■Paris Paralympics Wheelchair Tennis Men’s Singles 2nd Round (1st Japan time, Roland Garros)

Kaito ODA (18, Tokai Rika), ranked second in the world, defeated B. Bertram (19, ranked 27th in the world) of Great Britain in straight sets 2-0 (6-2, 7-6) in the second round of the singles in his first match of the tournament, and advanced to the third round.

In the first set, Oda broke first with the game score at 2-2, and then took the lead 6-2. In the second set, both players kept their points, and in the 11th game, Oda was close to breaking, but his opponent held on and failed to break. The match went to deuce at 6-6, but Oda made a comeback from a disadvantageous position with consecutive points to win the match.

This will be Oda’s first time competing in the Paralympics. He has won the French Open, held at the same venue, for two consecutive years, and last year, at the age of 17 years and 1 month, he became the youngest player in history to become the men’s singles champion at a Grand Slam tournament, winning his first Grand Slam title. He also won Wimbledon in July, becoming number one in the world. He won the Hangzhou Asian Para in October, and also secured a place on Japan’s team for the Paris Paralympics. The name “Kairen” comes from the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, and was chosen because it means “to shout in victory.”

■ Tokito Oda
Born on May 8, 2006 in Ichinomiya, Aichi Prefecture. At the age of 9, he developed osteosarcoma in his left hip joint. At the age of 10, he started playing wheelchair tennis after watching a video of Shingo Kunieda. He won both singles and doubles at the World Junior Masters, and announced his intention to turn professional at the age of 15. At the age of 17, he became the youngest player ever to win the French Open last year, and also became the youngest player ever to reach number one in the world rankings. In October of the same year, he won the men’s singles at the Hangzhou Asian Para Championships, and was selected to represent Japan at the Paris Paralympics.