Wow!
The audience stood up, applauded thunderously, and the entire Philippe-Chatier Stadium fell into a frenzy. As far as the eye could see, there was a billowing heat wave, and the heat and madness of midsummer were fully displayed at this moment.
On the court, Gawain did not celebrate again, just——
make a fist.
Smile.
Bright eyes.
You can deeply feel that the belief in victory and the high fighting spirit are shining brightly. Even in the face of multiple points, even in desperate difficulties, he is still fighting, struggling and burning, and the game continues.
In the past two points, there was actually no long-round multi-shot tug-of-war, because Gao Wen had a comprehensive plan, and also because Gao Wen dared to imagine, leading Nadal at the tactical level twice in a row, and executed it perfectly, converting the advantage into points. , the status is indeed full.
On the edge of the cliff, Gao Wen's interpretation of the game, arrangement of tactics, and breaking of conventions truly showed the style of a Grand Slam champion.
The game is getting better and better.
"AD:40".
This was only the second game point that Gao Wen got in his service game. Overall, Nadal was still the stronger side, but he didn't know how the two players would play in the next point.
Close your eyes, and you can seem to hear the heartbeats of the audience playing a majestic and passionate symphony. The whole world is surging along with it, and the rolling heat wave that spreads makes the blood burn.
Back to the second area——
What about this time? Is Gawain prepared to continue suppressing Nadal's forehand?
One shot...
J.
oh!
There were sighs of sadness throughout the audience. Although the fans supporting Nadal still had the absolute upper hand, the audience in Paris was looking forward to a wonderful showdown. They did not want the second set to end like this, so the audience sincerely felt Sorry, sorry for Gawain.
In the first serve just now, Gao Wen was preparing to attack the inside corner, which was Nadal's backhand. It was obvious that his serving tactics had been adjusting and changing.
Unfortunately, once the first serve hits the net, the next second serve will inevitably face impact.
However, Nadal did not step forward and kept his original position after receiving the second serve. This is very common in Nadal's games. Some commentators think Nadal is too conservative, but some think Nadal is just using his own style. Understand and analyze to make the most of the space.
After all, the man in front of him is the King of Roland Garros.
So, how does Gawain choose his next serve?
After the first-serve strategy of sneak attack on the inside corner was exposed, the layout of the second-serve strategy became crucial; but judging from Gawain's actions, there was no hesitation at all——
Obviously, his brain has figured it out.
Kick the ground.
Throw the ball.
Swing.
...outer corner.
It was the outside corner again, the same tactic as the break point, but this time Nadal was already prepared.
With one step and one push, the forehand is ready to hit the ball.
However, wait——
Serve, a little slow.
Of course, the second serve is inherently slower, and Nadal is mentally prepared, but the second serve here is much slower than expected.
Speed 135 kilometers per hour.
This is simply slower than the second serve of a female player!
Nadal immediately realized Gawain's intention, not only bold but determined——
When Nadal receives the serve four to five meters away from the baseline, he can gain himself reaction time and swing space when facing a powerful serve; naturally, it may be more troublesome when facing a reduced force serve.
It's not that you can't catch it, but when the de-energized serve reaches Nadal's position, it has almost no power and spin. You must rely entirely on Nadal's own initiative to complete the shot, which is very difficult:
First, the distance and space from the batting position to the opposite side of the court change, making it more difficult to control the parabola. If you are not careful, you may hit the net, or else the ball will return to the moon, giving your opponent an opportunity to attack.
Secondly, when the tennis ball reaches the stance, it is already in the process of falling rapidly. When returning the ball, strict requirements are placed on rotation and force control, and the intensity and difficulty of exerting force are increased by a whole level.
It is precisely because of this that when Kyrgios later played against Nadal, he was not used to Nadal's receiving and serving position and deliberately chose to "serve from behind"——
The underhand serve means throwing the tennis ball directly downward without any throwing action, and the racket will draw an arc from bottom to top. It is very similar to the underhand serve in badminton, but in tennis matches, only amateurs will serve like this. .
Although the rules of tennis do not prohibit underhand serving, because this is a technique that amateur players only use when they cannot throw the ball, so when used in professional matches, it often means toying with the opponent and doing whatever it takes to win the game. Caused a lot of controversy.
Kyrgios is a typical serving master, and his serving ability can be among the top five in the ATP. Therefore, he uses an underhand serve purely to tease his opponent, showing disrespect for his opponent and the game at every turn.
Later, there was widespread discussion about whether underhand serves should be used. Opponents accounted for the majority, but there were also a few supporters.
In fact, the underhand serve has no power. It is basically equivalent to giving up your own serving advantage. Once the opponent sees through it, it can be killed with one shot. If you want to tease the opponent but end up getting yourself into trouble, it is best not to use it lightly, otherwise it will just lift a stone. Smash yourself in the foot.
Bublik, another bad boy in the tennis world, faced Tiafoe in the third round of Wimbledon in 2022. This master of serve once unbelievingly tried six underhand serves in one game. He was shocked. Even Kyrgios expressed his resignation after learning about it.
His eyes returned to Nadal.
From a tactical perspective, the purpose of the underhand serve and the reduced power serve are the same. They are to use Nadal's position to make a fuss and destroy the power of Nadal's return serve. However, the difference is that the underhand serve is a conspiracy, while the reduced power serve is a conspiracy. Conspiracy.
Nadal, noticing the weakening of Gawain's serve, immediately realized Gawain's tactical intention, and immediately adjusted his steps.
Small steps, continuous small steps, to find the most appropriate hitting point.
Then, the iconic forehand round-the-head shot appeared again, and a powerful return shot with active force increased the power and spin of the entire return serve to the extreme——
"ah!"
A loud shout came from deep in the Dantian, and Nadal's forehand was completely thrown out.
pity.
Nadal is nearly five meters away from the baseline. As a reference, the distance from the baseline to the net is 23.77 meters. His position is equivalent to extending the court by one-fifth, and the entire hitting point and power point are completely different.
As for Gao Wen's serve, he was unable to borrow any power, and his active force had to consider rotation and arc. Even if he exerted full force, the landing point of the returned ball was still too shallow.
Originally, this return shot should have been controlled to land near the baseline, but the actual landing point was only half a step beyond the baseline of the serve, and the effect was far from what was expected.
However, Nadal also knew that this was the risk he faced when he chose to retreat, so he was not annoyed or distracted. After hitting the forehand, his steps immediately started again, and his left leg As soon as he kicked off, his body moved quickly and found his defensive position——
Nadal believes that Gawain will definitely attack. The key is, slash? Or a straight line?
