■The re-match between the former and current number one ranked players and the Paris Paralympic semi-finals was easily won by Tokito Oda. In the first set, Oda broke for the first time at 4-3, and took the first set 6-4. In the second set, the two teams broke each other consecutively but Oda took the lead. The 18-year-old won in straight sets, winning the crucial points.

■“The scene I wanted to see and the scene I imagined, has become a reality”, Oda said at his victory speech on the court. Oda repeated the phrase "the scene I wanted to see" at the press conference. Raising awareness and popularity of wheelchair tennis is the mission he inherited from the retired Shingo Kunieda. The highlight of the day was the night session match between Kei Nishikori and Holger Rune (Denmark) scheduled to start after 6pm, but tickets for the day session in which Oda was to appear were also sold out. "I think there were a lot of people who came to watch wheelchair tennis. For me, that is new and ideal. That was the best part.”

■With the packed stands at his back, Oda was in full swing. He shook Gustavo Fernandez with a powerful cross-court shot. He would enter the court, pull back and hold the racket in position and after assessing his opponent's movement, he would hit a no-touch winner. The highlight was a drive volley that he would hit from inside the service line. Even Fernandez, the former world No. 1, looked astonished by his aggressive play. "The crowd started coming in halfway through the match, and my play improved, and it felt like we were all creating the match together." This was the “scene" Oda wanted to see.

■Oda participated in this tournament because he "didn't want the wave he made after winning the gold medal at the Paralympics to end as just a fad." He achieved his second consecutive victory as planned, and this is "Chapter 1" for him. "I was able to do more than I had imagined," he said, feeling a sense of accomplishment. What story will he write in Chapter 2? "I've restarted mentally, and there are many things I want to do. I want to challenge the Los Angeles Paralympics as a transformed athlete." The young champion's eyes sparkled.