Hey, kid!
Lets continue.
Well, whaddya think? Shall I give you a handicap?
No need to.
Hmm... Whered you learn that?
None of your business.
Youre no fun. Ease up a little.
Get on with it and serve.
Humph!
Act tough and youll only be sorry.
Game to Inui!
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 this time, Im going to win.
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.
INUI 3 ECHIZEN 1
Because hell be able to defeat...
all types tennis players? That means...
Echizen means to turn this match around!
I just got the hang of this footwork recently.
I wanted to keep it a secret.
Until the national tournament.
That Ryoma...!
So cool!
Did you hear that, Inoue Senpai?
The national tournament... Thats confidence for you.
Inoue Senpai, Ive made up my mind.
What about?
From today, Im going to watch Ryoma Echizen in depth!
In depth?
Huh?!
I mean, what 7th grader would say something like,
I wanted to keep it a secret...
until the national tournament.
Oh, that Ryoma is so cute!
Hey, stop!
Who are you?
If you want to do a story on Ryoma,
youll have to go through me!
Im president of Ryomas fan club.
Huh? Fan club...?
Want to join?
Im not interested in joining his fan club.
Im going to let tennis fans nationwide know
just what makes Ryoma-sama special.
You just called him Ryoma-sama!
I wont allow you to do a story!
Calm down, Tomo! The games about to begin!
INUI 3 ECHIZEN 1
The national tournament?
Yeah, right.
Now, which way will you hit?
The probability is...
Isnt it such a bother?
Ill save you the trouble.
Im going to hit right.
Im not falling for that!
Next is left.
What?!
Why would Echizen tell him where hes hitting?
Then anyone would be able to return the ball!
Next is right!
I knew it! Hes returning everything!
But Horio...
Ryoma gets into position at the same time as Inui Senpai.
Behind you!
So naïve!
Too bad, I figured youd attack on the same course!
The next one is left.
Out!
Fifteen - Love!
Shucks! It barely missed!
Inui Senpai wasnt able to move!
Uh-huh! Ryomas doing great!
Hes moving so much better than before!
Hes too cool!
The split step?
I overdid it a bit.
Ive still gotta work on it.
Ive got to hand it to you, though, Inui Senpai.
You knew that was going out, didnt you?
Thanks a lot.
You knew... its not that I didnt move...
I couldnt move.
His reaction speed...
Tezuka used to be the only one who could compete
against my shots and data.
Interesting...
What data will you show me?
I cant wait to find out.
Okay, here I go!
Right!
There!
Hey, kid!
Lets continue.
Well, whaddya think? Shall I give you a handicap?
No need to.
Hmm... Whered you learn that?
None of your business.
Youre no fun. Ease up a little.
Get on with it and serve.
Humph!
Act tough and youll only be sorry.
Not bad, Ryoma!
Aghh! Sorry, kid! You almost had it.
Hey old man, I wish youd get serious.
Hey, hey...
Who do you think youre talking to?
You want me to play seriously?
You dont deserve it.
Ill make you regret that.
Old man, Im going to make you regret that!
Ryomas strokes are starting to look weird.
Yeah, like hes jumping.
Thats the split step.
Split step?
Yeah.
You play tennis and dont even know that?!
Ask me anything about the split step!
You know what the split step is, Horio?
Ive been playing tennis for two years!
Of course I can do it!
Its one of the most basic fundamentals of tennis!
You jump up lightly as your opponent hits the ball
and land on the ground with the toes of both feet!
That enables you to react a half step faster to the ball
as you take your next step.
Really, amazing!
But how does it make you faster?
Well, you know...
Tell them, Senpai.
The spring in your muscles helps you rush to the ball.
The spring in your muscles?
If your start gets a half-step faster,
you can get to a ball one meter farther away.
So Echizen is moving faster than Inuis predictions.
Boy, youre all so knowledgeable!
How will you manage if you dont know that much?
Deuce!
Huh?!
Split step?!
Next, Im going hit to the right,
then attack the net.
Hes now on the offensive.
Ryoma-sama!
Hes fast!
The split step is one of the basic fundamentals.
But Echizens split step is
Landing on both feet is the basic fundamental.
But Echizen does it... on one foot!
Hes already in position!
Left!
I figured that out!
The balls over! He cant reach it!
The next ones left, too!
Ryomas amazing!
This one is right.
Yes, theres a 95% probability that hell go right.
There! A straight shot. Just as I predicted!
Fifteen - Thirty!
Inui Senpai is behind.
Whats happening?
I cant believe it.
He did it! He did it!
Ryoma! Youre so cool!
Ryoma...
Echizens rhythm is faster now.
To the rhythm of his split step...
His step goes far beyond the basics.
Hes got promise.
Fuji Senpai...
His one-footed step makes his first move quicker,
but unless he knows where his opponent will hit, its no use.
If he lands on the opposite foot, its a disadvantage, right?
His feet would get crossed. I cant figure it out.
No way! Does Echizen have data to predict Inuis shots?!
No.
Only Inui can play that kind of tennis.
Then how is Ryoma doing it?
Probably,
hes making instant decisions as he jumps.
Hes not just half a step, but one and a half steps quicker.
One and a half steps?
That much?
One and a half steps is huge.
Yeah...
That lets him reach unreachable shots.
Kay! Awright! Go get it, kid!
Hows this!
Yahoo!
Gotcha, kid! You fell for it!
Geez, youre so immature.
Put you in your place, huh?
Well, Ill keep you company until dinnertime.
All right!
There!
I told you to...get serious!
Left!
This guys fast!
Game to Echizen!
Game to Inui!
Game to Echizen!
Right!
Game to Echizen!
Geez...a middle-school player with such a split step...
Unless you have considerable natural talent, that technique is impossible.
Does that mean Echizen is a prodigy?
Of course!
If my Ryoma isnt a prodigy, then who is?!
Listen you!
You keep calling him your Ryoma...
Will you pipe down?
So what?
Whats wrong with that? Hes my prince!
Prince...? Oh, thats great.
Too bad!
Only fan club members can call Ryoma Prince!
Whats the big deal?
No! Absolutely no!
Oh, keep quiet!
Whats with them?
Just leave them alone.
Inui must think hes playing a different person right now.
Gee...
I never thought thered be a guy I could predict, but not return.
But, its not as though I cant catch up.
If I calculate the probabilities including this game pattern,
I still can win.
Inuis tough.
Okay...
Huh? He switched to his right hand...
Is he planning to serve right-handed?
Oh, I get it!
Say, Inui Senpai...
I have one more shot you can predict, but cant return.
A shot I can predict, but cant return?
A right-handed serve?
Is he trying to trick me?
A serve like that cant fool me!
He used it! His twist serve!
Fifteen - Love!
Yeah! He scored!
With his twist serve!
Twist serve...
He has to use his right hand to hit it.
But...
he can hit a shot like that with his weak hand...?
This kid...
I lose power using my right hand,
but I want it to go straight towards your glasses!
Wow! Wow!
Im Seigaku 3rd year, Eiji Kikumaru!
With the first team decided,
the Seigaku tennis team begins full training for the Metro Tournament.
Huh? Inuis going to coach us?!
Give us a break!
Huh? What is that? A drink?
Yuck! Thats awfu!
Next on The Prince of Tennis: The Hard Day
Drink it up!