Kamikawa's return?! Bear Hug?!

BANG!!

Game, Kamikawa, 1-0.

Change ends!

The referee raised his hand and signaled.

In tennis, the time for both sides to switch courts is when the sum of the games played by both players is odd, and after switching courts, both sides have a 90-second rest period to adjust their stamina, receive tactics from their coach, etc.

And when the match enters 6-6 and goes into a tie-breaker, the sides must switch immediately when the cumulative score reaches 6 or a multiple of 6 (i.e., 6, 12, 18 points, etc.).

Tie-breaker changeover, no rest time.

If it is a best-of-three sets match, there is a 120-second rest period after each set.

"Huff, huff, huff..."

Sitting on the chair, Shishido was panting continuously.

Although the 1-0 game ended quickly, from the second point onwards, Kamikawa had been constantly hitting returns close to the baseline edge, running back and forth, causing Shishido to expend twice the usual amount of stamina.

In the JR Tournament, Shishido had lost a point or two before, but never like today, where he was completely unable to resist and was consecutively defeated by his opponent four times. This kind of defeat dealt a significant blow to his pride.

"Next, I need to hold my service game."

"He kept targeting my weakest diagonal, firmly controlling the rhythm of the match."

"Judging from the power of his returns, this guy's strength isn't amazing."

"And, as the one serving, I have the initiative."

Shishido stood up, took the tennis ball from the ball boy beside him, and walked towards the service box.

With this thought, standing in the service box, he bounced the tennis ball, suddenly caught it, and tossed it upwards.

Bending at the waist and knees, his eyes fixed on the pale yellow tennis ball, the moment it began to fall, he pushed off with his legs, swung forward with all his might, and leaned his body forward.

BANG!!

As the tennis ball shot out, he stepped forward, charging towards the net.

The spectators outside the court also noticed Shishido's movement.

"Serve and volley!"

"That's right, whenever it's his service turn, he can move to the net without hesitation and isn't hindered in the middle."

Serve and volley, creating an opportunity to approach the net with a serve, is the favorite and most proficient attacking method for a net-rusher.

Through net volleys, high volleys to restrict the opponent's baseline groundstrokes, or a surprise drop shot to score directly.

"He's already at the net!"

Everyone's eyes followed Shishido's movement to the net. Before the ball even landed, he had already reached the net.

The serve had good power, and his speed to the net was also fast.

BANG!!

The tennis ball landed to Kamikawa's left, inside the service box.

His control wasn't as terrifying as imagined, but he still tried his best to land it near the center line.

His figure had already rushed to the net, his serve was fast, and his movement speed was equally fast.

The ball bounced.

Kamikawa raised his racket.

A lob.

With a high lob, it sailed over Shishido's head.

At this moment, Shishido didn't hesitate to leap forward, swinging his racket forcefully. The tennis ball landed like a cannonball, and just as Shishido's lips curved into a smile, Kamikawa returned the ball in a bizarre manner.

WHOOSH~

Before Shishido's feet had landed, he saw a beam of Hotaru-yellow light flash over his head.

BANG!!

The tennis ball went backward, landing in bounds.

"Gulp~"

As if realizing something, he subconsciously swallowed and turned to look at the tennis ball rolling to the side.

Kamikawa, half-kneeling on the ground, spread his arms like wings and slowly stood up.

"0-15!!"

The referee didn't react for a moment.

After a long while, he finally called out.

Could such a tennis skill really be performed by an elementary school student?!

This shot!

At this moment, a hint of surprise flickered through the audience's minds.

They had imagined many ways of returning the ball, but never this one. This unique return made them feel a sense of defeat!

How could an elementary school student pull off such an astonishing tennis skill?

Pa...

Someone started clapping, and then thunderous applause erupted from outside the court.

If nothing else, this tennis skill alone was worthy of such thunderous applause.

"What a brilliant tennis match. Ever since that golden generation entered junior high, and now that they're in their third year, I haven't seen such an amazing tennis skill."

A middle-aged man, holding a camera, had a name tag on his chest that read "Inoue."

He was Inoue, a reporter for a famous tennis publication.

Most of the well-known junior high and elementary school players in Japanese tennis were discovered and featured by him.

Today's JR Tournament had certainly been a feast for his eyes.

"This year's JR Tournament has a very high caliber."

"It's not just court B2; even the two matches in Group A were of very high quality."

"Is a new golden generation about to emerge?!"

Inoue took a deep breath, aiming his camera and continuously snapping photos of Kamikawa.

He could already envision the headline for today's news.

"I've wanted to try this for a while."

Kamikawa stood up with a light chuckle. "This move is definitely a sharp weapon against smashes."

It was Fuji's famous signature move, one of his three special returns: Giant Bear Return.

The principle behind it was to use one's own centrifugal force to control the racket, nullifying the power of the smash and converting the opponent's force into one's own to counterattack.

It required returning the ball with one's back to it, accurately predicting the ball's landing spot beforehand, and possessing a certain degree of control over one's shots. Only a skilled tennis player could execute it.

Since most players couldn't react in time after a smash, just like Shishido moments ago, his body had just landed after hitting the smash when the ball landed behind him.

"Kamikawa, Kamikawa Mutsu!"

After a moment to recover, Shishido looked up at the player in front of him and asked, "What is this move called?!"

"This move?"

Kamikawa paused for a moment, then smiled and replied, "A simple move. I think it's called 'Giant Bear Return'!"

Simple?!

Simple where?!

Even after facing so many skilled tennis players, he had never seen a peer perform this move, returning a smash with his back to the ball.

This wasn't something that could be done with just words.

Shishido took a deep breath, regaining his confidence, and walked towards the left half. It was still his service game, and he still had the opportunity for serve-and-volley. If he couldn't smash, he wouldn't smash.

However, a return specifically designed against smashes could still be countered.

The match continued.

The score difference between the two sides widened. Even when Shishido attempted a serve-and-volley again, Kamikawa returned it ruthlessly, with the ball's speed even increasing.

"It's time to finish this."

Facing the fierce return, Kamikawa smiled calmly, his steps steady.

Bang!!

The moment the ball landed, it was returned with a precise forehand half-volley. The ball instantly appeared within Shishido's defensive range, its speed continuing to increase.

"So fast~"

A drop of cold sweat trickled down Shishido's forehead. It was a near-perfect half-volley.

This guy was perfect in every aspect. Kamikawa Mutsu, why had he never heard this name before? Where did this monster come from?

Thump... thump thump...

Shishido's reaction was still there. He extended his right arm and managed to receive this incredibly fast half-volley.

However, the instant the ball made contact with his racket, an immense force struck, and his racket flew out of his hand. The ball, precisely, landed within the lines.

Shishido looked at his right palm, his pupils contracting.

"How can this be!"

Game, Kamikawa, 2-0.

Switching service rights!

The referee raised his hand and shouted loudly.