After the lineup was finalized, everyone selected for the team began training together.
Those who hadn't been selected didn't give up, either. Instead, they began even more grueling training, hoping to earn a chance to play in the matches ahead.
However, those opportunities were becoming fewer and fewer.
From here on, only the strongest players could take the court.
After all, Coach Mifune had already given them opportunities during the early group stage and the first and second rounds of the knockout stage.
Among the junior high singles players who had performed well, aside from Saeki Muneyoshi, there were only Yukimura Seiichi, Atobe Keigo, Sanada Genichirou, Shiraishi Kuranosuke, and Aoi Kintaro.
Shiraishi had managed to turn a loss into a win, barely saving face, but he had essentially said goodbye to the World Tournament.
The junior high doubles players were Tachibana Kippei, Chitose Senri, Fuji Shusuke, and Marui Bunta.
However, Marui wasn't strong enough, and he wouldn't get another chance to play.
Tachibana and Chitose were a world-class doubles pair, but they clearly weren't enough to take on Germany.
After playing doubles twice in a row, Fuji wanted to return to singles, like Sanada, but the competition for those spots was even fiercer.
If Oni Jūjirō hadn't been injured, Akutsu Jin might not even have gotten the chance to play singles against Germany this time.
Still, the junior high and high school players accepted Coach Mifune's arrangements.
Everyone knew how strong Akutsu was.
After all, they had seen him at every practice and match.
The only pairing they really needed to worry about this time was Duke and Niou, because they would likely face Germany's strongest professional doubles team.
At that moment, on the court in the hotel's training gym...
Two pairs stood on opposite sides of the court.
Saeki