In the men’s doubles wheelchair tennis match at the Paris Paralympic Games, Kaito Oda (18) of Tokai Rika and Takuya Miki (35) of Toyota Motor Corporation defeated a Spanish pair in the semi-finals on the 4th, advancing to the finals and securing at least a silver medal.

After winning the semi-final that lasted more than two hours, Oda and Miki threw their rackets into the air and embraced each other. The 35-year-old Miki had tears in his eyes as he won his first medal. The 18-year-old Oda said, “We all won together (including the fans in the audience).” The pair, with a 17-year age difference, made up for each other’s mistakes and came close to the top.

Miki, who was less skilled, lost the first set, which was the focus of attention, but Oda’s performance shone through in the second set, and he took it back. In the match tiebreaker, which was a 10-point first-to-10-point tiebreak, the younger ace made a series of mistakes at 6-1. After allowing the opponent to temporarily reverse the score at 8-8, Miki hit a powerful backhand into the center, saying, “If I don’t give it my all, I’ll regret it for the rest of my life.” Oda then served to decide the match.

Oda also advanced to the semifinals in singles that day, and if things go as planned, she will face her rival Hewett (UK) in the finals. In doubles, she will compete for the championship with the pair made up of these strong opponents. Aiming for a double crown, she renewed her determination, saying, “From here on, it’s all about whether we can beat the UK or not.” (Kyodo News)