Game: Ide. Score: 4-1.
Maruo leads.
All right! Now he's gonna show his true strength!
Yes!
Show us a dramatic comeback!
Way to hold serve, Yosshi!
Now you're looking more like our Yosshi!
It's getting interesting now!
All right!
Looking at my notes will help me remember past points more clearly.
But first, I should record the newest data.
Everything's okay up to this point.
He was able to hold serve this time,
but my reactions have improved.
With more data, I should be able to understand him even better.
This isn't the only data I have on Ide-kun.
Whoa, check out what's in his racket bag.
This is from last year's All-Japan Junior Kanto Region Indoor Invitational.
This is from the tournament in winter,
and this is from STC's video of this year's prefectural qualifier.
These diagrams illustrate Ide-kun's tennis itself.
He's an unpredictable and intuitive player who doesn't have a definitive style.
I can see that quality of him clearly.
Dramatic By Nature
Maruo-kun.
Yes?
The allotted time has passed.
I'm giving you a warning, too.
Huh?! Wh-What about the call?
I gave the call.
Oh! So you did!
What is with the two of you?
Huh... I thought he was totally different from me,
but I guess we're alike in some ways.
That was close...
But it's good that I was able to use every second.
I have to hold serve here to win the first set!
Visualize my data on Ide-kun until the moment play begins,
and as soon as it does...
Focus on the Ide-kun in front of me!
It's coming down the line!
Yes!
15-love.
That return should've made it. That's weird.
Even when I hit a good shot,
Ide-kun aims down the line without consideration for any risk.
I've visualized that data many times, so the image was still in my mind.
It's paying off!
Next, I'll go with a flat serve.
Ide-kun isn't consistent, so there's no telling how he'll return it.
But if I narrow down my predictions based on my image, and react accordingly...
I can get to where the ball is faster!
Yes!
30-love.
Again? What the heck?
40-love.
I get it.
He's starting to move faster?
He was looking at his notes. That's all it took?
And more importantly, I'm in trouble here.
Yes!
Game: Maruo. Score: 5-1.
Maruo held serve again!
All right! Nice, nice!
I barely managed to hold on to my service advantage.
But that doesn't mean I can afford to relax yet.
That's it!
Game: Ide. Score: 5-2.
Maruo leads.
Yes!
All right, Ide! You're able to hold serve now!
You're finally stepping up your game!
Now turn it around the way you always do!
I'm just barely holding my service games,
but he held his so easily.
If he breaks my serve, the whole flow of the match will change.
In any case, I need to drill as much data as I can into my head
and hold my next serve.
I have to take control of the first set before it becomes a close match!
Damn!
When he gets a faster start, his timing gets faster too,
so I have to adjust my timing again.
Let's see, what was it again?
If he goes "bam" with a flat shot, I'll have to hit a "ta-tat."
Yosshi's opponent is pretty unique, too.
Yeah.
These two are a pretty interesting match-up.
Yeah.
Time.
Um, hey, Yosshi?
Ei-chan?
He has to break serve this game.
Yeah, since it's 5-2.
If he doesn't, he'll lose the first set.
Yosshi will pull it off.
Yeah.
Yes!
15-love.
There's still time!
Yeah!
Looks like his defensive range has widened by about one step to either side,
and his shots are just a hair faster overall.
Then I'll just have to go for a...
"Da"!
30-all.
No matter what I do, he adapts right away!
What in the world is this guy?
Bam, tata... Bam, tata...
I'll surprise him with a serve-and-volley!
40-30.
Whoa! Maruo's at set point!
If I don't win the set on this next point, I'm in trouble!
It really sucks when he gets a good serve in.
Wonder if I can at least guess which shot he'll use...
Before he can adapt...
Before this becomes a situation ideal for a guy who excels at close matches...
I have to finish it with this point!
Perfect first shot!
A rising shot down the line?!
First set winner: Maruo.
Score: 6-2.
Whoa, incredible!
How wild was that rally?!
All right! Ei-chan won the first set!
Yeah!
Oh, man...
He's just getting started!
Yes! I held on!
I'm past the first barrier!
You're kidding! An unseeded player won the first set?!
No, he's really incredible, though!
Yeah, he stopped Ide from gaining momentum.
I thought I finally had the hang of it when we were at 0-4.
Since he broke out his notes,
he's been getting started faster, and it's harder to grasp the timing.
He was within range, but I couldn't catch up.
Is it even possible for someone's play to improve so much in one match?
No...
He also made huge improvements during his match with Nabae, didn't he?
All right! One more set and he wins!
Even if he's at a loss,
the fact that he's playing his own tennis makes a big difference.
Everything he's done is working in his favor.
In particular, it's a good thing I had him play Natsu.
Huh?
He played Nat-chan?
It proved to him
that intuitive types aren't impossible for a logical type like him to beat.
This is where it really gets hard.
He keeps picking up on my timing,
so in the end, it's been all I could do to hold serve, let alone break.
I should put even more data on Ide-kun into my head,
and work on getting an even faster start.
And if he grasps my pace after I change it up,
I'll drop that pattern
and keep trying new patterns until I win.
I don't even have one notebook full of patterns I'm confident in,
but theoretically, the possibilities are infinite.
Maruo Eiichiro Ide Yoshiaki
Time.
I won the first set,
so I'll keep trying more new patterns in the second.
That's fast!
If my serve is good, it limits the shots he can use to change the pace.
I can keep it up!
15-love.
All right! Nice shot!
Make it happen!
And I don't dislike being down a set going into the second one.
Everyone'll cheer their hearts out for me when I'm up against the wall!
Yes!
30-love.
So if I win points, everyone'll be thrilled for me!
Yosshi, nice serve!
All right!
Fun times like these don't happen every day!
Game: Ide. Score: 1-0.
Second set.
Way to hold serve, Ide!
Now break his serve next!
Time to turn this thing around!
It'll be so awesome if he really does come back to win.
You kind of start to expect that from Ide-kun, huh?
I don't like the air around here.
Input all my new data every time we change sides,
and once play begins...
Focus on my opponent!
If I can take the advantage on my serve,
I can change the pace and hit it to the ideal position.
And when he loses his balance,
hit it into the open space with my 1/64 control!
15-love.
Yes!
Wow, that Maruo kid really is good.
He has incredible control.
This short crosscourt shot gets...
"Da"!
Yeah!
15-all.
All right! Take the lead, Ide!
You've even got the edge in your return game!
Wh-What is this? All he did was win a point, too.
Focus!
Maruo Eiichiro Ide Yoshiaki
Game: Maruo. 2-all.
Second set.
The second set...
Ei-chan can't break serve,
and he's barely even holding his own serves.
Yeah!
Game: Ide. 3-2.
Ide leads. Second set.
That's it, Ide!
Now break his serve!
I'm being aggressive, and I've been able to change the pace.
So how does he keep pushing me like this?
Yes!
Game: Ide. 4-3.
Ide leads. Second set.
Neither one's giving in. It's down to who can hold serve.
But Ide's the one playing better tennis.
All the data is in my head,
and I'm concentrating on my opponent...
So why?
I've got his timing down, but I can't take that one last step to break his serve.
Onii-chan!
"Onii-chan"? Who's that?
What? What's going on?
Oh!
Huh?
I got through the surgery like I promised!
So...
So you have to win!
Hey, that's not the kid who was in the accident before the match, is it?
The one Yosshi was taking care of that made him get here late.
What? That's him?
It is! He's in a wheelchair, and a nurse is with him!
We're going back as soon as it's over, okay?
I'm sorry he asked to do this.
Hey, I'm a friend of his.
What did you two promise?
Huh? Oh, I said I didn't want surgery,
and he said he'd win his match, so I had to get through my surgery.
Oh, did he? That's just like Yosshi.
Hey, he promised he'd win for the kid from the accident!
This is just like a TV drama! Incredible!
He came in a wheelchair?
Time.
Ide! Now you can't lose!
It's really getting exciting now!
Come on, Ide!
I'm already losing. This is bad.
I can't do anything dumb again.
The air is starting to feel even worse around here.
Just as Okada-kun said,
it's like a TV drama is building itself around Ide-kun.
But I'm glad the boy who was hurt is okay.
I understand why everyone's rooting for Ide-kun.
It's people like him that are best suited for the pros.
But that's exactly why I want to beat him!
Going pro means beating players just like him!
Here I go!
He reacted fast!
I have to nail it here,
or I'm not a man!
Huh? That cheering...
Is that from Ei-chan's court?
That's Ide! When he sets out to do something, he does it!
Ide-kun, you're awesome!
Keep fighting too, Maruo-kun!
Don't you dare lose, Ide-niichan!
That can't be helped on a flat serve.
Just don't get timid on my second one.
Double fault. Love-30.
No worries, Maruo!
Ide, now's your chance!
What am I doing? A double fault at a crucial time like this?
That's the third double fault today,
but it's the first one to happen on a critical point.
They don't seem that far apart in skill,
so why does he keep getting into these tight situations?
I guess being cheered on has a bigger effect than we thought.
When people are praised or feel joy,
the brain releases dopamine, which allows them to feel pleasure.
When that happens, they're motivated by the desire to feel that pleasure again,
which can improve athletic ability and make them less prone to fatigue.
Maruo, on the other hand,
is more likely to lose athletic ability and feel fatigue in this situation.
Maruo has held out this long because his motivation to win this match was high,
but things like these take effect slowly, over time.
I didn't lose the first set because I was playing poorly.
It's because you're strong!
But I've beaten lots of guys who were stronger than me.
They say tennis is a lonely sport,
but I don't agree.
I've come this far because I had everyone's support.
Yes!
Love-40.
There it is! Ide's finally got break point!
Whoa!
Don't get overwhelmed!
Ide-kun is taking advantage of the situation,
but that doesn't mean there's enough of a difference to let him break
my serve at love.
I have to face him with my pure, basic tennis, without freaking out!
Yes!
15-40.
Pull through, Ei-chan!
30-40.
Game: Ide. 5-3.
Second set.
Yes!
He finally broke!
This guy never lets his supporters down!
Ei-chan... Break his serve right back!
15-love.
All right!
30-love.
Yosshi!
Consecutive points!
Of course he has the edge. It's his serve!
That's it, Ide!
C-Come on, Maruo-kun!
Oh, is that Maruo's girlfriend?
D-Don't lose now, Ei-chan!
What now?
What can I do?
Ide-kun is able to turn everyone's belief in him into strength,
so even if he's playing stronger than usual,
it doesn't make sense that he can take it this far.
The cheering doesn't make it easy,
and it feels weird being in the middle of all this drama,
but I've done a good job of shrugging that off and playing my best.
So why?
40-love.
A service ace!
Win the next one in one shot, too!
He was probably aiming to hit that one right over the line.
This is the strength Ide-kun has that Nabae-kun talked about.
Just like Takuma-san and Araya-kun's quick reflexes,
it's a unique ability I don't have.
How do I overcome it?
That's not something I can see like the power of his shot, so I don't know!
Damn it! Don't get timid!
Maruo Eiichiro Ide Yoshiaki
Even if he wins this point, I'll only lose the second set, not the match.
So...
If everyone around is giving Ide-kun strength...
I need to hit a shot hard enough to quiet the cheering!
Go!
M-My sweat made the racket slip!
Damn it!
Second set winner: Ide. Score: 6-3.
All right!
Way to go!
You're back on even footing with the sets at 1-all!
Show us what you've got again in the final set!
Damn! Why did this happen at such a crucial time?
S-Sorry, could I get the ball back?
Huh? Nabae-kun?
Hey, isn't that Nabae?
The first seed is here to watch?
How long has he been here?
He's holding a laptop. Does that mean he's scouting?
How does this match appear to Nabae-kun?
He's the one who said that victory goes to the swiftest with Ide-kun.
So even though the first set went well for me,
it probably looks like I'm being overwhelmed by the drama
of Ide-kun winning in tight situations.
No, more than "looks like." I am being overwhelmed.
The pressure got to me!
Even if I ignore pressure, what do I do if my body starts to feel it?
What can I do to win?
What can I do?
Next Time
The more people expect from me, the stronger I become!
I'm going to use this strength I have to make everyone smile!
If I want to be freed from pressure and face him purely on our tennis,
I have to rise above the pressure.
I need to face the things I've been averting my eyes from,
and otherwise, look only at Ide-kun as always,
and face him head-on!
Next time on Baby Steps,
Visualize the Pressure
"Visualize the Pressure."
End