Excluding Nanjiro and other pros. I want to focus on the middle school players.
1. Yukimura
2. Niou
3. Ryoma
4. Kintaro Toyama
5. Fuji
6. Sanada
7. Atobe
8. Tezuka
9. Shiraishi
10. Tachibana
11. Senri Chitose
12. Gin Ishida
13. Kabaji ???
If creating a Dream Team, then Oishi and Kikumaru would have to be in the line-up because of their Syncho ability.
What do you all think? I make this list not strictly ranking the players, but kind of...
Akaya Kirihara should be on the list his fundimentals may not be as good as the players you listed but his spartan tennis ability makes him a powerful player.
Great matchup Tachibana vs. Kirihara if Tachibana playes all out with his spartan tennis shots they could both end up in the hospital.
R.I.P #27 Darrent Williams 1982-2007
R.I.P #29 Damien Nash 1982-2007
I thought about adding Kirihara onto that list, but he didn't really seem all that great to me.
He openly admitted that he couldn't keep up with Sanada.
And Sanada, Atobe, Tezuka, Fuji, Shiraishi, Ryoma, Kintaro, and some others are clearly on a higher level.
Fuji also decimated Kirihara.
The match with Tachibana is the only example of his higher ability.
But Fudomine had to lose. They always lose. Tachibana was also really nervous, and with his injury, of course Kirihara would win.
I have no idea why Sakaki put Kirihara in Singles 1 in the American Arc.
arent you forgetting in Tachibanas old school he injured his partner to the point that he couldnt play tennis because he lost the sight out of one eye Tachibana was holding back against Kirihara when they played.
R.I.P #27 Darrent Williams 1982-2007
R.I.P #29 Damien Nash 1982-2007
This is true. Tachibana even held back against Chitose in the Nationals.
But doesn't that also support the notion that Kirihara isn't that great of a player?
If Tachibana went all out against Kirihara, then Kirihara would probably lose.
Im just saying I think that Kiriharas spartan tennis ability is on about the same level as Tachibanas but yes agreed Tachibana is a superior player but maybe not in spartan tennis.
R.I.P #27 Darrent Williams 1982-2007
R.I.P #29 Damien Nash 1982-2007