The Prince of Tennis Episode 11 Recap
> The Prince of Tennis Recap
In the first half of the match, Guo Zi Middle School took the lead, causing some panic among Yu Qing's Qiao Chen and Zhang Baiyang. On another court, Tang Jiale and Chi Dayong, Yu Qing's "golden partners," also found themselves falling behind. Tang Jiale's concentration began to waver, an unusual occurrence for him. His opponent, Qiao Ze of Guo Zi Middle School, employed a peculiar play style, hitting balls with extreme speed that created optical illusions.
Yan Zhiming observed that Qiao Ze's backhand shots caused Tang Jiale to experience hallucinations, and Tang Jiale's intense focus was ironically exploited by these illusions, leading to excessive mental fatigue. As Tang Jiale's condition deteriorated, Chi Dayong seized an opportunity when their opponents attacked Tang Jiale, executing the "Climbing Moon Intercept" to create a turning point for Yu Qing. Sensing this shift, Guan Yue, Guo Zi's coach, instructed his players to target Chi Dayong.
However, Tang Jiale and Chi Dayong responded by employing the "Australian Doubles Formation," effectively confusing their opponents with their high-intensity coordination, making it impossible for Guo Zi to break their strategy. Unable to decipher the "Australian Doubles Formation," Qiao Ze recalled Guan Yue's analysis of Tang Jiale's physical weakness and attempted to focus attacks on him, hoping to force his defeat. Yet, the seamless teamwork between Tang Jiale and Chi Dayong rendered this strategy ineffective.
Guan Yue then sent Liang Tian onto the court, leveraging his extensive tactical knowledge to identify the golden partners' weaknesses and predict their moves. Liang Tian immediately discerned their ball trajectory on Chi Dayong's first serve but hit the ball out of bounds due to excessive force. Meanwhile, Qiao Chen and Zhang Baiyang's match was also not looking optimistic. During the mid-match break, even their coach felt compelled to remind them about managing their stamina and coordination.
Guo Zi's players were arrogant, boasting that Guan Yue had already predicted Yu Qing's defeat. Qiao Chen, quick-witted, retorted sharply. Qi Na, observing Qiao Chen and Zhang Baiyang's double match, noted their utter lack of coordination, agreeing only on their mutual dislike for each other. However, once on court, their opponents' taunts surprisingly spurred them into a unique tacit understanding, making them determined to defeat Guo Zi Middle School.
As their game progressed, Qiao Chen and Zhang Baiyang's momentum improved significantly, suggesting a potential comeback. Down courtside, Yu Qing's cheerleaders, Qi Ying and A Mu, enthusiastically used drums and gongs to cheer on their team, but were eventually ejected from the venue for being too noisy. Back on the main court, Tang Jiale's body was giving out, especially after excessively identifying "Residual Phantom Shots," but he still bravely pushed through.
During the mid-match interval, Tang Jiale appeared completely drained, a sight that pleased Qiao Ze, who then intended to defy Guan Yue's script and end the doubles match with a 7-5 victory. Despite Tang Jiale's exhaustion, Chi Dayong bravely tried to hold on alone, almost falling into Qiao Ze's trap and losing the final point. Fortunately, Tang Jiale's stamina miraculously recovered just in time, allowing him to hit the crucial ball back, rekindling their hopes of victory.
With his renewed strength, Tang Jiale and Chi Dayong resumed their coordination and launched a counterattack. It was then that Guan Yue realized the golden partners had deliberately lost two games to conserve energy, admitting his miscalculation. Tang Jiale's recovery allowed them to fight back, drawing the score to 6-6 and forcing a tense tie-breaker in the decisive seventh game.
Zhuo Zhi was overjoyed to see the golden partners regain their strength and counterattack, yet he deeply resented Guan Yue for winning by exploiting others' weaknesses, leading him to worry about his brother, Zhuo Yu, being negatively influenced by Guan Yue. Ultimately, as Guan Yue had predicted, Yu Qing lost the first doubles match to Guo Zi Middle School with a score of 6-7. The first singles match also ended in a loss for Yu Qing.
In the afternoon, the second half of the matches began, with Zhang Baiyang and Qiao Chen again taking the court. Guan Yue was brimming with confidence, having prepared his players specifically for Zhang Baiyang's "snake shot." However, Guan Yue's predictions fell short, as his analysis, though formidable, failed to account for human adaptability. Zhang Baiyang and Qiao Chen, exhibiting impressive spontaneity, played unconventionally, catching Guo Zi Middle School off guard.
During their match, Guan Yue suddenly requested a timeout, ostensibly to clean the court, but primarily to mock Yu Qing and disrupt their rhythm, citing the unexpected turns in the previous matches. He had specially trained his team against Zhang Baiyang's "snake shot," even prohibiting them from hitting high balls to prevent Zhang Baiyang from counterattacking.
Qiao Chen, frustrated that Zhang Baiyang wasn't using his "snake shot," began to argue with him, but when facing their opponents, their coordination was exceptional. When Zhang Baiyang finally unleashed his "Spinning Snake Shot," Qiao Chen coordinated perfectly. Guan Yue, upon seeing Zhang Baiyang finally use his "snake shot," believed victory was assured, but Zhang Baiyang's special training allowed him to execute the upgraded "Spinning Snake Shot," catching Guan Yue off guard.
Liu Zecheng and Qin Yifei of Guo Zi Middle School then defied Guan Yue's instructions by hitting a high ball, giving Zhang Baiyang another opportunity to use his "snake shot." Qiao Chen, unwilling to lose to Zhang Baiyang, returned a ball that Guo Zi had already countered, but it accidentally struck Liu Zecheng in the eye. Liu Zecheng retired from the match due to injury, resulting in Yu Qing Middle School winning the second doubles.
With the third singles match about to begin, Zhuo Zhi attempted to advise his brother, Zhuo Yu, but Zhuo Yu, determined to be remembered for his own prowess rather than as "Zhuo Zhi's brother," ignored him. As Lu Xia and Zhuo Yu's match commenced, Zhuo Yu immediately employed the "Half-Volley" technique, taught by Guan Yue, to gain an early advantage, constantly putting Lu Xia on the defensive.
Lu Xia responded by hitting powerful spin shots with his left hand, forcing Zhuo Yu to counter with his "Super Half-Volley Intercept." Guan Yue watched with satisfaction as Zhuo Yu consistently maintained the upper hand, effortlessly countering all of Lu Xia's variation shots, confident that Lu Xia's signature moves would be suppressed.
