Standing on hard courts, Nadal will adjust his return method according to his own state and the opponent's serve, especially after Moya took over in 2017.
But on clay, Nadal's iconic way of returning the serve has never changed, and has even become a way of returning the ball that everyone imitates on the clay court:
Standing back, strong topspin.
Nadal's return of serve is always witnessed by being conservative and steady. Through this safe method, no matter what the serve is, it can be successfully returned to the court, even if it is a big shot like Isner and Karlovic. Then enter Nadal's familiar bottom-line round mode.
However, this hitting method does not work for everyone, because strong topspin means giving the opponent space to attack; moreover, not everyone can hit Nadal-style strong topspin and return quality. It's too bad, it's almost like inviting the opponent to attack directly.
Now, Gao Wen is trying to return the ball like this.
Mike tried to use a strong flat serve to restrict Gao Wen, but Gao Wen used strong top spin to slow down the rhythm of the round, and his line selection was also very special.
One roll.
A flick.
Gao Wen used strong top spin to cushion all the impact of the serve, and then with a flick of his forearm, the return ball flew out along a small diagonal line.
Backslash!
To put it simply, Mike and Bob created difficulties for Gao Wen to open up the angle, but Gao Wen used strong topspin to resolve the problem and open up the angle.
One time, one time, although the Bryan brothers quickly completed tactical adjustments, Gao Wen still found a way to adapt to the situation and complete the return according to the established tactics.
On the surface, it seemed that Dimitrov was "pressed" in place, unable to move; in fact, this was exactly the tactic of Gawain and Dimitrov. Dimitrov had to maintain a squatting position. Only in this way, Gao Wen was able to separate the angle of the ball return.
Between calculation and counterattack, Gawain once again showed his wisdom——
The tennis ball actually landed near the bottom line of the serving area on Mike's side, which is the shallow area.
First, Bob is moving in the opposite direction, making it impossible to hit the ball.
Secondly, Mike did not expect such a return method at all. The horizontal movement switched to vertical movement, and the entire body was directly pulled out of the doubles area.
The rhythm becomes strange.
Of course, Mike still successfully completed the shot without any difficulty, but Mike soon realized that Gawain’s shot was also a layout——
Unfortunately, it was too late.
After Gao Wen's shot landed, he made full use of the characteristics of the clay to release all the strong rotation. When Mike was about to touch the ball, the position of the tennis ball was diagonally above his shoulder, almost parallel to the top of his head.
Moreover, this is still a backhand.
Mike's backhand was two-handed.
At this time, holding the racket with both hands and trying to hit the ball near the top of the head, the entire movement was blocked, which was very awkward and uncomfortable.
Originally, Mike was a typical North American hard court player. His backhand ability was mediocre. He relied on cutting and pushing a lot, and his ability to actively exert force was mediocre. Now that his hitting position is restricted, his backhand is even more helpless. In the end, he can only Topped the shot with a high point to complete the shot.
Not even cutting.
This also means that there is no way to control the strong top spin of Gawain's shot. If you are not careful, Mike's shot may directly evolve into a cannon.
but!
Is this all the strength of the Bryan brothers?
of course not.
Mike had experienced many battles, and faced such a predicament, he barely managed to hit the shot with his backhand. He knew that his backhand shot could not be suppressed at all, so he simply went with the flow——
Lob shot.
Since the backhand is no longer able to exert force and cannot even control the parabola of the ball, it is better to follow Gawain's ball and further slow down the rhythm of the round ball. This is also in line with the characteristics of the clay court.
Then, the tennis ball flew high and drew a parabola.
Oops!
Mike secretly exclaimed.
Such a response is a good idea, and it shows Mike's ability to adapt to changes on the spot, but the execution effect is unsatisfactory. The main reason is that Mike's batting technique is simple and rough, and he is unable to "eat" Gawain's strong top spin, which leads to the parabola of the ball. There is a slight deviation in control.
See the high but not the far.
Ideally, the lofted ball should go over Dimitrov's head and enter the second half, dragging Gawain to hit the ball at the bottom line; at the same time, the Bryan brothers won the breathing time, both went to the net, and grabbed the ball in front of the net. Take the commanding heights and turn the situation around.
In reality, Dimitrov remained in a squatting position, and Gao Wen's unexpected ball came. In a flash, Mike's judgment of the court space and handling of the batting technique went wrong, and the quality of the lofted ball was also poor. Not satisfactory.
Then, the crisis came.
When Mike and Bob saw the parabola of the return, they both realized that the situation was not good. Who would have thought that Gawain's deliberately slowed down and angled return would actually produce such an effect. Mike's tactical execution was obviously not in place. Immediately afterwards, Dimitrov stood up.
Originally, Dimitrov was pinned down and unable to stand up, but now he found a time difference and appeared on the return line at the right time.
Kick the ground!
Take off!
Pull onions from dry land!
Dimitrov's knees seemed to be stuffed with springs. With the help of standing upright, he jumped high on the spot and grabbed the rising point of the incoming ball.
ah!
Top down, block smash.
boom!
The whole place roared.
Dimitrov was like a swordsman with a long sword unsheathed. His white clothes were as white as snow, his hair was flowing, and the high-pressure ball came out like a bomb.
boom!
Even on clay, you can still feel the solid combined force of the shot.
The tennis ball exploded into a ball of petals on the ground.
but!
Bob shows up.
When he saw Gao Wen return the ball, Bob was already aware of the crisis of the situation. He switched and moved in small steps continuously and returned to the center of the court. He predicted in advance and accurately caught Dimitrov's small diagonal high pressure. The tactical intention is to cross into the batting line with a long stride.
One stop.
One.
On the last ball, Bob bravely faced Gawain's hitting. He was not afraid of confronting high-pressure volleys or close combat. This is the core of the men's doubles competition. As a result, Gawain used softness to overcome strength, and used a small ball to lightly and skillfully change the rhythm of the confrontation. , score easily.
With this ball, Dimitrov seized the opportunity to complete the violent high pressure. Bob once again faced the front without fear. As a left-hander, he had to hit the ball on his right side, block and block with one-handed backhand, and even Before the brain has time to turn, the muscles of the body have already taken action. new
incredible!
Amazing!
Everything, everything happened too fast. Everyone thought that Dimitrov's high-pressure ball would directly form the winning point, but they did not expect that Bob actually completed the interception. Before he could even spit out his breath, he Bob was seen blocking the high pressure that Dimitrov was determined to win.
It all depends on on-the-spot reaction.
The charm of the doubles match and the intensity of the peak showdown burst out with unparalleled sparks at this moment, making me hold my breath involuntarily.
Immediately afterwards, the tennis ball hit the racket head-on.
It's like Mars hitting the Earth.
