Chapter 48
Sanada and Yukimura returned to the gathering place of the German U-17. The group stage results of the U-17W Cup have been announced. The exhibition match and the US team, Natsunoku, and Japan each occupy one spot.
The order of the competition was immediately determined, and head coach Can Retru immediately divided the teams into groups: "Dankmar Schneider and Berti are running out of time, so we'll arrange it after they return from the group stage. Polk and Frankensteiner will be the finalists, with Q.P. and Kunimitsu Tezuka as the second-best players, and Elmer Seyfried and Michael Bismarck as the first-best players. It's just an exhibition match, but I don't expect anything other than a win."
Polk had no objection. Since the German team became the champion, there has been no exhibition match without Germany. One purpose was to confirm the quality of the newcomers, and the other was to estimate the competitiveness of the German team in this U-17W Cup.
Q·P and Kunimitsu Tezuka also get along well. Apart from anything else, as long as he can find some origins of Polk's improvement opportunities from Kunimitsu Tezuka, it will also be an enhancement for Q·P himself.
Michael Bismarck said bluntly: "Don't hold me back, boy."
"Yes, Senior Bismarck." Elmer Seyfried responded immediately, ready to avenge his previous defeat with an exhibition match.
Sanada and Yukimura currently have no chance to play and are waiting for the subsequent group stage arrangements.
The U-17W Cup exhibition match kicked off, with Germany facing Japan.
Sanada and Yukimura followed the team into the arena and could hear Kirihara Akaya's lively voice from a distance.
"Ah! It's the professional player Polk, hey~ Captain Yukimura and Vice Captain Sanada, there's another familiar person, isn't that Kunimitsu Tezuka from Seigaku?" Kirihara Akaya's loud voice instantly attracted the attention of the people around him, and the players of the Japanese team all looked in the direction of the German team.
Yanagi Renji thought to himself that Kirihara Akaya was still so impatient.
Niou Masaharu immediately drew his ire. "So, if you count the German U-17s, six of the eight Rikkai University players were selected. If you count the number of players in the main tournament, you could say the entire team is going to the international tournament~ Haha."
"You still have the mood to talk? These are all your rivals." Kide Nagashiro glared at Niou Masaharu.
Atobe Keigo looked at the junior high school students on the German team; they were all rivals. "Rikkai University's aura remains."
"Tezuka looks stronger again," Shiraishi Kuranosuke said.
Marui Bunta stroked his chin, his eyes rolling around. "Yukimura is definitely stronger."
On the German team's side, Michael Bismarck and Elmer Seyfried took the stage first as doubles number one.
The Japanese representatives sent Shusuke Fuji and Duke Watanabe.
The whole stadium was filled with chants of "Germany!"
Duke Watanabe came on and changed the atmosphere of the venue with just one goal.
Elmer Seyfried was hit by a shot from Duke Watanabe at the beginning of the game, and he didn't even say half of his harsh words before the game.
Duke Watanabe's serve was like a cannonball, rushing towards the German team's court with great power and speed.
"I didn't have much expectation in the first place. I'm enough for this game." Michael Bismarck simply gave up on his teammates and started a one-on-two mode.
Michael Bismarck was at a disadvantage in a one-on-two situation, and just as Elmer Seyfried had recovered, he was overwhelmed by Duke Watanabe's powerful attack. He also had to constantly deal with dangerous shots blocked by Fuji Shusuke, and he was exhausted running around the court.
The game became more and more tense until the end of the match. There was no extra game system in the exhibition match. If the German team did not win one more game, the game would be tied.
At this time, Michael Bismarck had not yet thought about losing.
Until Duke Watanabe entered the burst state, he burst out with more powerful strength, and Fuji Shusuke also cooperated skillfully, sending the ball accurately to a position that was difficult for the German team to defend.
"Game Japan, 7-5!"
The German team lost the first exhibition match, and it was because of his exaggerated and distinctive movements that Duke Watanabe was recognized as the destroyer of the French team.
Sanada and Yukimura, watching the game in the lounge area, remained silent. For the Japanese players on the German team, speaking out would only draw hatred.
"Destroyer!"
One of France's ace rising stars last year livened up the atmosphere. This was not a battle between the teams at the bottom of the rankings and the champion, but a battle between the four major teams.
"The destroyer of the French team? Michael Bismarck, adjust your condition. You should rest first in the first group match." The head coach Can Retru frowned and made adjustments on the sidelines.
Although Michael Bismarck was reluctant, he nodded and accepted the coach's arrangement.
Elmer Seyfried, who was also a contestant, was even more depressed. Without any comfort, Elmer Seyfried was directly relegated to the bench in the mind of head coach Can Retru.
"Q.P., Tezuka Kunimitsu, come on stage."
The players sent by the Japanese team are Kanata Irie and Keigo Atobe.
Q·P and Tezuka Kunimitsu took to the court as the double second combination.
The score of 6-0 directly interrupted the rhythm of the Japanese team, showing the demeanor of the king German team.
Not to mention Polk, who was the last to play. Polk and Frankensteiner waited for a while before the Japanese representative came on stage.
Tokugawa Kazuya, Shiraishi Kuranosuke.
The result was predictable, with Polk and Frankensteiner winning easily and decisively. Germany won two of the exhibition matches, losing once. The loss came against a French competitor. Head coach Can Retru gave his players a post-match speech, emphasizing the importance of teamwork and strategies for dealing with diverse opponents.
The exhibition match, which did not count towards individual results, served as a wake-up call for the German U-17 team. These problems must not occur in the group stage. Meanwhile, information on the Japanese U-17 team entered the German U-17 meeting room.
In the U-17W Cup group stage after the exhibition match, the German U-17 was grouped in Group A, which included South Africa, Mexico, and the Republic of Summer, which also played an exhibition match with the United States today.
The group stage is a rotation system, and you need to play a game with each team once. The big score is calculated first, and the win is calculated after the score is tied.
The competition system is one-game-end, with doubles first and singles second, which is more advantageous for national teams that are good at doubles.
Before the group stage officially started, Dankmar Schneider and Berti returned to the team. Both of them heard about the accident that happened in the German team's warm-up match.
Dankmar Schneider said seriously: "We can't take it lightly anymore. We might give the audience the impression that the German team can win."
"That's right. We need to use the group stage to let people know that we are still the champions of Germany." Berti nodded in agreement.
Head coach Can Retru called another team meeting and restructured the tactical plan. "Schneider, your first match opponent is #32 ranked Xia Zhiguan. You will defend the singles match. Berti and Q.P. will each take on a junior high student."
"Yes." Q.P responded, looking at the Frankensteiner assigned to him.
Berti glanced at the list. "Senior Q.P. will go first, and I'll take Elmer Seyfried for the second."
Head coach Can Retru had no intention of playing an extra game. The first team to win by three points would win, so three games would suffice. No team dared to face the reigning champions of Germany and play three junior high school students in the singles positions.
Generally, in order to continue the competition according to the rules, the strong gatekeepers are placed in key positions, that is, singles three.
"The second match is against South Africa, ranked 15th. Michael Bismarck, you will defend singles and three. The doubles will be Schneider and Berti, and Q.P. and Tezuka. The third round is Mexico, ranked 24th. The doubles will be Sanada, Yukimura, Michael Bismarck, and Frankensteiner, and the singles will be three Q.P...."
The team members listened carefully to the coach's arrangements and expressed their willingness to do their best.
Sanada and Yukimura were also carefully analyzing the opponent's information.
"Although the Mexican team is not ranked particularly high, we cannot rule out the possibility of facing high school doubles players."
"But there's no need to worry too much. Surprises like the Japanese U-17 team aren't common. According to the information Senior Q.P provided, the rankings won't fluctuate significantly. We've never lost to high school students on expedition teams."
Sanada said seriously, "You're too relaxed. We still need to be fully prepared. We can't let our guard down just because our opponent isn't ranked high."
"In the next few days, in addition to the German team's game, the Mexican team will also play against other teams. Let's go and watch them in person," Yukimura suggested.
Based on recent observations and Q·P's rigorous data, the probability of ranking changes is low. Basically, the teams after 25th place are not that formidable even if they have high school players.
The top two teams advance from the group stage. Some groups will deliberately control their rankings in order to ensure smooth progress in subsequent matches. Of course, this has nothing to do with the German team.
In order to qualify for the knockout round other than the German team, the remaining group players will definitely go all out.
The match between Sanada and Yukimura will be in the third round. Before that, the Mexican team will compete with the other two teams, so the two have enough time to collect information.
"How is it?" Sanada turned to look at Yukimura.
Yukimura, wearing his coat, gave an objective analysis: "It doesn't look like he's much better than Finn-senpai and Tim-senpai."
Both doubles teams of the Mexican team are composed of high school students leading a junior high school student, and leaving another junior high school student to play singles. However, the two teams with lower rankings sometimes simply give up the doubles match and let the two junior high school students play, betting on winning games and putting all their main strength on the high school singles.
As expected, Germany took the lead in the group stage with a 2-0 victory. Each match was played over three rounds. Even if their names were called later, they didn't have to play. According to head coach Can Retru's plan, they would win the match with three straight wins.
Germany U-17 won the priority to advance.
On this day, it was the match between Germany U-17 and Mexico U-17, the last game of the group stage.
"Sanada, Yukimura, doubles two." Kan Retru gave the order.
Sanada stretched his muscles and prepared for the match.
According to the pre-match introduction, this time the opponent is a high school student and a junior high school student.
Mexican athletes Javier and Alvaro.
The stadium's spectator seats were already full. The teams that were sure to advance and those that had a fighting chance had all sent intelligence personnel to stake out the Big 4. Rikkai University teammate Yanagi Renji also rushed to the scene to gather intelligence and act as a cheerleader.
The order of appearance had been decided long ago, and Sanada and Yukimura took their rackets and went on stage.
"Coach, don't we need high school students to follow this time?" Q.P naturally had information about Sanada and Yukimura at the training base, and their records were impeccable, but since it was their first time participating in an international competition, the pressure brought by the atmosphere on the sidelines was incomparable to that of ordinary small competitions.
Kan Retulu knew that if they wanted to advance, they naturally had to demonstrate their value, especially in an environment like Germany, where the team was already strong. If they didn't stand out, why not cultivate players of their own nationality? "No need. Sanada and Yukimura are undefeated in doubles matches, and they can't win against teams that have already been eliminated. The next matches will require more effective coordination between the players."
Alvaro from Mexico serves first.
Sanada kept his eyes on Alvaro, who was serving from the opposite side. When the ball came, he quickly turned sideways and hit it back with a beautiful backhand.
Feeling the force of the tennis ball, Sanada roughly gauged his opponent's strength. "There's no problem here at all. It all depends on Yukimura's performance over there."
In most countries, doubles matches between high school and junior high school students are mainly composed of high school students. The difference in strength between the two is not small, so there are rarely any surprises.
The ball went back and forth quickly on the court. Sanada and Yukimura cooperated well with each other. One made a powerful counterattack and the other made a clever substitution, and they soon took the initiative on the court.
Yukimura did not play against high school students alone very often, except when he first entered the training base. Most of the time he played against the Sanada team. The two were selected because of their doubles performance.
One of the few high-level experiences I had was playing against official German U-17 players. At that time, the gap was quite large, and many of them were not competitions, but just guidance. Having such a formal occasion to compete with high school students, and the opponents also trying their best, was a good opportunity to hone my skills.
The junior high school student had the strength to suppress the opponent, but Javier of the Mexican team was not willing to be outdone. He found the right moment and hit a tricky diagonal shot, which flew quickly along the sideline.
Sanada moved quickly, stretched out his racket to block the ball, and brought the court back to Yukimura.
"You are very bold. You dare to do this without any support." Michael Bismarck looked at the junior high school student with a respectful look.
Berti tilted his head and retorted, "No, isn't the bottoming out already? It's not like we need high school students to do it."
"Indeed, Sanada, a strong attacker, is actually controlling the game." Dankmar Schneider agreed with his partner. As the high school student who has practiced with Sanada and Yukimura the most, he knows Sanada's strength better.
Anyone who has fought Sanada knows that no matter what Sanada's moves are used for, their goal and aura are directly aimed at scoring.
The Mexican junior high school student had no chance of getting involved in this match. If he tried to force his way in, Sanada would dominate the game and Yukimura would be able to handle it with ease.
If a high school student were to compete, Sanada would quietly disappear and leave the competition to Yukimura.
Sanada and Yukimura exchanged tactics through eye contact and simple hand gestures. Yukimura moved nimbly, always ready to intercept the opponent's return ball, while Sanada held the defense in the back.
When Alvaro hit a high lob, Sanada seized the opportunity, jumped high, and smashed the ball into the opponent's court with a powerful smash, which aroused cheers from the audience.
Sanada and Yukimura played more and more bravely, and their scores kept increasing. The Mexican team tried to disrupt the rhythm of Sanada and Yukimura by constantly changing the landing point of the ball, but Sanada remained unmoved and always remained calm, cooperating with Yukimura to resolve the opponent's offensive again and again.
"Sanada." Yukimura turned around. "It's time to end the game."
That is to say, the combination of high school students and junior high school students will be manipulated by Sanada and Yukimura in this way. When Sanada and Yukimura faced high school students in doubles together, they could win, but if they wanted to separate them out for solo practice during the game, they were dreaming!
"No problem, Yukimura." Sanada received Yukimura's signal and joined the attack.
As the match progressed, Sanada and Yukimura had already reached match point. However, the Mexican team would not give up easily. After falling behind, they began to strengthen their offensive and tried to equalize the score.
Unfortunately, strength is everything. Sanada took the initiative to attack and scored the winning goal. "Move like thunder!"
"Game Yukimura Sanada, 6-2!"
Sanada and Yukimura, who won the game, moved up a lot in the rankings of head coach Can Retru, at least Elmer Seyfried was completely suppressed.
Unlike the group stage, which offered multiple chances, the finals offered no extra chances. A loss was a loss, and the coach needed to be more thoughtful in his personnel decisions. He needed to win the match without revealing any information about players of the same level...
There were no surprises in the subsequent matches. The only difficult opponent in the entire group stage was Michael Bismarck's opponent Shapoka Golpe, who played against South Africa in the second round. He seemed to be a strong opponent.
The German team successfully completed all the group stage matches and advanced with a perfect record.
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