Speedy Ace Yeah, right.
Dont make me laugh!
Never underestimate
Kaoru Kaido!
Hey, it went around the net
Is that legal?
Hiss
Wow Did you see that?
Yeah.
It curved like a boomerang.
A boomerang snake!
Amazing
Boomerang snake...
Th-That was amazing, but was it legal?
Yes. Therere no rules against it.
The ball goes around the net pole and returns to the court
Round-the-pole is an actual technique.
But its the first time Ive seen anything like that.
Wow, Kaido
To think he had a trick like that hidden away!
Go, Kaido! Go, Kaido!
Humph! If he has a great trick like that,
he should use it more often instead of hiding it away.
Its still anybodys game.
Game score: Forty - Thirty.
Well, that was interesting, Viper.
Hiss
Now its my turn. Guess I hafta pick up the rhythm.
Game to Mr. Kamio of Fudomine. One game to love.
Well done! Serving with a low toss.
A low toss?
He tossed the ball low and hit it with perfect timing.
Kaido was taken by surprise.
Hiss
There it is! The boomerang snake!
Love - Fifteen.
Oh! He missed!
Too bad!
Whoa Man, that was close.
That round-the-pole shot was just luck.
Looks like it.
Ill stop you cold with my speed.
Im rocking to the rhythm!
Out! Love - Thirty.
Its no good
He cant get his boomerang snake down.
Snake!
Out!
Love - Forty.
Damn If I can just get this shot down pat, I can beat Kamio!
Game to Mr. Kamio of Fudomine.
Kaido isnt playing like himself.
Its no good!
His snake isnt working and his boomerang snakes no good, either.
Hiss
Hes trying too hard.
Whats he doing swinging his racket wildly like that? The fool
Is he so hopeless that he has to depend
on just one trick shot to defeat an opponent like that?
Kaido
Just what sort of tennis game do you have?
This This isnt my kind of tennis!
Akira is doing well.
That boomerang snake gave me the chills for a moment.
Yeah. His rhythm seems to be better than ever.
He might be able to walk off with a love game.
No, Kamios rhythm is off.
His rhythm is faster than usual.
If he losses his stamina, hell end up the snakes prey.
I wonder if Kaido is all right.
Huh? Wheres Sakuno?
Youre right Shes gone.
She said she was going to the restroom.
Id better hurry! The match is starting.
Oh, no Im lost. Where were the courts?
Oh, Im sorry! I wasnt looking where I was going.
Whatyou step on my foot and think Im sorry can fix it?
SEIGAKU FUDOMINE
Youre being stubborn, Viper.
You have no chance of winning. You must be dead tired.
This is gonna be it!
Looks like hes found himself.
But Kaido is still at a disadvantage.
Whatever it wont end easily.
When Kaido is like this, he can be very stubborn.
Its a close game between speedy Kamio and tenacious Kaido.
At this rate, Kaido just might catch up to Kamio.
Forty - Thirty.
Oh! Match point!
That service game he dropped early on really hurt him.
If he drops the next one, hell lose.
Kaido, hang in there!
Ive never come up against anyone so tenacious.
Youve done well, Viper.
Butthis is the end.
Oh! A quick serve!
Damn!
Deuce!
Hiss
He did it!!
He stood his ground.
Good going, Kaido!
Hey, Momo!
Yo. Hows Takas injury?
Hes okay. Nothing wrong with the bone.
Hes tough, real tough.
Hes at that hospital, right?
Ill go see him.
Huh? Wait, Momo! Hows the game going?
Oh Its getting pretty interesting.
Cripes! Why dont you look where youre going?!
UhIm sorry.
You stepped on my new shoe. Im sorry wont cut it.
I didnt even dirty them in my match. Theyre one-of-a-kind, you know.
Do you understand what Im saying?!
Im sorry!
Give me 30,000 yen to clean them.
Thirty thousand yen?
Of course! You dirtied them!
What a sleaze. Huh?
A cleaning fee just because she stepped on your shoe?
You should let her go. She apologized, after all.
Who the hell are you?
Just a passer-by.
Lets go. If you talk to a fool, youll become foolish, too.
B-But
Damn you Wait a minute!
Mind your own business, girl!
Advantage, server.
This...is it!
Deuce again.
Hiss
He weathered the attack again!
What a seesaw game!
Kaido, youre great!
This is the crucial moment, Kaido!
Hurry up
and give in!
Whos going to give up?!
Oh Another snake!
What makes him so tenacious?
Hes running like mad, but hes not out of breath.
Theyve both been burning up the same amount of energy, but
He runs 10 kilometers in the morning,
10km after practice, 10km at night,
three sets of 50 forward and backward dashes,
150 swings with a racket.
D-Dont tell me he does that every day!
Exactly.
More than three times the normal amount of practice?
You want to increase your strength so that youre second to none?
How about following this regimen?
Ill double that.
Youre amazing, Kaido Sempai.
Yeah
Net! Deuce again!
Thats not normal tenacity.
Dammit, I have to admire that spirit
Its clear that the usual offense wont work this time.
In that case
Ill step up the rhythm!
The speeds good, Kamio!
Hes playing the net!
Damn you! Youre hitting that mean snake shot at a time like this?!
Sorry about that, Viper.
You have to make your own luck.
Advantage: receiver.
I didnt hear you.
Who said it was over?
Even if it goes down to the last point, Ill never give up.
Man, is he stubborn.
He keeps after his exhausted opponent.
His opponent, even if hes winning, cant help but feel the pressure.
Its just like him to fight like this.
Game and match to Kaido of Seigaku. Seven games to five.
Hooray! Hooray!
Good job! Good for you!
Hiss
Oh, man I lost.
He sure was tenacious.
I did the best I could, so I have no regrets. But
The next two wins will be difficult.
Dont worry about it. Just leave the rest to us. Right, Shinji?
Keep out of it!
How dare you!
Shut up! Stay out of this!
What school are you from?
Beating up on girls Youre an ass!
What did you say? You wanna fight?!
Stop it! Stop it!
You shouldnt be hitting girls.
No way!
Oh, I hit him! Lucky me!
Y-You
Momoshiro
What happened?
He demanded 30,000 yen from this girl because she stepped on this shoe.
Hey, now
Just throw your shoes in the washing machine.
Besides, shoes are supposed to get dirty.
Wh-Why, you!
Im Momoshiro of Seigaku. Pleased to meet you.
Shall I dirty it some more?
Damn Ill get you for this!
Sure. Hey! Give me your name!
You saved us, Momoshiro.
Thank you very much. Im sorry I caused all this.
Oh, never mind.
Oh Youre the one who was looking for Echizen once.
Y-Yes. Im Sakuno Ryuzaki.
I see Youre here to cheer him on?
Hmm Nice to be young.
But if you dont hurry the match will begin.
Arent you going?
Yeah, well, I have to go to the hospital.
What? Did you hurt yourself, Momoshiro Sempai?
No, no Not me. Its Kawamura, the regular.
His opponent in the finals from Fudomine hit this awesome ball.
He managed to return it, but he hurt his wrist.
Was that Kawamura who returned Ishidas super-power drive?
That was an amazing feat.
How did you know?
Im an 8th-grader at Fudomine Middle School.
Oh Is that so?
That school is interesting.
Especially Tachibana, the captain.
Hes not your average player.
I wanted to take him on in #1 singles. Id use an overhead smash like this.
I dont know about that, Momoshiro.
Huh?
Its true, your dunk smash has surpassed the middle school level
If you get it right, its not easy to return.
Shes well-informed
But, If you go up against my brother, hell never let you hit a smash.
Brother? You dont mean
Im An Tachibana. Im Grumpy Tachibanas younger sister.
Hiss
Well...
Ive got a good idea...
how that round-the-pole boomerang snake should be hit,
so I can work up a practice regimen for you.
Want to start when we get home?
Are you sure?
Itll just get you more opponents in the student-ranking matches.
I dont care. Ill just collect more data.
Ill win the next time.
Humph Ill make you sorry.
Now, the match weve been waiting for
The first to win three games wins.
If you take this game, youll win the tournament.
Echizen! Go for it!
Go! Ryoma!
Echizen!
Finally, Ryoma Echizen debuts in an official singles match!
Dont just stare at him. Take some pictures.
I know that!
Shinji Ibu of Fudomine
Hes the one who didnt give Kuki from that seeded school a chance, right?
Seigaku has put a 7th grader in the crucial #2 singles slot.
I feel a little sorry for him.
Do they mean it to be a throwaway match?
One set match: Echizen of Seigaku to serve.
Hes serving with his right hand! Hes starting off at full throttle?
Son of Nanjiro Echizen Come on. Knock their socks off!
Are you all here? Im Sumire Ryuzaki.
That Ibu of Fudomine is quite a player.
Hes spoiling Ryoma Echizens specialty, the twist serve.
When I look at Ryoma, I remember the old days
the Nanjiro of old.
Come on, Ryoma.
Knock their socks off!
Next on The Prince of Tennis: The Love Letter.
What in the world is that about?