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

Chapter 189 Yamabuki VS Shitenbao Temple

The third day of the national competition, Kobe Sports Complex.

When the Yamabuki team entered the arena, they saw that the stands were already packed.

The semifinals have now come to a complete end. The schools advancing from the upper bracket are Yamabuki Junior High School and Shitenhoji Junior High School, while the schools advancing from the lower bracket are Rikkai University Affiliated Junior High School and Makinofuji Junior High School.

"Ha, they're all acquaintances."

Sengoku Kiyosumi glanced at the three school regulars who were warming up, then turned to Kagura Ichijin beside him and said with a sigh.

The landscape of this year's national tournament is almost unchanged from last year, with the Kanto and Kansai regions remaining strong, each occupying two of the top four spots.

"That's normal. Apart from us, the other three schools are regulars in national competitions."

Kagura Ichijin placed his tennis bag on the ground, unzipped it, pulled out a racket, and replied in a flat tone.

Today's semi-finals will directly determine which two schools will ultimately advance to the finals.

Even he dared not be careless in the face of such a life-or-death battle.

"Sigh! I really don't know if Yamabuki will be able to step onto this stage again after our graduating class."

Kiyosumi Sengoku adjusted the tennis bag on her shoulder, a wry smile involuntarily appearing on her face.

Compared to those traditionally strong schools, Yamabuki Junior High School still lacks a strong foundation.

Although they are all on the same field now, he knows better than anyone that for Yamabuki, this glory is only temporary.

Compared to these traditionally strong schools, Yamabuki is like an extremely dazzling but potentially fleeting figure.

Despite their seemingly glorious championship aura, Yamabuki is actually teetering on the edge of a precipice, where a single misstep could lead to utter ruin.

Other schools, on the other hand, have a very high chance of winning the championship every year, unlike Yamabuki, where once you miss the chance, you may never have another opportunity to reach the top.

"That's not something we should worry about."

Kagura Ichijin waved his hand casually, then walked straight to the open space to the side to warm up.

Having successfully made it into the national top four, they have already given the school's board of directors enough to give them an explanation.

As for what will become of Yamabuki in the future, that can only be left to the fate of those who come after him.

"That's true, thinking about these things now is really useless."

Sengoku Kiyosumi smiled faintly with relief, then took out his racket from his tennis bag and went to the open space to start his pre-match warm-up.

After the semifinals, the most crucial final will be played, and he doesn't want to falter at this critical moment.

Although Yamabuki's chances of defending his title this year are extremely slim, he does not want to give up.

After an unknown amount of time, the fourth round of the national competition officially began with the sound of a broadcast.

Yamabuki Junior High School has met its match, Shitenhoji, from the Kansai region.

After handing the starting lineup to the referee, Banta Mikiya returned to his seat on the coaching bench.

The specific lineup of players.

The third singles match was against Sengoku Kiyosumi.

Doubles Team 2: Nitobe Inayoshi and Kita Kazuma.

The second singles player is Jin Akutsu.

Doubles Team 1: Kentaro Minami and Masami Higashikata.

First singles match: Kagura Ijin.

"The first match begins. Yamabuki will play his third singles match, and Shitenhoji will play his third singles match."

"Phew! Kagura, I'm in!"

Sengoku Kiyosumi stood up from the lounge chair, took a deep breath, nodded to Kagura Ichijin, then grabbed the racket lying to the side and strode toward the referee.

This time, his opponent is Shiraishi Kuranosuke, a second-year student at Shitenhoji Temple.

"A single game to decide the winner, Senkoku serves."

"Hello, Shiraishi-kun."

Sengoku Kiyosumi gripped his racket tightly, his expression instantly turning serious.

Among the many junior high school students in the Kansai region, there are not many people he can be wary of, but Shiraishi Kuranosuke, whose left arm is wrapped in white bandages, is one of them.

Although he has undergone extremely rigorous training and his strength has increased significantly, it's still hard to say whether he can defeat Shiraishi Kuranosuke.

"Sengoku-kun, let's have a really exciting match!"

Kuranosuke Shiraishi rested his racket against his chin, a gentle smile on his face.

The current situation is extremely favorable for him. Not only has he successfully avoided a strong opponent, but he also has a very high chance of winning a point for Shitenhoji in this singles match.

"it is good."

Sengoku Kiyosumi nodded very solemnly, then took a deep breath and turned to walk towards the service area.

He is undoubtedly the weakest player in Yamabuki's singles lineup.

The reason why Shitenhoji sent Shiraishi Kuranosuke out so early this time is probably because they see him as a breakthrough point.

To be honest, he's seen this kind of targeting all the time.

Even though he felt somewhat uncomfortable, he had to admit that this kind of troop deployment was indeed somewhat restraining for Yamabuki Middle School.

"Bang!"

After reaching the service court, Kiyosumi Sengoku took a deep breath, tossed the ball high into the air, and swung his racket forcefully.

"Bang!"

After running to the ball's landing point, Shiraishi Kuranosuke decisively swung his racket without any unnecessary movements.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

After about twenty rounds, Shiraishi Kuranosuke took advantage of the moment when Sengoku Kiyosumi was caught off guard and hit the ball directly into the corner opposite.

"0-15!"

"Such a solid foundation."

As he watched the tennis ball fly out of bounds, Sengoku Kiyosumi's expression grew increasingly serious.

You should know that he often undergoes high-intensity training. Although his physical fitness is not as good as those exceptionally talented athletes, it is far superior to that of ordinary junior high school students.

I don't know how Shiraishi Kuranosuke did it. Not only is his physical ability no less than his, but he even seems to be doing it with ease.

"Bang!"

After serving again, Sengoku Kiyosumi carefully observed Shiraishi Kuranosuke on the opposite side.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"0-30!"

After more than thirty rounds, Kuranosuke Shiraishi scored directly with a baseline cross-court shot.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

After more than twenty rounds, Shiraishi Kuranosuke scored directly with a powerful smash.

"0-40!"

"How can he be so strong?"

After losing points in a row, Sengoku Kiyosumi's face turned extremely ugly.

If conceding a goal once could be considered an accident, then doing it repeatedly can only prove one thing.

Kuranosuke Shiraishi was stronger than he had anticipated, which was why he was able to steadily suppress him in the protracted battle.

"Sengoku-kun, aren't you going to serve?"

Seeing Sengoku Kiyosumi standing there in a daze, Shiraishi Kuranosuke elegantly twirled the racket in his hand and loudly reminded him with a smile.

The breakthrough point for the Yamabuki singles lineup was indeed Sengoku Kiyosumi, and it was worth it for Coach Watanabe Osamu to place him and Captain Hara Tetsuya in the singles third and singles second positions.

"call!"

After taking a deep breath, Sengoku Kiyosumi walked back to the service area.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 0-1!"

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 0-2!"

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 0-3!"

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 0-4!"

"Kagura, what is Sengoku doing? Why isn't he using his full strength?"

Kentaro Minami, watching from the sidelines, clenched his fists tightly, turned anxiously to look at Ichijin Kagura, and asked with a look of surprise.

The situation on the field was extremely unfavorable for Sengoku Kiyosumi; it was a one-sided beating. If this continued, Sengoku Kiyosumi would really lose the match.

"I guess they're worried about Shiraishi getting used to the pace."

After thinking for a moment, Kagura Ichijin finally spoke.

Sengoku Kiyosumi has a lot of experience competing against national-level players, so he naturally knows how terrifying those top national-level players are.

Not to mention that Sengoku Kiyosumi's "boxing tennis" is not without flaws.

This means that Sengoku Kiyosumi only has one chance. If he cannot quickly defeat Shiraishi Kuranosuke and end the match completely, the consequences will be unimaginable.

"Is there any point in doing this? We're so far behind; it'll be difficult to catch up."

Kentaro Minami frowned and said in a deep voice.

The current situation is clear: Sengoku Kiyosumi has been firmly suppressed by Shiraishi Kuranosuke. If Sengoku Kiyosumi doesn't find a way to reverse the situation, then there is really no hope of winning.

The larger the score difference, the less room for error the trailing side has. Unless the difference in strength between the two sides is too great, it is really difficult to turn the tide.

"Sengoku probably wanted to wait for Shiraishi's form to decline before launching a counterattack, but he miscalculated somewhat."

Kagura Ichijin gave a wry smile. Sengoku Kiyosumi's approach might work against ordinary national-level players, but against opponents with better stamina, it would be tantamount to suicide.

It is clear that Shiraishi Kuranosuke's performance has not declined; on the contrary, his scoring speed is getting faster and faster.

Nowadays, it's difficult for Kiyosumi Sengoku to even engage in a protracted battle; he simply has no way to drag the match into a long-term struggle.

"Does Sengoku still have a chance to win?"

A hint of worry flashed across Minami Kentaro's face. This time, Banta Miki didn't let him and Higashikata Masami appear so early, because he was worried that they would be restrained like when they encountered Shishigaku.

Originally, this formation was quite good, but now it seems to have been a miscalculation. If Sengoku Kiyosumi really loses the game, then Yamabuki Middle School will face a disastrous start.

"The score difference is too big —"

Kagura Ikjin shook his head with a heavy expression. Even if Sengoku Kiyosumi used boxing tennis, he could only win a few games against Shiraishi Kuranosuke at most, and could not end the match at all.

Kuranosuke Shiraishi, on the other hand, has it much easier. Once he gets used to Kiyosumi Sengoku's "boxing tennis," he will regain the initiative.

Whether it's dragging the match into a tug-of-war or launching a counterattack by exploiting the weaknesses of "boxing tennis," the odds of winning are much higher than for Sengoku Kiyosumi.

Not to mention that Shiraishi Kuranosuke was wearing a golden wristband under the bandage on his left arm, meaning his full strength was not being displayed at all.

"6

Kentaro Minami fell silent. The National Tournament truly lived up to its reputation as a "graveyard" for the strong. Unless you became the strongest player and crushed your way through, you would always encounter even stronger players.

Failure always accompanies every player, without exception; the only difference is when it happens.

"Ugh!"

After letting out a deep sigh, Kagura Ichijin silently recited the system's instructions and began to check Shiraishi Kuranosuke's five dimensions.

Shiraishi Kuranosuke (Second year of junior high school)

Speed: 3

Power: 3.5

Stamina: 3.5

Spirit: 3.5

Technology: 3.5

Total: 17

"Bang!"

After reaching the service court, Kiyosumi Sengoku took a deep breath, tossed the ball high into the air, and swung his racket forcefully.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

After more than ten rounds, Shiraishi Kuranosuke took advantage of the moment when Sengoku Kiyosumi was unable to return to defense in time and hit the ball directly into the corner on the other side.

"0-15!"

"It's definitely not working. It seems we have to change things."

Sengoku Kiyosumi's eyes narrowed, and after gripping his racket tightly, he walked back to the service court.

"Bang!"

After serving again, Kiyosumi Sengoku's body swayed slightly with a unique rhythm.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

-

After more than ten rounds, Kiyosumi Sengoku scored directly with a baseline through ball.

"15-15!"

Has the playing style changed?

Kuranosuke Shiraishi glanced at Kiyosumi Sengoku across from him with a puzzled look, then walked straight to the receiving area and assumed a defensive stance.

"Bang!"

After serving again, Sengoku Kiyosumi's expression became even more focused.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"30-15!"

'

"40-15!"

'

"40-30!"

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 1-4!"

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 2-4!"

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 3-4!"

After successfully holding his serve again, Kiyosumi Sengoku did not feel happy; instead, his expression became increasingly serious.

Kuranosuke Shiraishi adapted to "boxing tennis" faster than he expected, and now he's not as easy to score points as he used to.

"Bang!"

After reaching the service court, Shiraishi Kuranosuke took a deep breath, tossed the ball high into the air, and swung his racket forcefully.

"Bang!"

"Bang!

'

"Round Table Smash!"

After a dozen or so rounds, Shiraishi Kuranosuke suddenly exerted force, using his arm and wrist to apply a strong lateral spin to the ball.

The tennis ball instantly multiplied into twelve clones in mid-air, flying towards the other side with dazzling afterimages.

"15-0!"

"They still have some left over."

Sengoku Kiyosumi's face turned extremely ugly. Shiraishi Kuranosuke was much stronger than he had expected, and he didn't even know if he could break his opponent's serve.

"Bang!"

After serving again, Kuranosuke Shiraishi became even more focused.

"Bang!"

"Round Table Smash!"

"Bang!"

After running to the ball's landing point, Sengoku Kiyosumi didn't rush to swing his racket, but instead stared intently at the twelve tennis ball clones.

Just as the tennis ball bounced up, his eyes narrowed, and he decisively swung his racket, hitting one of the tennis ball's fragments.

"As expected, you can't fool someone with a good eye."

Kuranosuke Shiraishi sighed slightly, then ran back to the ball's landing spot and decisively swung his racket.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"15-15!"

After more than forty rounds, Sengoku Kiyosumi hit the ball directly into the corner opposite him.

"Bang!"

"Round Table Smash!"

"Bang!"

30-15!

'

After more than sixty rounds, Sengoku Kiyosumi suddenly stopped, and Shiraishi Kuranosuke did not let the opportunity pass by, directly hitting the ball into the dead corner diagonally opposite.

"So it can't continue after a certain time? Sengoku, it seems luck is on my side."

Kuranosuke Shiraishi smiled slightly and walked calmly to the service area.

Having discovered Sengoku Kiyosumi's weakness, he was confident of winning the match.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

"Round Table Smash!"

"40-15!"

"40-30!"

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 3-5!"

0

"Game, Kiyosumi Sengoku, 3-6!"

"Match 1 ends, 6-3, Kuranosuke Shiraishi wins!"