The whole network is in a frenzy.
The opportunity has arisen, the opportunity to become a "superstar", the opportunity to have top influence on a global scale, has officially surfaced.
However, "maybe" is still just a possibility. Between "maybe" and "certain", there is still a long and arduous journey to be completed. Whether it can be completed, whether it can be reached, and whether it can seize the opportunity, everything is full of questions. Uncertainty, otherwise "superstars" wouldn't be so valuable.
Next, it’s up to Gawain. No one can help except himself——
Gawain's fate lies in his own hands.
They are witnessing.
However.
The turbulent waves caused by social networks have triggered heated discussions in all media around the world, from China to the world, from online to offline.
As a party involved, Gawain knew nothing and was completely calm. He seemed completely unaware that he was once again standing at the crossroads of history.
In fact, even if Gawain knew, he wouldn't spend much energy paying attention.
Because the waves of social networks are all bubbles. When a strong wind blows, nothing will be left behind. It comes and goes, which is just a matter of opening one's eyes and closing one's eyes.
Because he has more important things to stay focused on. The clay court season has just begun. He still needs to learn, adapt and train.
After finishing all the events in Monte Carlo, Poulin returned to Paris. Although Gawain wanted to see her off in person, Poulin refused Gawain's request.
Pu Lan knew that Gao Wen still had training tasks and competition tasks, and he needed to stay focused; what's more, she was not a three-year-old baby and could not find her way home.
Although he was reluctant to leave, after his short vacation in the blue Mediterranean, Pulan also needed to return to his own life and continue to complete his own things.
This time, Poulin took the train back to Paris.
On the other side, Gao Wen arrived in Barcelona accompanied by the coaching team and continued to adapt to clay soil for the second consecutive week.
There are two weeks between the Monte Carlo and Madrid Masters, and there are many different events held, so the players' schedule is relatively scattered.
This week, Barcelona and Bucharest.
Next week, Estoril, Istanbul, Munich.
All are clay court events, and players can choose freely to participate according to their own circumstances;
However, among these five events, only Barcelona is a 500-point event, and all other events are 250 points. In addition, it is the closest geographical distance to the next stop, the Madrid Masters, so it is often the first choice for players. .
Moreover, in recent years, the Spanish Legion has fully emerged, and it is highly likely that Barcelona will be selected to participate. This also makes Barcelona's competition very fierce every year, and the championship content cannot be ignored.
Gao Wen chose Barcelona to appear.
This year, Barcelona’s lineup is pretty good. Among the top ten players in the world, Gawain, Kei Nishikori, Nadal, Ferrer and Cilic all chose to participate, which once again proved Barcelona’s appeal.
At the same time, this is also the first time in Gao Wen’s career that he has entered the draw as the top seed, leading the pack——
Top seed, Gawain.
Second seed, Nadal.
I have to say that for a 500-point event, this draw is pretty good.
After finishing the game in Monte Carlo, Gauvin arrived in Barcelona on Saturday night and went into adaptation mode without stopping.
Because of the bye in the first round, there were no competition tasks on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. For three consecutive days, Gao Wen was adapting to the changes in the venue, carefully experiencing the subtle differences of the clay court, and slowly honing his understanding of the clay court. .
As mentioned before, the characteristics of red soil will all have subtle differences under different altitudes, different humidity, different temperatures, etc.
This also puts forward higher requirements for players' ability to adapt and change. It is not a matter of tactical framework, but a matter of technical details.
Previously, such "change" was just a theory; now, Gawain can finally truly understand what "change" is, and theory turns into practice:
The batting surfaces in Monte Carlo and Barcelona are indeed different, and even in Barcelona, different venues in different locations are also different.
Of course, the differences between hard courts also exist objectively. As Gao Wen said before, there are obvious differences between the US Open and Australian Open venues; but the difference between clay courts is more delicate, complex and unique, which requires players to calm down. , peel off the cocoons, experience and comprehend carefully.
It’s no wonder that professionals have been emphasizing that clay soil is a difficult test for nerves and will; at the same time, it is a polishing exercise for basic skills.
This is the first clay court season of Gao Wen's career. Even though he has already adapted to Mallorca and Monte Carlo for two weeks, everything is still fresh and full of strangers. Gao Wen is still full of curiosity and remains humble. Experience and learn slowly, this is the correct answer.
Judging from the progress of the competition, Gawain adapted well. After the Monte Carlo event, it gave Gawain some ideas and some insights——
This also allowed Gao Wen to further relax his hands and feet in Barcelona and dare to make more attempts.
Adaptation is still ongoing.
After a bye in the first round, Gao Wen made his debut in Barcelona and faced the Russian player Teimuraz-Gabashvili, who was ten years older than him.
This player who has never broken into the top 100 in the world ranking is a typical blue-collar representative of the tour. His career masterpiece was defeating the sixth seed Andy Roddick at the French Open in 2010 and reaching the fourth round. Best performance in a Grand Slam tournament, only time past the second round.
But can he be considered a clay court expert?
No.
"6:3", "6:3".
Gawain defeated his opponent in straight sets.
Judging from the score, it seemed very easy, but judging from the progress of the game, Gao Wen was still adapting to clay soil, and his overall performance was not at his best.
The differences in different venues in different cities still require time for Gao Wen to slowly study and adjust; but the strong strength foundation still ensures Gao Wen's outstanding performance in key scores, successfully overcoming some fluctuations, and finally winning smoothly, starting his career in Barcelona. journey.
The smooth performance in the first round allowed Gao Wen to slowly enter the state. In the second round, he faced the Chilean player Satinago-Giraldo, the 15th seed and currently ranked 32nd in the world. He is a clay court expert, but Gao Wen firmly took the initiative throughout the game.
In the end, he encountered almost no challenges, only lost two games, sent out two French sticks, and swept his opponents to advance smoothly.
In the first two rounds, Gao Wen advanced without any loss, which also showed Gao Wen's progress on the clay court. The pressure brought by being "the second in the world" did not have a negative impact.
However, as the rounds gradually deepened, Barcelona's draw became more ferocious and showed its power.
After advancing to the quarterfinals through two consecutive rounds, Gao Wen is about to face the seventh seed Agut. This is another test in the clay court season after Ferrer.
