Game to Inui!
A love game?!
Inui Senpai played up to his reputation!
No way!
Ryoma dropped a game without getting a single point!
And I was so sure he nailed that unusual shot!
Inui Senpai figured out his every move!
Hes strong!
Perfect.
Out! Deuce!
Wow!!
Ryomas match the other day was a big surprise,
but is the level of middle school tennis really this high?
Great, huh?
Theyre one of the top schools in Tokyo.
Eh?! You mean there are others?
Of course.
They compete against each other
and raise the level of their play.
Theyre blessed with good competition.
Even within the school.
Take a look...
Thats Oishi playing the tennis teams captain.
Because he has a rival named Tezuka,
hes able to challenge himself up to another level.
But Tezuka has even more potential.
One day, you might be able to see his real ability.
With his power, theyre becoming a fine team which will challenge
Rikkai University Middle School.
Theyll be strong this year.
Huh? Hey, are you listening?
Tezuka...is wonderful.
Come back down to earth!
Isnt Ryomas match going to start yet?
Should be pretty soon.
Ryoma looks the same as always.
He doesnt look a bit nervous.
His opponent is Inui Senpai, a third-year on the first team, right?
Yeah.
I hope Ryoma wins.
If he wins, hell make the first team.
Is Inui Senpai strong?
Hes strong, all right.
Huh?!
Momo Senpai!
Just Momo is fine.
Momo...
I cant call you that!
Dont worry about it.
Say, can you tell us about Inui Senpai?
Sure.
Inui Senpai is a strong player, even among the third years.
In the past six months,
hes never missed making the first team.
But then...
hes not my favorite player.
Oh... Huh...?
Cuz Inui Senpai is
Hey, Momo!
Huh?
Oh, Eiji Senpai!
Watching the newbies play?
Echizens match is coming up.
You have a match now. With me.
What?! Youre kidding!
Is it time already?
If you want to stay and watch Echizens match,
Ill be happy to win by default.
Cmon, dont joke with me Eiji Senpai!
Of course Ill play you!
Too bad, too sad. See you later.
Hey, please wait!
I said Id play!
Senpai!
So...
He didnt tell us about Inui Senpai.
Huh? Oh!
Huh?
Sorry I made you wait.
Inui Senpai.
Wait, Tomo.
Sakuno! Hurry it up!
Ryomas match will be over!
Excuse me...
Which court is first-year player Ryoma Echizen playing on?
Huh?
Look at the difference in height.
Its like a grown-up versus a child.
Lets both play hard, so we have no regrets.
Right.
This is a best-of-one-set match!
Inui to serve.
Its finally going to start.
Yeah...
What will the ball be like from that height?
It doesnt matter. Ryoma will do great.
Great!
Every move is so precise!
I can get that!
Hell miss this.
15 - Love.
Inui Senpai scored first!
Could he have known where the ball was going?
Thats impossible. Its just coincidence.
Yeah, I suppose.
Inui Senpai plays a textbook game,
but Kaido Senpais snake was way more awesome.
Thats for sure.
Inui Senpais serve is fast,
but Echizens ball has more velocity and angle.
This is great!
Aww! It already started!
Huh?!
Oh! Ryoma!
Hey, theyre in the middle of a rally. Keep quiet!
How rude! Whats the big deal?
Tomo, you have to be quiet while theyre playing.
Oh, right.
Ryomas playing great against a third-year first-teamer!
Nice approach.
But, too bad.
Thirty - Love.
Inui Senpai took another point!
Forty - Love.
Dont you think Inui Senpai is already in position
when Ryoma hits his shots?
Now that you mention it...
Maybe Inui Senpai does know where Ryoma will return the ball?
Is that possible?
Of course not!
Its just a fluke. A fluke!
But it is possible.
Huh?
Inui knows.
Exactly where Echizen will hit the ball.
Its Fuji Senpai!
Oh, hes so cool!
Hes amazing!
Tomo, since when are you a Fuji Senpai fan?
Inui is playing as tenaciously as ever.
Umm...
How does Inui Senpai know where Ryoma will hit it?
Well, just keep watching.
Inui Senpai moved forward!
Drat! Huh?!
Probability of going left: 75%.
But it wont end here.
Ryoma Echizen will come back with vigor.
Amazing! He got to it!
But...
he wont make it. By two ball widths.
Game to Inui!
A Love game?!
Inui Senpai plays up to his reputation!
No way!
Ryoma dropped a game without getting a single point!
And I was sure he got that ball!
Inui Senpai had him all figured out!
Hes so strong!
Someones grilling saury nearby...
Game to Inui!
2 to 1!
Inui Senpai is so strong!
Will Ryoma be okay?
25 percent...
Huh?
Including your match against Kaido,
Ive seen four of your matches.
Straight 12 times, crosscourt 5 times, lob 3 times...
The probability of a crosscourt return
against a slice approach like the one I just hit is 25%.
And against a tall player like me,
you wouldnt try a lob.
The right side was wide open for a straight shot,
but because youre such an aggressive player,
youd aim crosscourt to outwit me.
So the reverse of the 25% is that...
theres a 75% probability of a crosscourt shot.
I have your tennis all figured out.
Wonder if it helps, this data on you.
Hmm...
What a way to play tennis.
Humph
Cocky rookie.
Inui Senpai did know where the balls would go.
Inui Senpai is amazing.
I think hes stronger than Kaido Senpai!
Of course.
Huh?!
Inui is undefeated in three matches against Kaido.
Huh?!
Undefeated in three matches?!
The score: Two games to one. Inui leads.
Echizen has service.
Huh?! He moved simultaneously with the toss!
Huh?
I guess you studied where my serves go, too, huh?
I didnt anticipate that fault.
He hates to lose, too!
Then did Ryoma...
deliberately put it into the net just now?
Being gutsy is fine,
but he wont win like that!
What is that Echizen thinking?!
Ryoma...
Ive got it! I figured out how to beat Inui Senpai.
Really?!
What is it?!
I hate to admit it,
but it seems Inui Senpai has more data on Ryoma than I have.
So?
So, since he doesnt have any data on me,
if I played him, I could beat him!
Go, Echizen!
Go for it, Ryoma!
Hey, were you listening to me?
Oh, Tomo...!
Game and set to Tezuka, six games to one.
Wow, the captains awesome!
No kidding! To beat Oishi Senpai 6 - 1!
Is there anyone who can compete with the captain?
You got me again.
Youll have to wait until next month.
Hmm...
Seems Oishi got skewered.
Skewered?
We call 6 - 1, skewered. He got it with one skewer, get it?
Then what do you call 6 - 0?
Zero is round, so we say he got a dumpling.
Learn these things. Its common knowledge.
Oh...
Kunimitsu Tezuka...
A youth who may change Japanese tennis someday.
Now then, we can watch Kikumaru vs. Momoshiro in bracket B, then...
Huh?
Theres more cheering coming from bracket D, Inoue Senpai.
You cant out cheer us!
Ryoma!
Seigaku has one more promising rookie.
Lets go, Shiba.
Nice... thats nice.
A nice grilled saury.
Huh? No way!
This is my fish!
Sure looks good!
Sheesh! What a pain!
Just the bones, okay?
Hey!
Dont lick that!
Missed.
Fifteen - Thirty.
Bested again!
Is it hopeless for Echizen?
But Ryoma is holding on to his service.
Youre right.
Ryomas playing better now.
No, Echizens having a hard time.
Why is that?
In order to score,
he has to go beyond what Inui has on him,
hitting deeper and cutting it closer.
Its difficult to make consistent pinpoint shots,
even for a pro.
Huh? Then, will Ryoma...?
Once he gives up mentally, its over.
Inui inputs game data of his opponent and his habits
and does countless simulations of a match.
Even if theres a slight deviation in percentage,
Inui has memorized the probabilities so well in his head,
it wont make much of a difference.
Theres another Echizen playing inside Inuis head.
Left!
Right!
Lob!
Fifteen - Forty.
Even that amazing lob didnt work.
Usually they cant get to it.
That was a clever smash using his height advantage.
Something only Inui can do.
Ryoma...
The match with Inui is a battle against yourself.
If you cannot overcome yourself,
you cant win against Inui.
This looks bad for Ryoma.
His shots come back, no matter where he hits it.
Game to Inui!
Ohh!
Ryoma lost his serve.
Its not so easy to change your style of play,
especially when youre under pressure.
You hit and you hit, but your opponent is there, waiting.
An ordinary player would panic at this point
and self-destruct.
Youre quite good.
Youve calculated my reach and height,
and always aim just beyond that.
Youve got more talent than me.
Frankly, youre very strong.
But as long I know where your returns are coming,
theres no shot I cant return, no matter how good it is.
One day, I think youll make Seigakus first team.
But Im going to win this time.
You still have a ways to go.
Huh?!
Im glad I enrolled at Seigaku.
Because Ill be able to defeat all kinds of tennis players.
Hi! Im Tomoka Osakata!
Sakunos friend, and president of Ryomas fan club!
Inui Senpai studied Ryomas tennis and figured out his every shot!
How terrible of him!
But Ryoma is really something!
He switches shots on purpose and displays dazzling footwork!
Hes so cool!
Next on The Prince of Tennis: Split Step
Ryoma, youre so wonderful!