Brat!
Ive got you...now!
KAKINOZAKI TENNIS GARDEN
Hey, did you hear?
Theres a 12-year-old kid playing in the juniors 15-16 division
in todays tournament!
Get out!
They mustve made a mistake when they registered him.
KAKINOZAKA JUNIOR TENNIS TOURNAMENT SITE No, I heard its for real.
Thats ridiculous!
48 RYOMA ECHIZEN (INDEPENDENT- AGE 12)
Stupid!
Dont you even know what grip youre using?
If youre hitting with topspin,
then youve got a Western grip, right?
So, you keep the face of the racquet vertical,
and grip the handle just like youre shaking hands.
See?
Thats because youre the ace player
on the Kita High School tennis team!
No! Its just common sense.
See?
Got that?
Hey...
Can you keep it down?
Can you believe this?
A kids telling me to be quiet!
Thats correct.
Wrap your hand around the grip
like you were picking it up off the ground.
Thats the proper Western grip.
Come again?!
The grip you called the handshake grip
is actually the Eastern grip.
Lots of guys get that backwards
Hey!
Come back here!
Sasabe, he made a fool of you!
Hey! Weve gotta get off here, too!
Oh! Me, too!
Come on, Grandma!
You invited me and now youre late!
Say, do you know the Kakinokizaka Tennis Garden?
Huh?
Oh! Its you!
Im sorry.
Im going to the Kakinokizaka Tennis Garden, too!
Are you in the tournament?
I dont know much about tennis
So, where is it?
Oh! Im sorry.
You go out the south exit and then go straight.
The south exit. Thanks.
Ryoma? His name is Ryoma
KAKINOZAKA TENNIS GARDEN NOW ACCEPTING STUDENTS
Grandma! Youre late! Youre half an hour late!
Sorry, sorry! Lets go, Sakuno.
Thats the north exit.
So? To get to the Kakinokizaka Tennis Garden,
you go out the north exit and go straight.
What are you doing? Hurry it up!
The north exit
Oh, no! Whatll I do?!
I gave him the wrong directions!
JUNIOR TENNIS TOURNAMENT SITE KAKINOZAKA TENNIS GARDEN
What are you so frantic about?
Are you looking for a certain player?
Grandma, if a player is late for a match, what happens?
He defaults.
Defaults?
It means hes out.
Oh, no! Ive got to go look!
Such a silly child
Be careful now!
Huh?!
U-Umm...
Did you make it to your match in time?
Five minutes late. I defaulted.
Im so sorry!
Was it my fault?
Of course. Who elses would it be?
Ah! Are you thirsty?
Huh?
Im sorry. I didnt have any change.
Umm Thank you for what you did earlier.
On the train. You really saved me.
What?
Well, if you hadnt come to my aid,
I wouldve gotten hit with that racquet.
You were on the train?
Where were you sitting?
Directly across from you.
Hm! I didnt do anything.
Its just that they were making too much noise,
so I told them to keep it down.
Oh
Huh?!
Too bad we were making too much noise!
Its that kid again.
Looks like hes already lost and going home!
Im a seeded player in the 16-year-old bracket
and favored to win this.
So lets hear you tell me to be quiet again!
Huh?
Whats that look youre giving me?!
Huh?!
This brats got a hundred years of tennis to go to catch up with me!
You little twerp!
Damn...
Come on, lets go.
Yeah.
Say...
Remember that grip?
What?!
If you like, Ill teach you some tennis
Why you--!
Sasabe, youve still got a match to play!
Are you sure about this?
Its the perfect warm-up for my match!
Geez, you never listen to anyone!
I think you should think twice about this.
I may as well. Its silly to go home without playing.
Hold this.
Best of one set match. Sasabe to serve.
We dont need any judges. Well judge ourselves, okay?
Fine with me.
Huh?
Dont worry. Ill give you a little handicap.
Here... Ill serve under-handed.
Get serious!
Huh?!
Huh?
Love-Fifteen!
Oops... I got a little careless
Oh, so this is where youve been?
Grandma!
This looks interesting.
Dont just stand there! Stop them!
This thing has just escalated
and this poor boy is playing a high-schooler!
Whatre you saying?
You saw that return of serve, didnt you?
The fun is just beginning.
Hey, Sasabe!
I think youd better wrap this up already.
Shut up! Anybody can return an underhand serve!
Thats how it is...
People make excuses like that when they lose
Damn kid!
Dont get...
too scared!
There it is! Sasabes bullet serve!
Too slow!
Wha--!
Hey... This isnt happening, is it?
He returned Sasabes bullet serve! Amazing!
Hes so fast! Hes already at the net!
Love-Thirty!
I know what the score is!
Dont call it out each time!
Wow!
Oh, hes barely gotten started.
Huh?
Grandma, dont tell me you know him?
I didnt tell you?
That boys The Prince of Tennis.
The Prince of Tennis?
Ryoma Echizen, 12 years old.
He breezed through the junior league tournaments in the U.S.
and in a mere year and a half, he won four times in a row.
Hes a tennis genius.
Four times in a row?!
Yes. Hes got real talent.
Love - Forty!
Hes the son of one of my students.
The family has come back to Japan after a long absence.
Hes still not known here,
but when he said hes entering this tournament,
I told him if hes that talented,
he should enter the Juniors 14-Year-Olds.
But Ryoma said if he was going to play,
he wanted to play in the 16-Year-Old division.
Hes really something.
Game to Echizen!
Hey I dont believe this!
Sasabe dropped his service game!
Youre going to play in the finals, right?
Lets get this over this.
Damn! Now just calm down!
Its just a kids serve. It wont be faster than 150 km/hr.
Ill break back in no time.
Echizen to serve!
Huh?!
Fifteen - Love!
That kids really good!
Yeah, hes good. And hes got a fast serve.
But...theres one big difference between us.
And thats a difference in height!
With my height and my reach,
if I come to the net, theres no place you can hit!
Fifteen All!
Whats the matter, kid?
What happened to that power?
Thirty - Forty!
Hmm
Huh...?
Hah! If I come to the net, its all over!
Deuce!
I must hand it to Ryoma!
His opponent used his height advantage,
but with a high lob like that, height doesnt count!
Oh...
Hey! Sasabe is...
Dont tell me hes going to lose to an elementary school kid!
This is bad! Ill be a laughingstock!
Oh, another one! I cant reach it!
Make it go out!
Yes! He did it again!
Out!!
Huh?
Too bad! It was real close!
Huh?! No way!
That ball was clearly in!
Forget it.
This is a self-judged game.
He has the right to call anything on his own court.
Huh? Does that mean...?
Yup.
As it is, anything thats close will be called out.
And he cant hit deep lobs like that.
Advantage to Sasabe!
I thought so. Hes starting to hit short!
Sasabes going to the net!
Its all over for you!
Idiot!
As long as Im the judge, Im going to call all lobs out!
Huh?!
Eh?! What was that...?
Amazing! He put a slice on the ball
and made it land just inside the lines and then stop!
Hey, was that ball in?
Damn!
Game to Echizen!
Dammit! I have nothing left!
I cant reach it!
Damn it!
Why you--!
Damn kid!
Huh?!
Oops, sorry!
The racket just slipped.
Oh!
Ryoma, are you all right?
Dont come on the court during a game.
B-But
Your grip is too soft
Youve still got a ways to go.
Fifteen Love
What...was that?!
Say, Grandma, didnt that ball turn the other way?
Huh?!
A twist serve!
Wasnt that a twist serve?!
Thirty Love!
Forty Love!
This is it!
S-Stop!
Stupid!
Game and set to Echizen!
Sakuno, Ryoma won.
Wow! He actually won!
Thats ridiculous! I let him win!
One more set and I can...!
Sasabe, youre being a poor loser.
Just admit that you lost.
I dont mind playing another set.
Huh?!
Dont you get it? Give it up already.
No matter how many times you play him,
youre not going to beat Ryoma Echizen.
What?!
Hes left-handed.
No way...
I quit!
Ryoma Echizen, huh?
An amazing player has appeared.
Im looking forward to the coming days.
Hiya! Im Takeshi Momoshiro,
a second-year player with the Seigaku tennis team.
Call me Momo-chan.
No ones listening, right?
Nope.
By the way, I hear theres an interesting new kid on the block.
Ryoma Echizen.
When you step up, you gotta hit fast.
Next on The Prince of Tennis: Samurai, Jr.
Youve gotta watch. You just gotta!
Im counting on you!