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

At four o'clock in the afternoon, the scorching sun had slightly subsided, but the popularity of the Ming Tennis Forest Park had only increased.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament finals will see Yamabuki Middle School face off against Hyotei Academy in this highly anticipated showdown.

Banta Mikiya solemnly handed the starting lineup to the referee before returning to the coaching bench.

The specific lineup of players.

Doubles Team 2: Guji Muxin and Ishimaru Kanto.

Doubles Team 1: Kentaro Minami and Masami Higashikata.

The third singles match was against Sengoku Kiyosumi.

The second singles match is against Kagura Ichijin.

First singles player: Jin Akutsu.

"The first match begins. Please bring on the Yamabuki Tag Team 2 and Hyotei Tag Team 2."

"Ishimaru, do you think we might run into an old acquaintance?"

Guji Muxin pulled his racket out of his tennis bag, cracking his wrists as he turned to look at Ishimaru Kanto beside him, his tone filled with anticipation.

"I don't know, but it doesn't matter to us which position we play in."

Ishimaru Kanto yawned lazily, his eyes somewhat glazed over.

They have been in a long wait since the semi-final match this morning.

The second semi-final, the repechage, the third-place match... one after another, until now it's finally the final.

He believed that Hyotei was probably getting impatient too; if it weren't for the schedule, who would want to waste time in this sweltering heat?

"That's true, let's go."

Tanigishi Shin nodded to Banta Mikiya on the coaching bench, then walked towards the referee.

However, when he saw that it was a pair of first-year students who came out from Hyotei, he paused slightly, a look of surprise flashing across his face.

"They didn't choose to avoid us?"

Ishimaru Kanto was also taken aback for a moment, then pursed his lips and said somewhat dejectedly, "Is this old acquaintance trying to avenge his previous defeat? Tanikichi, it seems we've missed a golden opportunity."

Hyotei's starting lineup has undergone a major overhaul this year, with five of the seven starters being first-year students, and the remaining third-year doubles pair being familiar faces they faced last year.

They originally thought the other side would avoid the fight, but they didn't expect the other side to be so stubborn.

As for their opponents this time, Yuushi Oshitari and Gakuto Mukahi, although they are genius newcomers of Hyotei, they are still a bit inexperienced.

"A decisive game, Taniyoshi/Ishimaru serve."

"Our luck is just too bad, Yuushi. What should we do now?"

Mukahi Gakuto looked at the two "gatekeepers" opposite him with a helpless expression.

Who could have predicted that Yamabuki Junior High School would play by its own rules and send out its ace doubles pair, Tani Yoshiki Shin and Ishimaru Kanto, right off the bat?

They had originally hoped to have a friendly match with fellow first-year students Kentaro Minami and Masami Higashikata, but instead they ran straight into the toughest opponent.

"We have no choice but to grit our teeth and fight. We don't have any other options, right, Yue Ren?"

Yuushi Oshitari pushed up his non-prescription glasses, concealing a hint of seriousness in his eyes.

He walked to the receiving area, bent his knees slightly, adopted a defensive stance, and locked his eyes on the opposite side.

"That's all we can do. Hopefully, we won't lose too badly."

Mukahi Gakuto sighed, then began his signature jumping motion.

"Tornado!"

Ishimaru Kanto tossed the ball high into the air, flicked his wrist rapidly, and applied a strong topspin to the tennis ball.

"15-0!"

"what?"

Yuushi Oshitari's swing missed, and as the tennis ball bounced strangely behind him, his eyes narrowed slightly.

As expected of a national-level doubles player, his serve alone can leave many players helpless.

Unfortunately, he was too familiar with this kind of topspin shot, so returning it wasn't difficult for him.

"Tornado!"

After serving another topspin ball, Ishimaru Kanto set his sights on Mukahi Gakuto, who was still jumping around.

He was a little curious: wasn't this kid afraid of wasting his energy?

While such frequent jumping may improve mobility in the short term, it will lead to enormous energy expenditure once the game drags on.

"Bang!"

Yuushi Oshitari, who was well-prepared, swung his racket decisively, accurately catching the trajectory of the ball and returning it.

"That's interesting. They actually managed to receive Ishimaru's serve."

Gu Jimin's eyes lit up. He didn't panic, but steadily swung his racket to return the attack.

"A great opportunity!"

A glint flashed in Mukahi Gakuto's eyes, and he leaped high into the air, drawing a graceful arc as he unleashed the Lunar Flip Intercept!

Just when he thought he could score with this move, he saw Ishimaru Kanto suddenly appear in front of the net, intercept the ball with a slap, and hit it directly into the dead corner on the other side.

"30-0!"

"hateful……"

Seeing Ishimaru Kanto turn and walk towards the service area, Mukahi Gakuto was filled with resentment and gripped his racket even tighter.

"Don't rush, Yue Ren. Your opponent is a national-level player, experienced and knowledgeable. He won't be easy to deal with."

Yuushi Oshitari's voice remained calm, but his gaze behind his glasses became even sharper.

He walked back to the receiving area and stared intently at Ishimaru Mitsuhito's serve.

"Tornado!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

After a few rounds, Ishimaru Kanto seized another opportunity and delivered a powerful smash.

"Scoring isn't that easy!"

Yuushi Oshitari's lips curled into a slight smile as he decisively unleashed the Giant Bear Counterattack!

"Really? Have you forgotten this is doubles?"

Ishimaru Kanto didn't even turn his head, because he trusted his partner behind him.

Gu Jimin did not disappoint him. He had been waiting at the baseline for a long time and calmly swung his racket to return the ball.

"Bang!"

……

"40-0!"

"..."

Yuushi Oshitari was stunned by what he saw, his brows furrowing.

The other side's coordination was so perfect, it was practically flawless.

One excels at net play, the other at baseline defense; the two complement each other perfectly, needing no extra eye contact to cover for each other.

"Tornado!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

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

"They're that strong... Is this what national-level doubles is like?"

Mukahi Gakuto looked bitter, and his hand, which had been gripping the racket tightly, fell limply, making him look somewhat dejected.

"Don't give up, Yue Ren, we still have a chance. Watch me now."

Yuushi Oshitari took a deep breath and walked to the service area.

He knew that conventional methods were no longer effective and he had to resort to some real skills.

He applied a strong backspin and sidespin to the ball, and then hit it hard.

"Bang!"

The vanished serve! That was his trump card!

He originally didn't want to be exposed so soon, but the current situation left him no choice but to keep quiet.

"15-0!"

"Hmm? This is interesting."

Seeing the tennis ball suddenly disappear, Ishimaru Kanto was taken aback at first, then looked at Oshitari Yuushi with great interest.

From the moment Yuushi Oshitari was able to return the tornado, he knew this kid was extraordinary, and this vanished serve further confirmed his guess.

"Bang!"

Yuushi Oshitari once again delivered the disappearing serve, then looked at his wrist.

This kind of difficult serve puts a lot of strain on the wrist, but fortunately this is doubles, so he doesn't need to use it frequently.

"That tactic is no longer effective."

However, this time, Ishimaru Kanto seemed to have seen through everything, and with a casual flick of his wrist, he directly hit the "disappeared" tennis ball back.

"How is this possible?"

Yuushi Oshitari's eyes widened in shock.

It was only the second ball, and it was already solved?

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"15-15!"

……

"15-30!"

……

"15-40!"

……

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

After successfully breaking the serves of Yuushi Oshitari and Gakuto Mukahi, Shin Tani and Kanto Ishimaru exchanged a glance and then intensified their attack.

Through the two rounds of probing, they have completely figured out the strengths and weaknesses of this first-year team.