Oishi! Oishi!
Hey, Oishi! Come on! Get it together!
It was on a day when we were practicing for the Metro matches...
when we saw it...
We cant find that ball
Lets give up! I can hardly stand
Getting tired over something like this is unacceptable!
Youre nowhere near making the regular team!
I know, but
Quit whining! Seigaku team members arent ever allowed to give up!
Okay, Horio. I get it.
I see someone...
Huh?!
Whats he doing there?
Seems to be digging
ItsIts Sadaharu!
What on earth is he doing?
Come on, Seigaku! Give it your all!
Okay, regulars, gather round.
There are only nine days left until the Metros.
From today, the regulars will have a special menu.
You will rally keeping the ball in a limited area.
In other words, this is zone practice.
Sounds like fun!
Yeah.
Well divide you up according to playing style.
There are the counter punchers,
who stay on the baseline and hit steady, sure shots
and wait for their opponent to make a mistake.
Guys like Kaido, Fuji and Oishi.
Then there are the players who stay at the baseline too,
but use more power to attack their opponents.
Players like Kawamura and Momoshiro.
There are those who use quick thinking and reflexes,
and play most of their points at the net,
the serve-and-volley players. Someone like Kikumaru.
Finally, we have all-around players like Tezuka and Echizen,
whose superior physical conditioning allows them to use all these techniques.
Today, were going to have the counter punchers
and the serve-and-volley players...
I mean, Oishi, Fuji, Kaido and Kikumaru, defend their entire court.
The aggressive baseliners and
all-around players Kawamura, Momoshiro, Kikumaru, Tezuka and Echizen...
will attack from the back of half of the court.
Its a five-return rally format.
Those playing the whole court must play every ball back
into the back half of the court.
If the ball goes anywhere else, theyre automatically out.
Those attacking from the back court,
must take the point before the ball is returned five times.
In other words, put it away before it comes back five times.
Thats right.
And for those of us defending our court,
if we can keep it in play for five returns, then we win, right?!
Yes.
One more thing, if you lose,
you have to drink my special vegetable juice
Uh-oh...
What is that stuff?!
Red
Okay! Begin practice!
Wow! The regulars are going straight into playoffs!
Wow!
First up is Kawamura versus Kaido!
Theyre starting with a really tough pair!
Its pitting power against irregular balls!
To keep it fair, Ill feed the first ball!
Hiss!
What do you mean by hiss, you little snake?!
Hey, hey! Come and get it!
Ill show you how its done with my burning shot!
Why, you little!
Ready?
Go!
Well! Kaidos suddenly got the spirit!
Snake!
Hey, little snake! Watch me put this one away!
Great!
Oh yeah!
Wow, look at that power!
Kaidos getting smashed!
Oh yeah, oh yeah!
Vipers style is to make his opponent run from one corner to the other.
Go!
If he can only hit the ball back to half the court,
its gotta be tough on him.
Take that!
Wow, what a rally!
Yeah!
Kaidos being a snake again!
Hes supposed to defend, not attack!
Hang in there, Kaido! Defend your court!
Man, what force! Hes just clobbering me with his power!
The last one!
Strong...
Burning!
Yikes! What a return!
Kaido will never get to it!
Forget defending and attacking!
Im putting this one away!
There it is! Vipers Boomerang Snake Shot!
Out!
Kaido just couldnt take Takas power shots.
Okay! Good! Delicious!
Victory!
Next, on the whole court: Oishi! On the half court: Momoshiro!
Try to be nice, okay?
Same here!
Hey! Is he all right?
What on earth are they making him drink?
Kaido!
Cant...
afford to lose!
Well, well, co-captain Oishi! Looks like youre digging in!
When did Momoshiro start hitting so hard?!
Oh, no!
Well, Sir! Today, Im not wearing any weights! So,
I think Im gonna jump for this one!
There it is! A flying smash!
Thatll eat him alive!
Huh?! He got it!
Boy! Momo sure increased his power on his flying smash
Wow, terrific!
Oishi!
Oishi?!
Hey, Oishi! Come on! Get up, Oishi!
Phew! That was close!
Thank goodness I didnt have to drink that!
Huh?! The contest is over already!
Shouldve known! Captain Tezuka, even against Fuji!
Boy, you really meant it, didnt you?
Of course I did!
So close! It wouldve been fun to see the captain drink that stuff
Huh?
You sure got that over with quick!
Yeah. I wanted to drink that stuff again.
Huh?
It says, Tezuka.
Oh...
Huh?
Whatre you looking at? Hurry and start the next one.
Hey, is that it?
He seems able to take it.
It doesnt affect him.
It cant be helped
I was going to save this for the Nationals,
but I think its time to bring it out.
I finished this two days ago.
This is my Special Golden Power Mix! Inuis Elixir!
Inuis Elixir? Whats in it?
You want us to drink that?!
Calling it Inuis Elixer
must mean that theres more in it than just vegetables
That day we saw him!
Its that!
Not knowing...
would be better.
Hey, Im not drinking that stuff!
Why be so polite?
It looked sort of good, Kikumaru!
Next is Echizen against Kikumaru!
Im not drinking that stuff!
Why be so polite?
It looked sort of good, Kikumaru!
Ah! Next is Echizen against Kikumaru!
Go!
At least, I refuse to lose to the little guy.
There you go!
Ive got this in the bag!
Hey! Right from the start hes coming to the net!
Eiji thinks his net game is going to win it right off for him.
Youre certainly enthusiastic, arent you, Kikumaru!
The corner! Thats a good place to put it!
This is easy!
And thats the first ball!
There he goes! Kikumaru and his acrobatic play!
Uh-huh!
Attaboy, Echizen! You held him off!
Youre wasting your time!
Ah-ha! And thats ball #2!
Kikumaru has amazing reflexes!
Hes returning whatever Echizen gives him!
Then where should Ryoma hit it?
This 5-Ball rally exercise was supposed to teach Kikumaru
to hang tough next time when Echizen challenges him,
but this is turning out to be just what he likes!
Just the opposite, its hard enough for Echizen
to find a way past Kikumaru from the baseline,
and thats exactly the ball thats good with his acrobatics!
I guess it backfired.
Echizen isnt on the ropes yet.
Three more balls to go!
Well, Echizen, whatll you do now?
If you keep this up, the games over
Hup! Ball #3!
Good grief!
I have so many mean teammates!
Echizens gone up to the net!
No way!
Good choice, Echizen!
Oh, I forgot to mention
When the player on the half court goes to net,
from that point on, he has to defend the whole court.
What?! No way!
Are you serious?!
And so it is! Sorry, little guy!
Too bad! So sad! See you next week!
Good shot! A lob to the opposite back corner!
Darn!
Dont worry. This kid can get that
Maybe.
But hes going in the direction of Inui and the ball basket.
He doesnt care! Hes headed straight for them!
Whats he going to do?!
If hes got his back to the net, even Echizen cant return the ball!
I always wanted to try this!
Acrobatics?! Is he for real?! And a between-the-legs shot at that!
Terrific!
Geez!
He reached it somehow!
That was a quick recovery!
This is a chance for Ryoma!
Hey, little one!
V for Victory! Weve finished five balls.
Yay! Yay! I won!
Echizen! What do you think youre doing?!
Inui! Give this kid a full glass of your whatever special drink!
My Special Improvement Golden Power Re-Mix!
Hiss
GeezMaking us drink that toxic stuff
Disgusting
Ms. Ryuzaki!
Get everyone together! Ive got the lineup for the Metros!
Huh? Some guys are missing...
T-The truth is, Inuis special drink
My Special Improvement Golden Power Re-Mix!
The newest version. Care to try it?
No, thanks!
This year, 108 schools are competing and all of them are strong opponents.
Of all these, only five will go on to the Kanto Regionals.
Fudomine will play Hyotei Academy before we do.
In the best-of-eight round,
well be up against your little brothers school, St. Rudolphs.
Is that right, Fuji?
Yeah.
SEIGAKU
ST. RUDOLFS ACADEMY
Good!
Now there are only nine days left.
The only thing were shooting for is the championship!
Go out and give it all your best!
Right!
Okay, back to work! Combination practice this time!
And for those of you without enough motivation,
this will be waiting for you.
Sothis next tournament...
well have the 7th and 8th grade trio of Kaido, Momoshiro and Echizen.
In this short a time, theyve made great progress.
I hope theyll kick butt!
The Metro Matches should be very interesting
Its no good! We cant find it!
Come on! Get with it!
With that attitude, youll never get to be a regular!
Give us a break!
Enough! Enough!
The next one who starts whining will get this:
The Special Horio Grand Version Drink!
Dont kid us!
Come on, give us a break, Horio!
Whats with that color?!
Here! You drink it yourself!
You punks! Hey! Stop! Dont! Youre a second-year! Drink!
Hey no!
Hello, everybody! Im Nanjiro Echizens niece, Nanako.
How are you all?
Hmm? Uncle, where are you going before dinner?
What? Ryomas got a date?!
And youre following them?!
I wonder what the girls name is
Next week on The Prince of Tennis: Ryomas Day Off.
Uncle, this is so embarrassing please stop it!