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

"The fifth match begins. Yamabuki will play first singles, and San Icarus will play first singles."

"It's time to end this."

Kagura Ichijin picked up his racket, nodded to Banta Mikiya on the coaching bench, and then walked towards the referee with a relaxed expression.

Yamabuki has already won three matches, so regardless of the outcome of this match, he has secured his advancement.

This time, his opponent is Evans, a third-year regular at St. Icarus Academy.

"A decisive set, Evans serves."

"Kid, are you Yamabuki's ace?"

Evans stood in front of the net, looking at Kagura Ikjin with a puzzled expression.

He had never seen a first-year student take on the singles role before in a national competition.

The previous player, Akutsu Jin, who was playing as the second singles player, was already outrageous enough, but now we've encountered someone even more outrageous.

"Your understanding is not wrong."

Kagura Ichijin nodded slightly, then turned and walked towards the receiving area.

He wasn't interested in Evans, so naturally he didn't bother to communicate with him.

He genuinely looked down on these so-called "foreign aid" recruited from overseas by the St. Icarus Academy at great expense.

He also had some understanding of the assembly line training model used overseas.

Players like Evans and Davis, despite being much stronger than their peers now, have essentially exhausted their potential and it's difficult for them to go any further; their future ceiling is pretty much set.

"interesting."

Looking at the unconventional Kagura Ikjin, Evans was not angry at all; instead, he smiled.

He then went to the service area, tossed the ball high into the air, and swung his racket quickly.

"Bang!"

Kagura Ijin quickly ran to the ball's landing point and swung his racket rapidly.

The moment the racket touched the ball, he felt a powerful impact. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes, but his hand did not stop moving at all, and he hit the ball back directly.

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

After more than forty rounds of intense back-and-forth attacks, Kagura Ichijin seized an opportunity and hit a baseline through ball, scoring directly.

"0-15!"

"Such a solid foundation."

Evans frowned; Kagura Ikjin's strength far exceeded his expectations.

His serve just now had a speed exceeding 203 km/h!

However, Kagura Ichijin easily returned the ball and even gained the upper hand in the subsequent rally.

"Bang!"

After serving again, Evans kept a close eye on Kagura Ichijin, not daring to be careless in the slightest.

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

After forty rounds, Evans noticed that Kagura Yijin was positioned a bit too far back, so he decisively rushed towards the net.

Seeing this, Kagura Ichijin's lips curled up slightly. Without the slightest hesitation, he decisively passed the ball directly to Evans' feet.

"0-30!"

"Senior, these little tricks won't work on me. If you want to win, show me your real skills."

Looking at Evans's stunned expression, Kagura Ichijin said calmly.

Since Evans can serve as the number one singles player at St. Icarus Academy, his strength must be more than that.

Although he was not interested in St. Icarus Academy's practice of recruiting players from overseas at high prices, he had to admit that this approach could indeed improve the school's overall strength in the shortest amount of time.

For schools eager to secure a spot in the national competition, this may be the simplest and most direct shortcut.

"That's true, you are indeed different from the other contestants."

Evans took a deep breath, walked to the service court, tossed the ball high into the air, and then used his wrist to generate backspin, hitting the ball out.

"Bang!"

Kagura Ijin quickly ran to the ball's landing point and swung his racket rapidly.

But he was quickly stunned. The tennis ball did not bounce after landing, but slid along the ground all the way to the sidelines.

"15-30!"

"Is this a high-speed slice shot?"

Kagura Ichijin was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Evans to use such a technically demanding serve.

"That's right."

Evans nodded, then confidently served again.

His serve has yet to be broken; no matter how strong Kagura Ichijin is, he cannot return his serve.

"Bang!"

……

"30-30!"

……

"Out!"

……

"40-30!"

……

"Out!"

……

"Game, Evans, 1-0!"

After successfully holding his serve, Evans looked directly at Kagura Ijin, trying to see a hint of panic on his face.

However, Kagura Ichijin remained calm, even with a faint smile on his face.

"Senior, is your wrist alright?"

Looking at Evans across from him, Kagura Ichijin smiled slightly and said calmly.

While this high-speed slice is easy to score, it puts too much strain on the wrist, and he was sure Evans wouldn't be able to keep it up for long.

"You noticed?"

Evans was taken aback at first, but then he didn't hide it anymore. He started rubbing his already sore wrist and gave a wry smile.

His serve demands a high level of wrist strength and technique, and he rarely uses it except in crucial moments.

If it weren't for the immense pressure Kagura Ichijin put on him, he wouldn't have revealed his trump card so early.

"It's not that I can tell, but I've met many players who are good at defensive chopping, so I naturally know some things."

After finishing his speech, Kagura Ichijin went straight to the service area, then tossed the ball high into the air, bent his legs, and swung his racket forcefully.

"Bang!"

……

"15-0!"

"How is this possible?"

Evans was shocked as he looked at the tennis ball that had been driven deep into the wire mesh behind him.

Kagura Ijin's serve speed is too fast, definitely exceeding 215km/h!

He didn't even have time to react.

"What's so surprising? It's just a serve, isn't it?"

Kagura Ichijin remained calm, as if he had done something insignificant.

He then tossed the ball high into the air and served a regular high-speed ball.

"Bang!"

This time Evans reacted, ran to the ball's landing point, and easily hit the ball back.

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"30-0!"

After more than thirty rounds, Kagura Ijin went straight to the net and hit a brilliant short shot, scoring again.

"Hey kid, why didn't you use that serve again?"

Evans looked puzzled and couldn't help but ask.

He couldn't return the serve Kagura Ichijin used just now. Wouldn't it have been better to just use it and score quickly? Why engage in this back-and-forth battle?

"The burden is too heavy; I need to maintain my form."

Kagura Ichijin rolled his eyes and said irritably.

Evans can act without restraint, but he can't.

The national tournament will last for several days, and this is only the first match. If I ruin my career, what will I do in the rest of the matches? Should I gamble my tennis career and continue playing? Or should I just give up?

"..."

Evans fell silent, quietly walked to the receiving area, and assumed a defensive stance.

His situation is different from Kagura Ikari's. St. Icarus Academy is destined to be eliminated. This match is his last match in the National Tournament. He wants to win this match and leave no regrets.

"Bang!"

After serving another ordinary high-speed ball, Kagura Ichijin carefully observed Evans' movements.

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"Bang!"

……

"30-15!"

……

"40-15!"

……

"40-30!"

……

"Game, Evans, 1-1!"