King of Tennis (POT)

Half an hour later, the players finished their warm-ups, and the matches began one after another.

"The matches for Group D will now begin."

"First-year student, Ishikawa Shin, versus third-year student, Shishido Ryo."

"Both players, please prepare."

As the announcement ended, the crowd quickly made their way to the court where Group D was playing. After all, this was likely the most anticipated match of the day.

Soon, Ishikawa and Shishido appeared on opposite sides of the court.

The two exchanged glances, nodded at each other, and then walked to the net to shake hands briefly.

"You're strong," Shishido said bluntly. "But as a third-year senior, I can't afford to lose to you!"

"Senior, you're being too serious," Ishikawa replied with a smile, shaking his head. "It's just a match. Let's play relaxed. That said, I'm looking forward to experiencing your fast-paced playing style."

The audience was taken aback by their exchange.

If they hadn't known better, they might have thought the two had switched roles. Shishido sounded like the nervous first-year, while Ishikawa carried himself like a seasoned third-year.

"Is Shishido actually nervous?" asked Mukahi, standing outside the court, his face filled with surprise.

Oshitari, standing beside him, shook his head. "This is the right attitude to have in a match. Part of the reason Hiyoshi lost to Ishikawa was because he underestimated him."

"Exactly," agreed Taki. "I've noticed that everyone who's played Ishikawa so far didn't take him seriously at first. But once the match started and Ishikawa turned up the pressure, they were caught off guard."

Oshitari sighed. "Tennis is as much a mental game as it is physical. But it's rare to see Shishido this focused."

In truth, after Ishikawa defeated Hiyoshi 6-0 the previous day, all the regulars except Atobe had started treating the first-year as a serious opponent. Shishido's level of caution was understandable.

"By the way," Mukahi said, watching the two players on the court as they prepared to decide who would serve first, "who do you think has the upper hand in this match?"

"Hmm," Oshitari pondered for a moment. "I'd say it's 40-60."

"What?" Ootori chimed in, surprised. "Shishido-senpai only has a 60% chance of winning?"

After all, he had played against Shishido seven times and lost every single match. In his eyes, Ishikawa, like him, was a serve-oriented player, and as a first-year, his chances of winning shouldn't be higher than 40%.

"Ootori, you misunderstood," Atobe interjected with a smirk. "What Oshitari meant is that Shishido's chance of winning is... 40%."

"What?!" Ootori's eyes widened in shock. He instinctively looked at Oshitari, who nodded in confirmation. "Shishido-senpai only has a 40% chance of winning?"

If it had been anyone else, Ootori would have dismissed the claim as nonsense. But these two were the strongest players in Hyotei, and Atobe, despite his teasing tone, clearly agreed with Oshitari's assessment.

"Don't be too surprised," Oshitari explained. "Ishikawa's serve is incredibly strong, and his first-serve success rate is currently 100%. On top of that, he's very good at long rallies. If the match drags on, Shishido's chances of winning diminish significantly."

"So," Oshitari continued, turning his gaze to Shishido on the court, who looked serious and focused, "if Shishido wants to win, he'll have to finish the match within 20 minutes."

In a way, the playing styles and strengths of Ishikawa, Hiyoshi, and Shishido could be summarized as follows: Ishikawa was strong both offensively and defensively, Hiyoshi was strong offensively but weaker defensively, and Shishido's offensive capabilities surpassed even Hiyoshi's.

In yesterday's match, Hiyoshi had come close to breaking through Ishikawa's defenses. Therefore, Oshitari believed that if Shishido's offensive power could penetrate Ishikawa's defenses, he still had a 40% chance of winning. Otherwise, the outcome wouldn't be much different from Hiyoshi's defeat.

Meanwhile, on the court, Ishikawa and Shishido finished deciding who would serve first, with Shishido winning the toss and choosing to serve.

"The match will be decided in one set!" the umpire announced from his high chair. After confirming both players were ready, he turned to Shishido. "Shishido to serve. First game!"

*Thud. Thud. Thud.*

Shishido pulled out a tennis ball and began bouncing it lightly.

"His observational skills are sharp. He'll definitely read the trajectory of my serve the moment I hit it."

"So, if I want to maintain an advantage in my service game, I'll have to rush the net as quickly as possible."

"If he adapts to the first few exchanges, my advantage will disappear."

As a regular member of Hyotei, Shishido's tennis IQ was far from low. He had witnessed firsthand how Ishikawa had defeated Hiyoshi the day before. And in the afternoon, he had defeated Hiyoshi himself, experiencing the latter's "Martial Arts Tennis" firsthand.

Therefore, Shishido knew that his only advantage lay in the first few points. To win, he had to keep the points short.

*Thwack!*

With that in mind, Shishido served decisively.

*Thud! Thud!*

Immediately, he sprinted forward at full speed, his body low to the ground as he charged toward the net.

"Here it comes!"

"It's Shishido's serve-and-volley."

"He's going all out from the start! Well, his opponent isn't an ordinary player. Even as a regular, he can't afford to let his guard down."

The spectators held their breath as they watched.

"Very decisive," Ishikawa thought to himself, nodding slightly.

In the original story, Shishido's first appearance had been during the quarterfinals of the Tokyo Metropolitan Tournament (round of 8), where Hyotei faced Fudomine in the third singles match.

At the time, he had underestimated Fudomine, a team he had never heard of, and failed to recognize Tachibana's true skill, leading to his defeat.

But now, having studied his opponent beforehand, Shishido was in top form. From the very first move, he unleashed his signature net-rushing strategy.

Moreover, his speed far surpassed Hiyoshi's.

Under these circumstances, even though Ishikawa had seen through Shishido's tactics, his options for countering were limited.

"A lob? Or target his backhand?"

The spectators outside the court were also analyzing Ishikawa's every move.

*Thwack!*

At that moment, Ishikawa moved.

But to everyone's surprise, he hit the ball straight toward a spot half a meter in front of Shishido.

"Huh?"

Shishido raised an eyebrow, slowing his pace slightly as he adjusted his racket to the perfect height.

*Thwack!*

The ball, having bounced off the ground, was met with a half-volley from Shishido, sending it flying past Ishikawa and landing inside the sideline for a point.

"15-0!"

"W-what? He scored so quickly?"

The spectators were stunned. They couldn't understand how Ishikawa, who had dominated Hiyoshi the day before, had just lost the first point to Shishido.

"Is this the difference between a regular and a non-regular?" they wondered, their minds reeling.

But the regulars, especially the top players, wore thoughtful expressions.

"Trying to use standard tactics against a serve-and-volley player?" Oshitari mused, narrowing his eyes. "But Shishido isn't on the same level as someone like Shouhara. That kind of approach won't work on him."

"Interesting."

Atobe, however, had a different reaction. He glanced at Ishikawa, who was retreating to the baseline, and a faint smile played on his lips.

He didn't believe that someone as calm and meticulous as Ishikawa would make such a basic mistake.

On the contrary, he had a hunch about what Ishikawa was up to.

(End of Chapter)