The Prince of Tennis: From Data-Driven Tennis to the Pinnacle of His Career

At 4 PM, with the conclusion of the third round of matches, Yamabuki Middle School faced their third opponent in this Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament, Seishun Academy.

After submitting the starting lineup to the referee, Kagura Ijin returned to the coaching bench.

The specific lineup of players.

Doubles Team 2: Guji Muxin, Ishimaru Kanto.

Doubles Team 1: Nakano and Inoue.

Third singles player: Kagura Ichijin.

Second singles: Sengoku Kiyosumi.

First singles player: Jin Akutsu.

"Kagura, after the match against Seigaku, are there no more matches today?"

Sengoku Kiyosumi yawned listlessly.

He arrived too early today and, after a long wait and watching the game, is now quite tired.

"Yes, only the top four will be decided today."

Kagura Ichijin nodded, his gaze fixed on the Seigaku members warming up in the distance.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament follows this format: the top four are determined on the first day, and the semifinals, finals, and revival matches will be held a week later.

It can be said that as long as they win this game, they will qualify for the Kanto Tournament.

If they are eliminated, they will have to compete with the other three top eight schools in a revival tournament for the last spot in the Kanto Tournament.

"That's good."

Sengoku Kiyosumi breathed a sigh of relief. As long as it ended soon, he could go back and catch up on some sleep.

"The first match begins. Please welcome the Yamabuki Doubles Team 2 and the Seigaku Doubles Team 2."

"Ishimaru, do you think the other side will be startled?"

Guji Muxin took out his racket from his tennis bag, turned to look at Ishimaru Kanto beside him, and smiled slightly.

This time, Kagura Ichijin specially moved them to the doubles second position, which is to say that even if Seigaku were to bet on them, they would change their order of appearance to avoid their sharp edge.

"Who cares? We're going to fight sooner or later anyway, so the sooner we finish, the better."

Ishimaru Kanto shrugged and nonchalantly carried his racket toward the referee's table.

"That's true."

Gu Jimin smiled and quickly followed.

"..."

When the two third-year regulars from Seigaku saw Tani Yoshiki Shin and Ishimaru Kanto standing in front of the net, their expressions turned extremely ugly.

They originally thought that by placing themselves in the second position in doubles, they could avoid this terrifying national-level doubles team. However, the opponent had anticipated their prediction and ran right into them.

"They're all quite formidable."

On the coach's bench, Kagura Ichijin's gaze swept across the court and landed on Ryuzaki Sumire, who stood on the Seigaku coach's bench with her arms crossed and a serious expression on her face.

To be fair, Sumire Ryuzaki is very strong in terms of coaching experience, tactical arrangements, and understanding of the players.

Unfortunately, her teaching philosophy was too rigid and conservative; she always believed that first-year students should focus on building a solid foundation.

This concept might be applicable to ordinary students, but it seems out of place in the world of tennis, where geniuses abound.

Tezuka Kunimitsu, Fuji Syusuke... These two clearly possess strength far exceeding that of the regulars, yet they are unable to play due to certain rules.

This is undoubtedly the greatest waste of talent and the fundamental reason why Seigaku has been unable to rise again for so many years.

In his view, teaching according to aptitude is the best approach. We should not be bound by conventions when dealing with geniuses; we should allow them to fully unleash their talents.

"A decisive game, Taniyoshi/Ishimaru serve."

The competition began, and the result was a foregone conclusion.

"Bang!"

"15-0!"

……

"30-0!"

……

"40-0!"

……

"Game, Taniyoshi/Ishimaru, 1-0!"

From serving to volleying, Guji Muxin and Ishimaru Kanto executed each move flawlessly, giving their opponent absolutely no chance to counterattack.

"Game, Taniyoshi/Ishimaru, 2-0!"

……

"Game, Taniyoshi/Ishimaru, 3-0!"

……

"Game, Taniyoshi/Ishimaru, 4-0!"

……

"Game, Taniyoshi/Ishimaru, 5-0!"

……

"Game, Taniyoshi/Ishimaru, 6-0!"

……

"Match 1 ends, 6-0, Taniji/Ishimaru wins!"

The entire match lasted less than ten minutes. The third-year doubles pair from Seigaku didn't even have time to mount an effective counterattack before they were swept out of the game.

"Thank you for your hard work, seniors."

Seeing Tani Yoshiki Shin and Ishimaru Kanto walk off the field with ease, Kagura Ichijin quickly handed them two bottles of water.

These two senior students deserve much credit for our success in overcoming all obstacles today.

It is their absolute dominance in doubles that gives Yamabuki the confidence to face any challenge.

"fine."

Gu Jimin shook his head, his tone relaxed.

In a match of this caliber, it would be difficult to even break a sweat.

"It's not hard work at all, it's just incredibly boring."

Ishimaru Kanto took a swig of water, casually stuffed his racket back into his bag, and looked utterly bored.

"Seigaku isn't strong; this should be over soon."

Kagura Ichijin looked at the Seigaku team opposite him, full of confidence.

Seigaku is currently in a period of transition, and making it to the quarterfinals is already their best chance.

"The second match begins. Yamabuki Doubles Team 1 and Seigaku Doubles Team 1, please come to the field."

"Inoue, it seems we're in luck."

When Nakano saw that it was two second-year students who came out of Seigaku, his eyes lit up immediately.

He originally thought it would be a tough battle, but he didn't expect that the opponent would not send out the third-year regulars. Isn't this a perfect opportunity for them to show their skills?

"That's right."

Inoue nodded, a confident smile on his face, and strode towards the court with Nakano.

"A single game to decide the winner, Nakano/Inoue serve."

"Bang!"

"15-0!"

……

"30-0!"

……

"40-0!"

……

"Game, Nakano/Inoue, 1-0!"

……

"Game, Nakano/Inoue, 2-0!"

……

"Game, Nakano/Inoue, 3-0!"

……

"Game, Nakano/Inoue, 4-0!"

……

"Game, Nakano/Inoue, 5-0!"

……

"Game, Nakano/Inoue, 6-0!"

……

"Match 2 ends, 6-0, Nakano/Inoue win!"

"This is so bad!"

Kagura Ichijin looked at the Seigaku coaching bench with some disbelief.

What exactly does Sumire Ryuzaki teach?

He could tell that the individual skills of the second-year doubles pair from Seigaku were no worse than those of Nakano and Inoue, and in some aspects they were even stronger.

However, their teamwork was absolutely terrible.

Their runs overlapped, they fought for the ball, and even interfered with each other, showing absolutely no teamwork whatsoever.

This doesn't look like a trained doubles pair at all; it looks more like a pair of random strangers who were just thrown together.

It's unclear whether Ryuzaki Sumire's confidence or the tactical arrangement led her to field such a doubles pair.

However, one thing is certain: this doubles pair was definitely the worst doubles team in the Tokyo tournament.

At present, Seigaku's singles are not outstanding, and their doubles lack systematic training. When they encounter slightly stronger schools, they will basically lose.