Love Tennis and Yumiko Miura

"Then let's wait for her." Liu Mei said, and then did not forget to introduce Chiyo to Maria, "The Chiyo we are talking about is the assistant of a famous cartoonist in Japan."

"And my wife," Yuigahama added.

"What's the name of the comic?" Maria asked, as she had also been in Neon for many years.

"The completed comic is called 'Moe Ai', and the one that is currently being serialized is called 'Swing the Racket Girl'." Liu Mei said. She was deeply impressed by this incident because, in addition to Chigen Yumiko, she was also one of the subjects of the story.

"Huh?! I've seen both of these!" Maria said excitedly.

"Really? That's such a coincidence!" Yuigahama said.

"...Wait a minute." Maria suddenly realized after her excitement that the person named Chiyo who came over was her assistant, so the one who drew the comics was her husband, which meant...

Girls' comic author Yumeno Sakiko = someone's husband = male

......

Maria fell silent.

"If you like Mr. Yumeno Sakiko very much, I suggest you only meet his wife. Don't meet him in person, otherwise you will be disillusioned." Liumei patted the silent Maria in a heavy tone.

As a tennis player, she thought Maria would like "Swing Girl" very much. After all, it was based on professional players, so most of the plot seemed very real.

"Sorry I'm late!" At this time, a petite woman with bright orange hair came jogging over with a bag.

"Long time no see Chiyo!"

"Long time no see, Rumi!" Chiyo hugged him without even putting down her bag.

However, due to their height, they look a bit like mother and daughter if you don't look at their faces. After all, Rumi is 166cm tall and Chiyo is less than 150cm tall.

(As for the height of female tennis players, I refer to Li Na's height of 172cm and Zheng Jie's height of 164cm. The height of the American-educated players should be about the same.)

Then Maria and Chiyo were introduced to each other.

Maria quickly became familiar with her two new friends.

Then the four of them started chatting about all sorts of things, and in the process Maria got to know the relationships between them.

First of all, Yuigahama Yui is Yumiko's good friend, Chiyo is the comic assistant of Chigen's friend, Chigen and Yumiko were lovers at the time and are now husband and wife, and Rumi is Chigen's apprentice.

Emmmmmmmmmmmmmm, to sum up, Rumi got to know Yuigahama and Chiyo here because of Chigen and Yumiko.

In the final analysis, the interpersonal relationships that Liu Mei currently displays are basically composed of the connection between the couple Chixian and Yumiko. The more Maria gets to know Liu Mei, the more she feels this - Chixian is really very, very, very important to Liu Mei.

Zhixian is everywhere in the daily life of studying in the United States.

Her tennis teaching was by Zhixian, her middle school and university were recommended by Zhixian, her practice place was provided by Zhixian, most of her friends were met through Zhixian, and her family also talked about Zhixian every now and then... The significance of Tachibana Chixian to Tsurumi Rumi is self-evident.

Maria didn't know Ju Zhixian very well; she'd only had a few brief encounters with him. She felt that while he was polite to others, he was a bit aloof. However, he treated his wife very well, and anyone who knew him could see how much he doted on her.

Zhixian was well-regarded in the tennis world, and the couple were also very popular. Maria's knowledge of Zhixian came mostly from what others had heard. However, through her time in the United States, she had a rough idea of ​​Zhixian's character, which made her even more curious about him.

So she asked the three people present what kind of person Zhixian was, and got three different answers.

"I feel like Tachibana is a very delicate person." This was Yuigahama's answer.

"Chigen is the type who appears cold on the outside but is actually warm inside, yet silently attentive, remembering every word and every detail." This was Chiyo's response. Her relationship with Chigen is much closer than Yuigahama's, hence the difference in addressing them. After all, Chiyo, Chigen, and Yumiko are all friends, while Yuigahama and Chigen are simply Yumiko's.

"You should say he is a person very much like the male protagonist in a romance novel." This was the answer from the American student.

There is one thing to say, indeed.

Zhixian's attitude towards his friends and his attitude towards other irrelevant people are completely two extremes. Just like when he was in school, he didn't show any warmth to the girls who confessed to him.

Although she got the answer, Maria became even more curious - she wanted to know what kind of person Zhixian was, who held such a high position in Liumei's heart.

Extra: Tsurumi Rumi's Personal Opinion (Part 9)

The girls' gathering in Neon did not resolve Maria's doubts, and she was now even more confused.

In order to resolve her own inner confusion, Maria decided to participate in the Madrid Open as well.

She specifically discussed this with her coach and adjusted her subsequent tournament schedule. With the exception of the French Open, which remained a certainty, her coach agreed. Maria's coach was even more supportive when he heard she wanted to take this opportunity to learn about clay court techniques from Zhixian. After all, the opportunity to receive guidance from the strongest clay court player is something you only see once in a blue moon.

Although Zhixian has a very good reputation in the tennis circle, he is also famous for his cold temperament, so many newcomers are a little scared when they meet Zhixian for the first time - just like meeting a serious student union president in school.

Of course, this was even more true after the match. New tennis players encountering Zhixian for the first time were often taught a lesson by her signature zero slice and zero serve, which had become her signature stroke. Consequently, those studying in the United States with a similar playing style were sometimes referred to as "female Zhixians."

When Liumei took her to the training ground to meet Yumiko Chigen, Maria was actually a little nervous because it was the first time they had such private contact.

"This is where you stay in the United States." Youmiko waved at the two of them.

"Yumi~" Rumi went up to Yumi and hugged her, then introduced Maria, "My friend Maria Sara."

"Hello, Miss Sarah." Yumiko greeted Maria.

"Just call me Maria! No need to use honorifics!" Knowing that Maria had Japanese ancestry, Yumiko did not speak English but spoke Japanese.

"Okay Maria, just call me Yumiko." Yumiko also said, "Since Zhixian and I are both named 'Ju' now, it will be easier to tell us apart if you just call me by my name."

Yumiko's move was an invisible move to narrow the distance between them.

"How long have you been training, Master?" Liu Mei asked.

"Not long, just over an hour." Yumiko thought for a moment and replied, "He won the Monte Carlo championship and is in great shape now. He heard you were coming, so he booked a restaurant and shortened his training time."

"Eh? Didn't you agree that I should treat you?" Liumei was a little surprised, as she had just received a bonus of 100 million US dollars.

"What kind of teacher would ask his apprentice to pay?" Zhixian walked over while wiping his sweat with a towel. "But it's not my business who pays for your women's party."

"Really?" Liu Mei was at a loss for words, and then introduced Maria to Zhixian, "By the way, Master, this is Maria Sarah."

"Hello, Tachibana-senpai." Maria used honorifics very solemnly.

"Hello, Miss Sarah," Zhixian replied with a nod, unconcerned with her use of honorifics and showing no intention of changing. He acted like a senior.

"Don't worry, Maria. My husband is just like that. He's very aloof," Yumiko explained with a smile. "If you have any questions, you can ask him. Apart from anything else, his clay court skills are truly top-notch. Even a mediocre player like me can win an open championship."

"If he's a mediocre player with five or six Grand Slam trophies, then I don't want to be mediocre either." Liu Mei said with a smile.

"That's the mixed doubles trophy. It's rare for someone like me who is ranked less than 100th in the world to have a singles championship! I can't even think about winning a Grand Slam singles championship." Yumiko waved her hand. Her singles level was just that, so she never had any unrealistic fantasies about championship finals or the like.

However, it was precisely this mentality that brought her such an unexpected surprise. She was even happier about winning this open tournament than when she won the Grand Slam mixed doubles championship.

"Would you like to play a game?" Liumei invited.

"Okay!" Yumiko agreed happily.

"That Maria..."

"Can I have a fight with Tachibana-senpai?"

Liumei's original intention was to let her come to be a referee for his side, so that she wouldn't be embarrassed by Zhixian's cold attitude.

"No problem." Unexpectedly, Zhixian nodded and agreed. "Then let's decide it in one set. The first one to win six games wins."

This is basically the format of the domestic high school league in Japan. Professional competitions are basically three-game two-win system, while the men's competitions in Grand Slam tournaments will be increased to five-game three-win system.

If the outcome is decided in a single set, it means that there is less need to conserve energy.

"Ok, no problem!"

----split line----

The training grounds here also have clay courts, but they're rarely open to the public. Zhixian and Maria's match took place on the clay courts, while Yumiko and Rumi's match took place on a regular court.

The serve was directly given to Maria. Even though it was not a clay court, male athletes had an absolute advantage among male and female players of similar rankings.

The outcome was decided before the match itself; the huge disparity in physical ability was an indisputable fact. The key now was how much Maria could learn from this match.

Maria held the tennis ball in her hand and decided to give it her all. She also wanted to see how big the gap was between her and the new "King of Clay".

This type of surface is characterized by greater friction with the ground when the ball lands, resulting in a slower ball speed. This allows players to slide a lot while running, especially during sudden stops and quick returns. This requires players to possess superior physical fitness, running and mobility, as well as a stronger willpower than on other surfaces. Playing on this surface is a tremendous test of a player's baseline defense skills, requiring players to expend multiple times the effort and patience to maneuver along the baseline. The winners are often not the aggressive serve-and-volley players, but the hard-fought players at the baseline.

Zhixian is a representative of the baseline style of play, and is good at using ball control and rotation to create difficulties for the opponent's counterattack.

Clay is soft, so the ball bounces slower but higher. Receivers typically place the ball farther from the baseline than on hard courts, allowing for more space to receive the ball. A 200 km/h serve still has a speed of 133 km/h on grass, but only 108 km/h on clay. On clay, players are often further from the baseline than on other surfaces, so slice shots are more common.

Maria soon experienced the more sophisticated Zero-style slice than the one she played in the United States. Zhixian's Zero-style slice was better in rhythm control. If she had played in the United States, her Zero-style slice might have bounced lightly because of the clay, but Zhixian's was still like it was on hard court, and the tennis ball did not bounce.

Zero-style slice, always successful.

Tsurumi Rumi's Personal Opinion (10)

"The attack was too hasty. Playing on clay courts requires finding loopholes in stalemates, rather than attacking violently."

The game ended with a score of 6:0. After the game, Zhixian gave Maria some pointers.

"I'm grateful for your guidance." Maria panted.

Suddenly a bottle of water appeared in front of her.

"Oh, thank you." Maria took the water and took a sip.

Zhixian sat down about two body lengths away from her and took out a bottle of mineral water from his tennis bag and started drinking.

"It's better not to serve at high speed, and you also need to grasp the timing of reaching the net." After taking a sip of water, Zhixian said calmly, "Sampras is a typical example."

Maria nodded in agreement subconsciously. Her own playing style was more inclined towards serve and volley, and she did feel like she couldn't really play on the clay court.

"Even someone as strong as Agassi relied on sufficient patience and physical strength to ultimately win at Roland Garros," Zhixian added.

"I understand." Maria nodded.

"Let's go to the students studying in the United States and see what's going on." Zhixian stood up.

----split line----

When the two came to Rumi Yumiko's side, they were fighting fiercely. The score on the sidelines was 4:2, with Rumi leading.

Then Zhixian discovered that his coach was sitting on the referee's seat and acting as a referee with great interest.

Yumiko will most likely lose against Rumi, but the exact score is debatable.

As Chixian's wife, Yumiko was quite familiar with Rumi's similar fighting style, but despite her familiarity, she still couldn't gain much advantage over her. Furthermore, Rumi, having learned all of Chixian's true skills, was also very skilled at dealing with opponents like Yumiko—otherwise, Maria wouldn't have lost the first time she met Rumi.

"Wait a moment, it will probably be over soon." Zhixian said and sat down first.

"Huh? Oh, good!"

The match between Yumiko and Rumi continues on the field.

Since it was the first time Maria saw Yumiko play a singles match, she was more or less curious. After all, the mixed doubles match of the "Platinum Combination" was like a textbook.

After watching for a while, Maria felt a little disappointed. Yumiko didn't seem as strong as she had imagined.

"Are you a little disappointed?" Zhixian said out of the blue, which made Maria, whose secrets were exposed, feel a little embarrassed.

"No, no, no, that's not happening!"

"You're a top-ten tennis player, so it's normal to feel this way," Zhixian said. "Tennis is also a sport that requires talent. This is the singles arena, full of competition and regrets."

"But doubles is different." Zhixian changed the subject. "Doubles isn't just about skill. The key is the chemistry between the partners, and one partner can effectively make up for what the other lacks."

Maria returned her gaze to the court, reflecting on the several times Yumiko had lost points. This would never have happened in a doubles match. While singles and doubles were completely different, Maria got the gist of the situation.

It’s not that she hasn’t watched the “Platinum Combination” match, but because mixed doubles matches have never been taken seriously, she didn’t pay much attention to it.

"I think I understand," Maria said. She remembered that one year, Serena Williams and Andy Murray teamed up for mixed doubles, but they also failed to win the championship. A makeshift pairing is definitely not as good as those with established partners who have a good understanding of each other.

Although there is no ranking in the mixed doubles competition, the "Platinum Combination" is basically recognized as No. 1, and the two have participated in almost all events with mixed doubles competitions.

Finally, the game ended with a score of 6:3.

"As expected of the new champion of the Miami Masters, you're in great shape." Youmiko joked with Liumei.

"No, no, you can't compare to Mrs. Orange's clay court championship. You will definitely win the Roland Garros this year." Liu Mei also took the opportunity to praise his own teacher's wife.

To be honest, given Yumiko Tsuneishi's current condition, the mixed doubles championship is most likely in her pocket.

"I also think you two can win the championship." Maria said. She had just played a game with Zhixian and fully realized how terrifying Zhixian was. It was indeed rare for him to perform like this even though he was not like Spanish athletes who had been exposed to clay courts since childhood.

The fact that she could pull off a zero-style slice on a surface as bouncy as clay is truly admirable. Liu Mei also struggled with this, abandoning the zero-style slice and opting for a regular slice combined with a two-wielding style to slow the tempo. After her match with Zhixian, Maria finally understood the reasons behind Liu Mei's poor performance at the French Open.

"You guys never bring me along when you brag about your business dealings." Zhixian interjected.

"You need us to hype you up for the French Open title? The media has been hyping you up for months in advance," Yumiko said. "Especially since you've been playing a lot of clay court tournaments lately and even won a championship."

Yumiko's words were avoiding the main point, because she herself also won the clay court championship, so the media was actually very optimistic about the couple winning the mixed doubles competition.

"Can you trust what the media says? They change their words right after they lose. They are even more fence-sitters than fence-sitters." Zhixian curled his lips. He had figured out the media's tricks a long time ago. If you win the championship, they will praise you. If you don't win the championship, they will praise others and step on you at the same time.

Chixian and Yumiko suffered greatly from this. Whenever they failed to win the mixed doubles event, the media would immediately speculate that their relationship was failing. They were much more used to it now. In the early days, they would often receive late-night calls from both sets of parents, subtly hinting at their relationship problems.

......

It's really ridiculous.