Baby Steps

To be perfectly clear, aiming for the opponent's body is legal. Maruo did it too in chapter 137. Though doing it frequently can result in unfair calls.That is why there are officials to keep tab and monitor play.

Ah, thanks.  I'd still argue that there are other cases, that this kid does not actually draw the line at cheating, only at the possibility of being ruled against.

To be perfectly clear, aiming for the opponent's body is legal. Maruo did it too in chapter 137. Though doing it frequently can result in unfair calls.That is why there are officials to keep tab and monitor play.

Which might explain the bad call at the end of the ch. 163.

finish him !

Trying to hit the guy (whether in a rally or just by throwing the ball at him--the guy has done it both ways) is, I believe, illegal.  If challenged he would claim it was an accident, but we know it wasn't, so it was cheating. 

To be perfectly clear, aiming for the opponent's body is legal. Maruo did it too in chapter 137. Though doing it frequently can result in unfair calls.That is why there are officials to keep tab and monitor play.

Well RealHarry, you got your wish.  He's being squished like a bug.

And it's oh-so-satisfying. I need to savor this chapter some more.

I think you're going a bit far to call what he's doing 'cheating'. He's playing a psychological game that is supposed to evoke anger and frustration, it's a completely viable strategy that is used by professionals across many different sports.

He's doing that, yes.  For instance, the bit where, after all his abuses of timing, he then calls Maruo for taking too long, is a priceless piece of annoyance tactic.  You gotta hand it to him, and all perfectly legal.

But he's also cheating.  Cute timing tactics, surprise underserve and stuff, that's a psychological game.  Trying to hit the guy (whether in a rally or just by throwing the ball at him--the guy has done it both ways) is, I believe, illegal.  If challenged he would claim it was an accident, but we know it wasn't, so it was cheating.  Having a momentary injury is obviously not cheating.  Lying about it clearly is.  Apparently under certain circumstances you can say "I wasn't ready" and the guy has to take back his serve.  If you weren't ready, that's fair enough if wimpy.  If you were ready, then you're lying about it, and that's cheating; he took away a point Maruo scored fairly by falsely using that excuse.

He's clever, using methods where you would have to prove intent to be able to establish for sure that he was cheating.  But if you have a rule that says people are allowed to do X for reason Y (delay the match because they have an injury, call back a serve because they weren't ready for it), then doing X by lying about reason Y when it does not actually apply isn't a clever tactic, it's against the rules.  It's cheating.  This kid is not just a clever psychologist, he's a dirty cheater.  Sorry.

Crowds are asked to be quiet during tennis matches so most mangas with crowds in them booing are rather unrealistic as the spectators can be warned and removed for excessive noise.

that is true but you can be vocal in between points. during the last match the crowd has been really loud supporting maruo and the other guy the idol of the masses. 

in any case im glad at least the umpire is giving a payback for the unsportsmanlike behaviour

You mad, Takagi? You should be. No matter what amount of character development occurs, Takagi will be squished like a bug by our cutest tennis player.

Well RealHarry, you got your wish.  He's being squished like a bug.

after all that, did maruo just say he is going to raise another gear?? O.O

Ei chan is now god-like

Crowds are asked to be quiet during tennis matches so most mangas with crowds in them booing are rather unrealistic as the spectators can be warned and removed for excessive noise.

This isn't the pro's you know. We're talking about junior tournaments and this type of fan interaction is quite common.

I'd like Maruo to crush him. Not because of he uses trick plays and borderline legal strategies (those are legitimate ways to win a match), but because he's just plain unlikeable. Seriously, even Nabae was annoyed with him. He comes across as a sore loser.

Gotta say, if I was going to turn away from anger so I could function better,

Spoiler

I think I'd do it some way other than making excuses for the guy's bad conduct.  My instinct would be more like, "OK, no need to be angry.  Obviously this guy has no confidence in his actual tennis skills so the poor thing has to resort to this.  As the superior here I can let him grub in his squalid tactics and still win.  Let's see if there are any subtle real tennis tactics I can use which he may miss because he's too busy thinking about how to cheat."

I think you're going a bit far to call what he's doing 'cheating'. He's playing a psychological game that is supposed to evoke anger and frustration, it's a completely viable strategy that is used by professionals across many different sports.

Gotta say, if I was going to turn away from anger so I could function better,

Please show me a discipline where being angry actually helps instead of screwing up the game

my moral standards can't be very good seeing as i actually like this guy's borderline cheating. it's interesting to see how many tricks he can come up with, and how maruo deals with the unexpected.

No, I suppose they can't.

what i find strange is that the audicne, which is usually very vocal against cheaters and unsportman-like players (not here, in mangas in general), hasnt booo-ed this guy yet. 

 

I expect it to happen anytime soon.

Crowds are asked to be quiet during tennis matches so most mangas with crowds in them booing are rather unrealistic as the spectators can be warned and removed for excessive noise.

i think maruo just reached the right conclusion, nice grin there at the end of the chapter.

Hey e-chan, if you could tear off his head and take a nice one down his windpipe, that would be great. Thanks.

n/a

Trying to hurt E-chan by hitting a ball into his face?

what i find strange is that the audicne, which is usually very vocal against cheaters and unsportman-like players (not here, in mangas in general), hasnt booo-ed this guy yet. 

I expect it to happen anytime soon.