okinawa Shogaku‘s Hiwatari Shoki Claims Prefectural High School Newcomer Tennis title with Unique “Foot Tennis” Style
Naha City, Okinawa – Hiwatari Shoki, a second-year student at Okinawa Shogaku, secured the men’s singles championship at the Prefectural High School Newcomer tennis Tournament on September 6th at Okuma Park Garden Stadium, defeating Hirata Juma (also of Okinawa Shogaku) with a decisive 6-2 victory. Hiwatari’s success is built on a distinctive playing style emphasizing extended rallies and strategic footwork, a technique he describes as “foot tennis.”
The tournament win marks a meaningful achievement for Hiwatari, who previously struggled against Hirata within their grade level. This victory not only earns him the title but also positions him and his team for larger regional and national competitions. Okinawa Shogaku aims for a top-eight finish in Kyushu as a team, while Hiwatari personally targets a top-eight ranking nationally.
Hiwatari attributes his success to improvements in his serve and a reliance on his signature rally-focused game. “We’ve been losing in the same grade and we’re happy to win an important tournament,” Hiwatari stated. He explained his strategy, “Even if you swing left and right, my weapon is to rallies and take them from behind. I managed to get them in the rally.” He noted that adjustments to his serving timing corrected issues experienced the previous day, allowing him to maintain control throughout the match.
Looking ahead, hiwatari plans to refine his first serve accuracy and return game as he prepares for the challenges of the Kyushu and national stages.
Tournament results:
Men’s Singles – Quarterfinals:
* Hirata Toma (Okinawa Shogaku) def.Higa Atsumin (Koza) 6-2
* sakuda yuta (Okinawa Shogaku) def. Chinen Hidehiko (Akira) 6-2
* Hiwatari Shoki (Okinawa Shogaku) def. Kikuri Shinryu (Okinawa Shogaku) 6-4
* Oshiro Yushin (Okinawa Shogaku) def. Ikehara Takumi (Shoyaku) 6-1
Men’s Singles – Semifinals:
* Hirata def. Sakuda 6-1
* Hiwatari def.Oshiro 7-5
Men’s Singles - Final:
* Hiwatari def. Hirata 6-2
