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| Tezuka asks permission from Ryuzaki-sensei to have a match with Echizen. He reasons that this match will help Echizen develop his own style of tennis. Ryuzaki isn't particularly happy with this, since Tezuka's arm is still healing from an injury. She gives him permission anyway. The next day after practice, Tezuka tells Echizen to meet him at Haruno University's clay courts at 3pm 3 days from now. He is to go alone. Meanwhile, Oishi and Tezuka visit the hospital to check up on Tezuka's arm. Tezuka's doctor is actually Oishi's uncle. The two are given good news: Tezuka's elbow has healed. Tezuka's also given warnings though. He should stay away from long matches and stop using his famous drop shot. Oishi overheard Tezuka talking to Echizen the other day and still is worry about his match. At practice, Tezuka is seen doing some muscle training, which people misunderstand as a preparation for the upcoming tournament. On the day of the match, Tezuka, Ryoma, Oishi are missing from practice. Ryuzaki claims that all 3 called in sick. Oishi watches Tezuka and Echizen's game from a distance. Tezuka starts off going all out. Oishi wants to stop it before Tezuka damages his arm again. Echizen's Twist serve doesn't work on Tezuka. During the match, Tezuka asks why Echizen plays tennis, the answer obviously to defeat 'someone'. Tezuka then questions what Echizen will be left with once he has defeated that someone. Echizen doesn't give an answer. Then Tezuka does his famous drop shot. The ball, once hitting the ground, rolls back towards the net. In the end, Tezuka wins. He tells Echizen to be Seigaku's pillar of support. Next day at practice, Tezuka and Echizen are missing again. Tezuka went off to the hospital again to look at his arm. He went to check up just to be safe. There's nothing wrong with his arm, but his doctor could tell that he used the drop shot again. As for Echizen, he had gone home and challenged his dad instead. Nanjiroh noticed that the movement of his shots were different from before. After his match with Tezuka, Echizen seems to have awaken, and during his practice with Nanjiroh, he finally gets a shot past Nanjiroh. From this, Nanjiroh can tell that someone had given Echizen what he needed the most to start his own tennis. |
Episode 27: Karupin's Adventure
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| Ryoma sits down for breakfast and Karupin follows him into the kitchen, wanting Echizen to play with him. Nanako gives Karupin his breakfast as well and leaves the cat toy on Ryoma's bag. When Ryoma notices the time, he throws his English book into his bag, and the cat toy along with it by mistake and runs out the door. Karupin sees this and follows Echizen around because he hid the toy, and ends up at Seigaku. When Echizen unpacks his bag at school, he finds the toy and realizes why Karupin was following him. Now he's worried. As he's taking his English test, he sees Karupin walk by outside the window and stands up shocked, then getting scolded by the teacher for doing so. Karupin continues around the campus and peaks on what the other Seigaku regulars are doing. Karupin ends up on the roof top and is trapped there when the strong wind closes the door. Karupin takes this time to take a nap. During lunch, Echizen searches everywhere for Karupin. When two girls open the door to the roof top again, Karupin rushes out and down the stairs. At practice, Echizen continues to stare at the cat toy in the tennis club room as Momoshiro enters. After explaining, Momoshiro lends Echizen his bike to search for Karupin. Actually, Karupin had been sleeping on the roof of the club room and after a while, he jumps down and goes inside and finds his cat toy. Kaidoh comes in and wonders why there's a cat in the club room. He takes the cat toy and plays with Karupin for a while before going to practice. Karupin ends up sleeping in there again. When practice ends, Tezuka, Oishi, and Momoshiro drop by Echizen's house to give him a note and his cat back. To return the favour of lending him the bike, Echizen invites Momoshiro to a match in the tennis courts and the temple. |
Episode 28: The New Regular Appears
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| The day of the prefectural tournament arrives. Seigaku members were to gather at 10am sharp. Echizen wakes up at 9:56am. He is most definitely late, and the Seigaku team members aren't too happy about it since they have to register the players. Yuta, Fuji Syusuke's younger brother, was looking at his brother for a while. Yuta had been working hard at St. Rudolph in order to defeat his older brother. Oishi's gone to contact Echizen, and comes back saying that he is helping a pregnant woman to the hospital. Everyone knows that it's a lie but Oishi seems to believe it. In the end, Horio dresses up as Echizen, borrowing Kaidoh's jacket and a spare hat from Ryuzaki-sensei. Of course, Horio starts bragging and gets into trouble with someone else. Horio is challenged to a game and he begins to freak out. Just then, Echizen shows up and Horio begs Echizen to help him. At first Echizen doesn't, but gives in when Sakuno asks him to. The matches have already begun when Echizen finally meets up with the team. As Echizen is playing his S2 game with the other school, Inui notices Mizuki from St. Rudolph observing them. Ryoma wins the match easily. As Singles 1 steps onto the court from Seigaku's team, all other teams have gathered to watch. After all, Tezuka is the strongest player in Seigaku. He totally creams his opponent. And the next team up against Seigaku, Akiyama, is in despair when they see that Seigaku won all their matches 6-0. At this time, Mizuki approaches the team and gives them some advice. As Akiyama play Seigaku, Mizuki continues to observe them. Akiyama seem to be putting up a good fight and although Seigaku ultimately wins, they had some obstacles to overcome, thanks to Mizuki. Inui confronts Mizuki during Echizen's Singles 3 match. Inui knows exactly what Mizuki's been doing, and after his talk with Mizuki, Inui tells Tezuka to be aware of St. Rudolph. |
Episode 29: Momo and the Viper
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| Fudomine won their matches, putting them up against the number 1 seed next, Hyotei Gakuen. Seigaku is now up against St. Rudolph in the quarterfinals. The line up goes like this: S1 - Tezuka, S2 - Fuji, S3 - Echizen, D1 - Golden Pair, D2 - Momoshiro/ Kaidoh. Inui briefs them on St. Rudolph's strength as Momo and Kaidoh continue to be on bad terms with each other. Meanwhile, Yuta, Fuji's younger brother, is hoping that he gets to play against his brother in S3. St. Rudolph has also gathered for a meeting. In his mind, Mizuki knows what Seigaku's line up is going to be like yet tells Yuta that it wasn't the way he planned it to be. Mizuki put Yuta against Echizen because according to his research, Echizen had never played a left-handed player. On the other hand, Yuta is very experienced with playing against left-handed players like himself. The doubles matches are underway. Momoshiro and Kaidoh are still arguing as they are standing on the courts. On the other side of the court Kisarazu Atsushi and Yanagisawa Shinya can see the battle being a piece of cake as they look at the arguing pair. Though the two are playing surprisingly well, they can't seem to stop bickering at each other. St. Rudolph begins to attack, as Kaidoh lobs the ball. Kisarazu jumps in the air and Seigaku backs up waiting. But in midair. Atsushi turns around and hits a drop shot instead. Momo returns it, but the opponents are reading their moves. |
Episode 30: Mizuki's Scenario
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| Atsushi and Yanagisawa are waiting for Kaidoh to hit a snake. Kaidoh knows this, and refrains himself from doing so. As a result, his return doesn't make it over the net. The rallies are getting long, and even during the rally the two yell at each other. Ryuzaki-sensei watching on the side begins to wonder if it's a match or a fight she's watching. After telling Yanagisawa to shut up while switching courts, Seigaku is full of spirit but is broken by an abrupt interuption from Mizuki, who decides to sweep the court. He's doing so to dampen the opponent's fighting spirit. St. Rudolph leads, 5-2 and it's Yanagisawa's turn to serve now. The long rallies end in a deuce. Momoshiro is beginning to increase his strength even more. Seeing Momo's passion, Kaidoh also begins to play according to his feelings, and uses the Boomerang Snake. After this shot, the game is changed to Seigaku's pace. |