The Test

The next day!

Muneyoshi, Keith, and Lin Xiu woke early and drove to the USTA National Tennis Center in New York.

They had arrived in New York at just the right time. The U.S. Open was about to begin.

As one of the four major tennis tournaments in the world, it drew a steady stream of spectators every year.

By the time they reached the venue, the entire stadium was packed.

Along the way, Muneyoshi had seen plenty of people who had traveled from overseas to watch the event.

"Keith, Lin Xiu, getting to watch real pros play in person is a rare opportunity. Let's find a good spot."

Muneyoshi tilted his head toward Keith and Lin Xiu.

Before setting out, he had contacted Reinhardt. Reinhardt had wanted to come in person, but Muneyoshi had turned him down.

Once they found a suitable spot in the stands, Keith and Lin Xiu kept their eyes fixed on the court.

Watching top professional players compete would be a great help to Muneyoshi and to their own development.

After watching the morning matches, Muneyoshi took Keith and Lin Xiu to find somewhere nearby for lunch.

The afternoon matches wouldn't start until much later, so they needed to find a way to pass the time.

There were plenty of tennis courts scattered through New York's parks.

They were what people commonly called street tennis courts, or underground tennis courts.

Unlike the courts at clubs, these had far fewer rules and were much more casual.

There were hardly ever any referees. The players simply kept score themselves.

Muneyoshi was familiar with this kind of tennis, and Keith and Lin Xiu had both spent time playing underground tennis in Europe, so they knew it even better.

They felt right at home here. In America and Europe