Chapter 41
Those who had registered were waiting for notification of the competition time. Sanada used his free time to buy gifts for his family in advance.
The more information Sanada learned from Yanagi Renji, the more familiar it sounded. Add to that the age restriction, and it was hard not to think of the U-17 tournament.
But the information about the U-17 team in Germany should be after the U-17 team training camp in Japan, when Tezuka left the national team to compete abroad...
"Sanada, what are you thinking about? It's time to practice." Yukimura woke up the contemplative Sanada.
Sanada looked up, pulled his thoughts back, and refocused on the practice at hand. "Let's go, Yukimura."
"If they don't focus on the field, even the combination of Buchou and Sanada won't be able to win easily." Marui Bunta reminded from the side.
Upon hearing this, Sanada's eyes darkened. "Let your strength speak for itself."
"Well, let's get started." Yukimura walked to the backcourt.
Marui Bunta turned around and said, "Serve, Kuwabara."
Jackal Sangyuan nodded, swung his racket hard, and the ball flew to the opposite side at an extremely fast speed.
Sanada and Yukimura take action...
During the pre-match practice, Niou Masaharu naturally chose the side of Yanagi Renji and Kirihara Akaya.
"Get ready, hurry up, Niou." Yagyu Hiroshi urged.
Niou Masaharu yawned, "Here it comes. Akaya, you must make it to the finals, and it would be best if you can defeat Sanada. Of course, Yukimura doesn't have much chance. Anyway, don't let Sanada win too easily. Puff~"
Kirihara Akaya's fighting spirit was instantly ignited: "Senior Niou, don't underestimate me! I will definitely go all out to defeat Minister Sanada and Minister Yukimura!"
Yanagi Renji nodded slightly, his eyes flashing with analysis of the match: "Akaye, your fighting spirit is good. But be careful to control your emotions and don't let your impulses cloud your judgment."
"Yes, Senior Yanagi!" Kirihara Akaya nodded seriously, keeping Yanagi Renji's words in mind.
In order to prepare for this special doubles training, Niou Masaharu worked overtime to collect information and fill in the phantom characters based on the data collected by the military advisor.
Even Yagyu Hiroshi's free time was forced by Niou to join the special training plan, just to make things difficult for Sanada. Although he knew the power of Yukimura and Sanada, he didn't want Sanada to win easily.
When had Niou Masaharu ever been so diligent? Only a few people could make Niou stay up all night fighting. After all, understanding the opponent is the key to developing more effective tactics.
"Hans and Lucas are two power players who play in a direct style and like to attack in front of the net. Yagyu, go to the net." Niou Masaharu transformed into a strong dark-skinned man. His ball path was no longer as delicate as before, but straight and aggressive.
Although Yagyu Hiroshi didn't have the ability to imitate, he could still emulate the style of play. Niou Masaharu simulated the style of play of a power player, and Yagyu Hiroshi quickly adjusted his stance and hitting method to coordinate with the attack.
"The next one is a double bottom line type, defending in the middle and counterattacking. He may even use physical energy consumption." Yanagi Renji nodded slightly.
Niou Masaharu changed his phantom, and this time a tall and thin young man appeared.
Yagyu Hiroshi retreated and abandoned his favorite golf style. This time, Yagyu had a hard time practicing.
Niou Masaharu switched his racket. "Also, this player's special move is called the Rainbow Shot, a return that utilizes light and shadow."
"If the game becomes difficult, they may stretch it out." Yagyu Hiroshi adjusted his condition and his returns became long, mostly high balls.
Niou Masaharu changed his style again, and the phantom player's return had a strange spin. "Next player, their performance in the match was mediocre, and they excelled at stealing serve."
Next one... Niou Masaharu demonstrated the approximate abilities of the seeded players given by Yanagi Renji.
Throughout the afternoon, the sparring partner lost a lot of games and was exhausted.
Yanagi Renji nodded with satisfaction. Niou Masaharu's illusion exceeded his expectations. Yanagi Renji's data analysis now had a specific reference model. Even if there was something hidden, it could save a lot of time for trial and error, especially allowing Kirihara Akaya to adapt to various styles of play.
I believe these advantages can play a huge role in the competition and catch the opponents off guard.
Then came the final round. Niou Masaharu's expression turned serious as Sanada appeared on the field. "Kirihara, you're too lax!"
The deputy minister's figure scared Kirihara Akaya, and he almost dropped the racket in his hand.
Niou Masaharu used Sanada's moves very smoothly, and the power of his return was completely different from the player who had appeared as an illusion to give Kirihara Akaya more experience.
"I will definitely defeat the Big Three!" Kirihara Akaya gripped his racket tightly and became more motivated after adjusting his state.
Yagyu Hiroshi gave the court to Niou Masaharu to perform.
Yanagi Renji did not participate in the sparring with Kirihara Akaya. The match was a doubles match. If Kirihara Akaya could not deal with Sanada's return in a short time, there would be no need to play the match.
Niou Masaharu's phantom Sanada held nothing back, putting Kirihara Akaya under unprecedented pressure. Every return felt like Sanada was personally coaching him, the combination of power and precision forcing Kirihara to concentrate completely.
The phantom Sanada and Kirihara Akaya were fighting fiercely.
On the other side, Sanada and Yukimura were playing in a relaxed and comfortable manner.
The strength of Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwahara can be said to be among the best in doubles.
The unique tacit understanding gained from years of doubles play, whether it is Kuwahara's strong defense or Marui's clever return, are both powerful tools for scoring in the game.
Sanada and Yukimura seemed particularly calm when facing such an opponent.
The combination of the two is more about finding the feeling of doubles, and not grabbing the ball to make the game more difficult for yourself.
It can even be said that Sanada and Yukimura are strong enough to each receive the ball without making a mistake, it just depends on who scores first.
"Sanada!" Yukimura shouted.
Marui made a beautiful volley at the net, but was blocked by Yukimura. Sanada went to the net and swung the racket, and the ball went right into the gap between the two players in the opponent's court, scoring.
Teaming up with Yukimura, Sanada didn't find it as difficult as he did playing with Kirihara Akaya, nor did he need to spend time getting used to the game as he did when trying doubles with others.
Yukimura's understanding of tennis and his insight on the court allowed Sanada to play more freely during the game.
The foundation of doubles is trust, and Sanada absolutely trusts the strength of Yukimura, the son of God who has suppressed him for several years without a win.
Yukimura also trusted Sanada. If there was anyone who could make the Son of God feel pressured, it was Sanada, who was constantly advancing beside him. Especially now, Yukimura felt that he could no longer see Sanada's strength as clearly as before.
My childhood friend has now become my strongest support.
The rhythm of the game was firmly controlled by Sanada and Yukimura.
Marui Bunta and Jackal Kuwahara were convinced. Rikkai's victor was king. As early as their first year of junior high, Yukimura and Sanada were already at the forefront, their strength undeniable.
Judging from the current cooperation, Marui Bunta couldn't imagine anyone other than Yukimura and Sanada who could win the championship.
As for opponents, Yanagi Renji and Kirihara Akari don't count. If we really want to say that they are evenly matched, it would be fair to have the combination of Sanada and Yukimura versus the combination of Yanagi and Yukimura.
The doubles competition was jointly organized by the German Training Base and Wolfgang Tennis Club.
The members of Rikkai University who had rested for half a day received the time for the competition.
"Yanagi and Kirihara will play in the first match at 1:30 p.m., and Sanada and Yukimura will play in the match at 6 p.m.," Yanagi Renji explained the match schedule to his teammates, adding, "Remember to arrive early to warm up and be in top condition."
"It doesn't affect the time of watching the game." Niou Masaharu stretched.
Yukimura studied the map. "Well, let's go."
The audition location for the doubles match was a street tennis court that had been reserved in advance by the staff. There were quite a few courts, all along this road section.
"I thought there weren't many people here?" Marui Bunta looked around and found that many contestants and spectators had gathered around the tennis court, and the scene in front of him was dark.
Yagyu Hiroshi pushed his glasses up: "It seems that there is a lot of competition."
"Although there are many people, there are only a few real opponents." Liu Renji said calmly.
Sanada took the lead. "It's just an audition."
The auditions were a piece of cake for a strong team like Rikkai University. Both the pairing of Yanagi Renji and Kirihara Akaya and the pairing of Sanada and Yukimura easily won.
"A lot of combinations were eliminated this time." Jackal Sangyuan watched as the winners and losers on the field gradually became clear.
Niou Masaharu noticed that all the doubles teams the Advisor had been focusing on advanced. "As expected of the Advisor, his special training was well worth it."
After one round of competition, the subsequent schedule becomes more intense, and a group has to play at least four games a day.
"Come on! Akaye." Hulang Sangyuan cheered.
Niou Masaharu tilted his head. "With the military advisor here, there's nothing to worry about. If the opponent is weak, I can still fight two of them at once. Puff~"
Kirihara Akashi also opened fire in the frontcourt, ignoring external influences and actively fighting.
Yanagi Renji calmly collected information in the backcourt, checked for gaps and filled them in, and the shot was the key to scoring.
"Akaya's concentration is exceptional." Yagyu Hiroshi noticed that Kirihara Akaya's performance on the court was different from before.
Marui Bunta covered his mouth and laughed. "Because of the language barrier, whether it was the opponent's harsh words or what he wanted to say, Akaya couldn't communicate and could only focus on the game."
This situation is an advantage for Kirihara Akaya.
The preliminary rounds couldn't stop Rikkai University, and Kirihara Akaya and Yanagi Renji advanced.
Next up are Sanada and Yukimura.
Sanada lowered his hat to defend against the smash from above, leaving the return to Yukimura.
Yukimura turned his racket lightly and the tennis ball landed accurately in the blind corner of the opponent's court.
Sanada and Yukimura were far stronger than the opposing contestants, and their counterattacks were clean and efficient, so the entire match was over in little time.
"For Yukimura, this level is too easy." Yanagi Renji didn't even remember the data.
Kirihara Akaya called out, "Now that the games are over, let's go eat. Marui-senpai recommended a place."
After waiting for all the Rikkai University players' matches to finish, Sanada and his companions left the venue together.
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