"The match begins! One set decides the winner!"
Seeing that both sides were ready, the umpire called out, "Yamato Yudai to serve. One set, no-ad!"
Phew...
Yamato gripped the tennis ball tightly. No matter what, he had to win this third singles match.
He had to make sure Fuji got to play that second singles match.
With that in mind,
Smack!
Yamato tossed the ball, bent his knees, and fixed his eyes on it as it hung in the sky. Then he leaped up and swung his racket.
Thwack!
The bright yellow ball shot toward the inverted triangle near the service line.
His serve was fairly accurate. Almost the moment it crossed the net, Atobe rose onto his toes and rushed toward it, swinging his racket swiftly.
Thwack!
A sharp crack rang out.
Atobe struck a backhand crosscourt, driving the ball into the far corner of Yamato's side. It bounced quickly and slammed into the wall.
"Step... step-step..."
Yamato barely managed to chase it down and force a return.
The next second,
Atobe appeared at the net. He leaped into the air and slammed the ball down with all his strength.
Thwack!
Yamato's expression changed. He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. All he could do was watch the ball bounce in front of him.
"0–15!"
It wasn't a point off a return, but after just a few shots, Yamato already felt the gap between them. Atobe's talent was every bit as exceptional as Kamikawa's and Tezuka's.
Hyotei!
What kind of magic did it have that it could attract one gifted young player after another?
"Don't get too caught up in the brilliance of my play!"
Atobe glanced coolly at Yamato, then shifted his gaze to Yamato's arm. "Your arm seems to have suffered a serious injury."
"Honestly,