Backslash!
Turn the ball back!
With his own serve having the advantage, Johansen tried to gain more advantage for himself through forehand attack.
However, Gawain is still superior!
Indeed, after receiving the serve, Gao Wen was moving towards the forehand position to make up for the defense, but the first thing he noticed was that when Johnson was about to turn sideways to hit the forehand ball, he had already stopped and turned to complete the move——
Because Johansen's body center of gravity has already given away his intention to hit the ball in advance, there is no other possibility except a backslash.
Small steps, small steps again.
Gao Wen used a series of dazzling footwork adjustments to arrive in advance, and even had time to adjust his center of gravity on the spot. He made an early lead-in motion for the backhand with both hands, and glanced at Johnson quickly from the corner of his eyes.
Kick the ground! Turn around!
But at the moment of the shot, he deliberately paused for a moment, making full use of the advantage he gained from predicting and moving in advance, and delayed the shot——
The previous point was about grabbing the rhythm; this point is about dragging the rhythm.
Seeing that Johnson's footsteps have already started, moving quickly laterally to cover the straight gap, Gawain's swing movement is released. The force of the wrist's outward movement slightly changes to an inward push, and the entire closing movement also changes, fully completed. A looping circle.
Then!
A straight shot becomes a diagonal shot.
Of course, facing Johnson's sideways forehand impact, it is very, very risky to change the direction of the shot before shooting. Very few players will do this, because if you are not careful, you may shoot yourself in the foot. Instead, he sent his own mistakes.
But this time, Gawain was very clever.
He didn't exert full force, just a simple tap; moreover, he deliberately made the diagonal line light and thin. When he gave up the initiative to exert force, all the muscle control was concentrated on the details of the wrist, kicking and turning. The movements of the body are exceptionally full, and most importantly, the consciousness is very clear and determined.
Whoosh.
Gao Wen's return ball landed in Johnson's service area and continued to bounce out. It was obvious that there was strong external spin.
It is precisely because Gao Wen did not forcefully break his swing trajectory, and used softness to overcome strength and skill to win, that the whole shot was not as risky as imagined.
At this time, even if Johansen's prediction is successful and the movement direction is correct, it is estimated that it will be difficult to catch up, not to mention, Johansen's footsteps are flying towards the other half.
Score! Flowing clouds and flowing water, easy and freehand!
Familiar scene, familiar ending, Johnson is still running, and still turning his head to look at the other side of the court, his face full of confusion:
How did Gawain do it?
This time, Johnson's serve and the first shot of the offensive connection were all step by step, progressing exactly as he expected, but why did he lose this point in the blink of an eye; and Gao Wen's hitting seemed so easy and simple, without any effort or effort. Take risks, what's going on?
"Game, high."
After winning three points in a row, Gao Wen broke Johnson's serve for the first time in the game and ushered in a "2:3" lead.
However, Gawain still did not make a fist to celebrate.
In his sight, Johnson could see that Gawain just jumped slightly on the spot and looked at the landing point of his shot. Due to the distance, he couldn't see his expression clearly, but his relaxed body language could still be easily felt. Gawain was full of confidence, which made Johnson a little depressed——
Why not make a fist?
Anyone who has watched Gao Wen play at the US Open should be deeply impressed by Gao Wen's playing style. Clenching fists to celebrate and boosting morale is undoubtedly the most exciting moment. Every time Gao Wen wins a key match, Gao Wen is full of passion and blood. The way of celebration can always ignite the atmosphere of the stadium.
But just now, Gao Wen hit consecutive good shots, but why didn't he make a fist?
Isn’t a break worth celebrating? Or is the confrontation not intense enough? Because he didn't bring enough threats and impact to force Gawain into his best form?
"why why why".
My mind is filled with questions.
However, Johnson will never ask Gawain. This is too embarrassing. His only thought now is that he should use all his strength to push Gawain to the extreme. Then the fist-clenching moment should come, right?
It is precisely because of this that Johansson's performance improved significantly in the following games. The quality of his forehand and backhand shots was fuller and more sufficient. The pressure and impact of the entire confrontation were even better, and his defensive accuracy was also better. It has also improved, and every time I move with gritted teeth.
On the other side of the court, Gawain was also full of questions:
Is this Johnson Popeye? Eat a bucket of spinach during a break between games, and then you can improve your condition?
However, there is a better explanation than Popeye's, that is, having just suffered a break, Johansson realized that the first set was facing a crisis, so he improved his condition in time to launch a counterattack; naturally, Gawain also needed to improve his condition, Stand firm and maintain your advantage.
In fact, Gawain did not clench his fists in celebration, not because it was too easy or too simple, but because all his attention was focused on layout and calculation.
The fifth and sixth games, that is, the middle of the first set, are still the stage of strategic deployment and initial results. Gao Wen needs to collect data and pave the way for subsequent games. Therefore, his brain is always running, scoring and losing. There is no need to get too excited.
Slowly, Gao Wen has figured out the correct way to score, and the game against Johnson gradually becomes clear——
Rhythm, this is the core.
Why does Gauvin keep trying different methods in the return of serve, sometimes Nadal, sometimes Federer, just like Gauvin constantly changing the arrangement and combination of serves in his own service game? In the final analysis, he is disrupting the rhythm and breaking the rules. From his first touch, Changes are brewing when the ball is played.
Such attempts will definitely not work every time. Johnson's basic serving skills are indeed solid, and Gawain is not a robot. He can perfectly achieve the effect he wants every time he receives the serve, so he must face some risks, but the rewards are rich. , because Johnson has never been able to hit the ball in his comfort zone.
Johnson has been trying to get into his own batting rhythm, but Gauvin refused to give him a chance, starting from the first touch of the ball and then to the subsequent layout:
Occasionally, a topspin ball is used to press the deep area of the baseline to form a squeeze, and occasionally a backspin ball is used to complete the transition and change the rhythm; occasionally, a step forward is used to grab the rising point to compress the offensive connection, and occasionally, the shot rhythm is consciously slowed down and combined with the change of spin to break the pattern.
Most importantly, the batting line is always changing -
The last time the backhand challenged a straight line, then this time it was a small diagonal; the last time the forehand was a diagonal, then this time it was a straight line. Even with the risk of failing to change the line, going out of bounds or hitting the net, the strategy of enriching the array and combination of hitting lines has never wavered.
Moreover, Gawain gave up taking risky shots in pursuit of the ultimate placement, and instead fully mobilized Johnson through changes in priority.
This is exactly the way Johansen least likes to play.
Once Gawain completes the layout, the final scoring shot can be easily completed without risking it!
