Kick the ground, step forward.
Step forward and attack.
Without warning, very suddenly, Gao Wen's footsteps entered the baseline. Facing Nadal's diagonal forehand return shot at an angle, Gao Wen had obviously been prepared early, and his connection to the net was very smooth. Very light, he has already entered the midfield area in just three steps.
Not only did he not avoid it, but he also took the initiative to move forward——
Finally got the chance.
When Nadal is in good form, his opponents are often pushed to the baseline with no breathing room, because his forehand deep shots are very impactful and oppressive, making it difficult for opponents to parry.
Naturally, when Nadal occasionally hits the ball in a shallow area, his opponents do not dare to rush to the net. Firstly, they need to worry about Nadal's next forehand hitting the deep area, which can easily "overturn" the opponent; Later, I had to worry about Nadal creating a trap to lure his opponent to attack the net, and then Nadal completed the break.
Federer has suffered such a frustrating loss more than once.
but.
When Nadal is in bad condition, his forehand deep shots do not have enough suppression and impact, and he cannot "suppress" his opponents; he often tends to use shallow super topspin to control the route layout. After all, now Most players stick to the bottom line and rarely take the initiative to go online. He can still buy more time and space for himself.
Gawain is no exception.
Although Sampras has been cultivating Gao Wen's net awareness since last offseason, some habits, skills and tactics still require more time to adapt and adjust. What's more, clay courts are not designed to be used on the net. In the best venue, changes in tactical routines do not happen overnight.
However, after experiencing the match in Madrid and the first and second sets of today's match, Gao Wen has been interpreting and analyzing the game. He also noticed Nadal's habit of hitting forehands this season, which is obviously lacking. Confidence, at least compared with last year's Imperial City and this year's Melbourne, the proportion of shallow areas has increased.
Originally, Gao Wen thought this was a detailed adjustment of Nadal's clay court tactics, a rearrangement of landing points and routes, but slowly, he realized:
Maybe, this is an opportunity.
Of course, he needs to take risks, but Gawain is not a reckless person. He will use his own layout to increase the chance of victory in his adventures.
Just like this time——
Two-handed backhand, leading the shot early.
Following the tendency of the body to move forward, speed, strength, and weight are all added together. The timing of the step forward and the determination to start are all just right.
Kick.
rush.
Taking the initiative to move forward, Gawain's backhand with both hands was already facing the rotation of the tennis ball. At this time, you can clearly see that the rotation of the tennis ball was completely released after it bounced off the ground. It turned faster and higher, and the entire speed and power were instantaneous. Reaching the peak, the feeling of squeezing and impact hit your face.
Swing.
extrusion.
Step up.
With the help of the inertia of the approach and the weight of his body, Gawain grabbed an ascending point.
Without waiting for the rotation to be released further or for the rotation to slow down and relax, it hit the high point head-on.
ah!
In an instant, the power is released. Following the direction of the rotation of the tennis ball, the force presses down and the body rushes forward. At the same time, the wrist moves outward flexibly and lightly.
Go forward, push.
--boom!
It can be clearly seen that Gao Wen did not choose to use the force to fight, but took the initiative to use his own force to form a full-scale suppression force and forcefully complete the line change.
boom.
With a crisp sound of hitting the ball, the tennis ball flew out.
straight line.
blind spot.
Landing, score.
"ah!"
Following the release of force, Gawain continued to rush forward, then jumped high into the air, clenching his right hand into a fist and raising it high.
"Ah! Ahhh!"
The fighting spirit is high and the blood is boiling.
Fight, fight, fight some more.
Fight until the last drop of blood and energy is consumed.
"ah!"
The fourth break point also served as a checkpoint, and another strong recovery was achieved.
From the moment he served, Gao Wen had complete control over the entire situation, taking the initiative to attack, pressure and attack.
In the end, Nadal's steps were stuck in the forehand position and he didn't have time to move——
Because he thought that Gawain might continue to hit his forehand, he was already ready to counterattack.
However, Gawain did not.
In fact, Gawain anticipated this possibility. Maybe Nadal's forehand is not in the best condition now, but don't forget that when he was young, Nadal was famous for his desperate counterattacks. The more passive, difficult, and extreme he is, On the contrary, Nadal is better at hitting fairy balls.
Especially on the forehand position.
When Nadal is pushed to the extreme and relies solely on instinct and experience, his talent and potential can often be revealed.
Therefore, Gawain was the first to change——
Two consecutive shots suppressed the forehand, and the final winning point came from the backhand.
He succeeded.
This is the fourth time that Gao Wen has faced Nadal in his career. From the previous three experiences, he can sum up a core key:
Backhand, backhand, backhand.
It is precisely because Nadal’s forehand is unmatched in the world that he was able to suppress Federer, Djokovic was able to suppress him, and later Federer was able to counter him, all of which are due to the combination of “Nadal’s forehand VS opponent’s backhand” Counterpoint.
In other words, when facing Nadal, first of all, your backhand must be able to withstand the continuous attack from Nadal's forehand, otherwise you will be very passive.
This game is no exception. Nadal’s forehand is still the key——
In the first two sets, Gao Wen's tactics revolved around the backhand, relying on his own backhand to carry the attack, and then seeking a breakthrough from Nadal's backhand.
The tactics worked. The back-and-forth stalemate between the two sides was never able to widen the gap. The suspense of victory was still not clear. However, Nadal relied on his clay court experience and understanding of Philippe-Chatier. , faintly seizing some advantages.
Now at the end of the second set, Gao Wen believes that his tactics need to be adjusted slightly. He should try to suppress Nadal's forehand and seek a breakthrough.
This is not to say that Nadal's forehand has become a weakness. Obviously, the ability to hold the forehand is still the key to Nadal's success in this game; but Gao Wen believes that Nadal's forehand is not stable enough and strong enough, and maybe he can Become a breakthrough for yourself to break Nadal's belief in victory.
He needs to trust his own judgment and he needs to trust his backhand.
"ah!"
Roaring and venting is not only to celebrate saving the fourth set point, but also to cheer for yourself and believe that your strategy is correct.
The whole place was boiling.
Across the court, Nadal was a little disappointed and shook his head slightly.
It was obvious at a glance that he was dissatisfied with the quality of his forehand. Obviously, compared to Gawain, he knew his state better than anyone else and knew how he should adjust to such changes.
The game between the two players is still going on——
At least, this game has not yet decided the winner.
"40:40".
This round has been going on for a full eight minutes, and is about to break through nine minutes, but it is still a tie, and the next point is still a critical point.
Nadal, still calm and focused, has adjusted after a brief disappointment and continues to focus on the next point.
Gawain also quickly regained his composure. His overheated brain cooled down again and he began to plan for the next distribution.
The crisis has not been resolved.
