The Third-Year Pair

The day after watching the match between Germany and America, the match between Japan Team and Switzerland Team kicked off.

The Japan Team had already boarded the bus early in the morning and headed to the stadium to warm up and prepare for today's match against Switzerland Team.

Meanwhile, in a decent hotel near the stadium, Inoue Mamoru got up early.

He was paying extra attention to today's match.

They came all the way from Japan for today's match. If the Japan Team beats the Switzerland Team, Japan Team will become the new world's BIG4.

This will be a major event in the tennis world.

As a seasoned tennis enthusiast and professional, Inoue Mamoru feels honored to witness such a moment.

As the match time approached, more and more people entered the venue.

By this time, most of the audience members had taken their seats, and several people who were relatively familiar with Muneyoshi had also arrived.

All eyes were now on the players' entrance, awaiting the arrival of the players from both teams.

As the biggest dark horse of this U-17 World Cup in France and the world's second-ranked established powerhouse.

Even before the match between the Japan Team and Switzerland Team started, the fans and spectators who had come from afar were already buzzing with discussion.

They were mostly discussing the outcome of the match.

In previous years, the audience would have been absolutely certain that the Switzerland Team would win, but this Japan, especially after defeating France, the audience is not so sure about the Japanese team.

After all, the France Team is ranked third in the world, and they still lost to Japan. Are you really so sure they can't create another miracle?

Just as the audience was having a heated discussion.

Step... step...

A series of orderly footsteps came from the athletes' tunnel, and the audience near the tunnel fell silent first, followed by more and more people.

The once bustling audience area was now completely silent.

The main characters of today's match have begun to appear.

"Saeki -kun, how far can you go?"

"Saeki Muneyoshi..."

"Can the Japan Team make history today?!"

Hanamura Aoi, Keith, Lin Xiu, and Inoue Mamoru have completely different mindsets, but at this moment they all clearly have high expectations for the Japan Team.

Once all the players were in position, the head coaches of each team submitted their respective team's starting lineup to the referee committee.

After the referee committee verified the list and personnel information, the stadium's public address system finally began to broadcast.

"The following is the quarter-final match of the U-17 World Cup knockout stage, between the Japan team and the Switzerland team. Players, please enter the field."

As soon as the referee finished speaking, the players in the player areas on both sides, not far from the player tunnel, stood up and walked onto the court.

"First up is the Switzerland team, ranked second in the world!"

The host's passionate voice instantly ignited the enthusiasm of the entire audience.

As the Switzerland Team entered the field, a deafening roar erupted from the crowd.

"Switzerland!"

"Switzerland!"

The Switzerland Team fans in the stadium were enthusiastically cheering for their favorite team.

"Next up is the biggest dark horse of this U-17 World Cup, the Japan team!"

Laugh!

Laugh!

As a puff of white smoke billowed from the players' tunnel, the Japan Team stepped out.

Compared to their previous match against France Team, where they received no support, the Japan Team now has a larger fan base in the quarterfinals.

Many people are hoping they can go even further.

However, Muneyoshi and his team didn't care about any of that; their opponent today was Switzerland.

There can be no room for carelessness.

After exchanging greetings at the net, both sides returned to their respective rest areas.

However, Saeki Muneyoshi noticed that the other party's Amadeus was constantly staring at him.

"Looks like they've got their eyes on me?"

Muneyoshi shook his head. He already knew that the Switzerland Team's star player had applied to the International Tennis Federation to allow Amadeus to turn professional.

The basic procedures have been mostly completed, but the final formalities will take another month or two.

In other words, Amadeus is now a near-professional player.

Being targeted by such a person, Muneyoshi wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

"So, the first match!"

"Go, Dōmoto Shingo, Natsume Ryūichi! Leave no regrets, let the world know you!"

From the start of the match against France Team, Mifune Nyudo was on-site directing the team.

In principle, for each U-17 match, any player whose name is on the pre-competition roster can be changed at any time, which also tests the coaches' abilities.

However, Mifune Nyudo is very clear about the current situation of the Japan Team. Although some of the first-year students have good talent, most of them have not yet fully developed.

Therefore, he has no intention of changing the previously decided list.

"Yes, Head Coach!"

Dōmoto Shingo and Natsume Ryūichi stood up and said in unison.

As the only two third-year students competing now, they also want to prove themselves.

Meanwhile, a pair of tall men emerged from the Switzerland Team's rest area.

When both sides entered the venue, the audience gave them a warm round of applause.

The match schedule appeared on the large screen next to us.

"Japan Team Dōmoto Shingo (Senior 12), Natsume Ryūichi (Senior 12) VS Switzerland Team Carl Kuszpan (Senior 12), Carl Angelo (Senior 12)."

"Hey, Vice-Captain Karl, the player on the other side is also one of the former star players of the Japan Team."

Carl Kushpan watched Dōmoto Shingo and chuckled to the vice-captain beside him.

"Ha, let's test the skills of this former captain."

Carl Angelo didn't take it to heart. As the current third-ranked player for the Switzerland Team, his ability is not as low-key as his reputation suggests.

"The match begins! Switzerland Team serves!"

As the announcement to start the match came over the loudspeaker, the four players simultaneously assumed their standard positions, one in the front and one in the back.

Since neither side was clear about the other's strength, they initially planned to test each other out and did not take any drastic actions.

Carl Kushpan walked to the right side of the court near the center line, took out a tennis ball, and gently tapped it a few times.

He was completely relaxed.

In a normal serve, most players would stand at the far right corner of the court to serve.

The angle and power of the shot from that position are optimal, and because of the angle, the defensive area can cover the entire right side of the field when counter-attacking.

He was currently playing against their vice-captain, and due to his strong confidence in his abilities, he didn't choose the safest way to serve.

Swish!

Kushpan tossed the ball, then slightly tiptoed, leaned forward, and swung his racket with a small amplitude. When the tennis ball landed in front of his forehead, he then swung it forward with a sharp backswing.

Bang!

The tennis ball flew with intense spin towards the Japan Team's half of the court.

Bang!

Carl Angelo makes a very casual between-the-legs blind shot.

The tennis ball flew back to Domoto and Natsume's half of the court.

But by this time, they were all drenched in sweat, and their steps on the clay court were becoming increasingly heavy.

At the crucial moment, Natsume Ryūichi, relying on his excellent balance, forcefully changed direction and once again caught up with the cross-court shot at the net.

Bang!

But scoring is simply impossible.

Swish!

Carl Angelo, on the other side, stepped down, and it seemed as if he was sliding on the red clay.

Using the momentum of the glide, with a very smooth twist of the abdomen and wrist, the tennis ball flew over Natsume Ryūichi's head in a huge curve and past Dōmoto Shingo's feet.

Bang!

"Game, Switzerland Team, 5-0."

Such a dominant performance surprised all the spectators, but the excitement of the match, especially Carl Angelo's various brilliant shots, was still a feast for the eyes.

"It seems that the vice-captain of the opposing Swedish team is a very troublesome character."

Irie Kanata pushed up his glasses. Even with Dōmoto Shingo's fierce outburst just now, the opponent had managed to score points through a counterattack using his individual abilities.

"There's definitely a gap in skill; there's no hope of winning this match!"

Having fully recovered, Tanegashima Irie alongside Muneyoshi. This blow from the Switzerland Team had indeed dampened the atmosphere of the entire Japan Team.

Bang!

Bang!

On the court, the sound of hitting the ball rang out continuously, and soon Carl Kushpan and Carl Angelo won the first match with their own strength.

"Game, Switzerland Team, 6-0."

In the doubles match 2, the Switzerland Team won 6-1, 6-0, securing a perfect 2-0 record!

"Action score 1-0!"

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