When faced with a break point before and now with a game point, Gawain actually used almost the same routine, so is this a coincidence? Or is he just trying to copy and paste the same scoring routine?
Nadal, don’t believe it——
An important thing to note here is that on the opposite side of the net is Gao Wen, a player who is good at layout, good at games, good at changes, and good at breaking games.
Just look at this year's Australian Open final. Djokovic already had two sets in hand, but Gao Wen still grasped the key sharply and sharply, successfully turning the situation around. In terms of routines and tactical layout, Gao Wen is already an ATP player. Absolutely top notch.
If it was said that Gawain had set up a trap to confuse the audience, Nadal would definitely believe it; but if it was said that Gawain had tried his best and repeated his old tricks, he would just listen.
Therefore, at the break point, Gao Wen chose to repeatedly attack the diagonal line, continuously suppressing Nadal's forehand, seeking a breakthrough, but what about this time?
——Backhand.
Nadal's judgment was firm and sharp, without any hesitation. With a kick of his left leg, his body rushed out like an arrow from a string.
In the blink of an eye, Nadal quickly captured Gawain's footsteps and body movements, and his brain intuitively made a keen judgment.
A conditioned reflex——
Tread.
Tap!
The footsteps fly on the red clay surface, and the body and the strong wind are completely integrated. All the sunlight of all the spectators and the entire stadium turn into a halo of oil painting palette. Various colors are intertwined and blurred, and the afterimage of the sprint is like a paintbrush. With a light touch on the drawing board, a thrilling outline was drawn.
The speed has reached the extreme.
Then, you can see that Gao Wen cut into the baseline and stepped up to apply pressure. With a sideways forehand, his arms were quickly swung to cover it.
boom!
Accompanied by a solid and powerful stroke, the sound was clear and solid, and a sharp mustard yellow streamline bounced out from the racket.
straight line.
You've got it!
Nadal had no time to be surprised, because his return of serve failed to push the tennis ball deep enough, which also gave Gao Wen the space to attack. This straight attack maximized power and speed.
Even if Nadal made an accurate judgment, he still fell into passivity.
That's too late.
Nadal immediately judged his position, the quality of his defense and the subsequent possibilities. He realized that it was difficult for him to complete high-quality defense while continuing to buy time for the next defense.
then--
Nadal showed off his bottom-line skills:
defense.
In 2004, an 18-year-old Mallorcan boy suddenly emerged in the men's tennis world. He made his debut with his immortal mobility and brilliant defensive ability. At that time, many people thought that he was an enhanced version of Hewitt. , started on defense, but has stronger offensive capabilities.
Of course, Nadal later proved that he and Hewitt were fundamentally different players; but in terms of defensive ability, Nadal did show the best level in history, and his running ability and defensive touch were amazing.
In fact, what is really outstanding about Nadal is his defensive shot selection and layout, that is, the quality of defense. He is always able to reverse the situation through excellent defense.
At this time, you can see that Nadal did not choose to sprint to the end with all his strength, but turned around and faced the court with his back.
As a result, it was originally a two-handed backhand, and you had to move your feet to gain swing space; now you have to turn your back to the court, and a turning movement is equivalent to a long stride, which reduces the movement time but can still gain space for hitting the ball. Then a one-handed backhand crosscut.
One rub, one block.
bass!
Use your strength to fight.
When the tennis ball hit the racket, Nadal didn't even need to exert force to complete the hit through the reaction force. The tenacity and strength of the racket string collided with fierce sparks, and then the tennis ball flew high.
Lob the ball!
However, Nadal's steps did not stop, and he continued to turn clockwise. In the blink of an eye, he was facing the court again, with light steps, a stable center of gravity, and was ready to continue to defend.
Turn passive into active.
Nadal did not rush to start, but looked up to find his return shot.
In the golden sunshine, Nadal looked for the tennis ball that crossed the shadow of the court and penetrated into the halo. It was high and floating. Although this would give the opponent a chance to press the ball, it would also buy him time to return to position and adjust.
slash.
deep zone.
Nadal's back defense in a hurry showed top-notch touch. The landing point of this shot had already crossed the service area and entered a deeper area.
You can see it at this point——
When Nadal takes the initiative, his poor condition and poor touch really affect the entire offensive pressure in all aspects; but when he is passive, some instinctive shots can still surprise everyone with his skills.
When returning the ball, the landing point was well controlled. Although it was not pressed on the baseline, it was still in the deep zone, which also meant that it was more difficult for Gao Wen's high-pressure ball.
Nadal, while adjusting the center of gravity of his steps, observed Gawain's movements.
On that side, Gao Wen followed up very quickly, constantly adjusting in small steps, following the flight path of the tennis ball, always looking for a suitable hitting position, and then showing the advantage of being tall and big, his body was completely stretched out, like a ball. A long bow.
Elegant, well-proportioned, coordinated and full of power.
Nadal immediately moved his steps, slightly to the left, and then slightly to the left. He was consciously protecting his forehand position.
Because the left court is open, and because Gao Wen continuously suppressed his forehand in this game and created many opportunities.
Then--
coming.
Kick on the ground, gallop, sprint.
Nadal had already rushed out and turned into a stream of light. Gawain chose a straight line of high pressure, a difficult downward pressure, but once again aimed at Nadal's forehand to attack. It can be seen from the distribution of landing points that Gawain With boldness and courage, he perfectly executed the tactics formulated in his mind.
Forehand, high pressure, heavy hammer.
Nadal's judgment is correct, but this does not mean that the crisis has been resolved.
Nadal's speed has been pushed to the extreme, and he can even feel the burning of his blood emotionally. He stepped forward and rushed out with a sliding step.
This time, no reservations.
The body, arms, and thighs have all been extended to the extreme during the surfing slide. Just as the tennis ball is about to break through its position and rush out, the upper body moves forward incredibly by a small half step.
near.
near.
Get closer.
The body is burning, the brain is burning, but the attention is still completely focused, and all the weight of the soul is concentrated on the tennis ball.
...got it!
At this time, the body has no way to exert force, and it relies entirely on the lifting of the arms and wrists, rapid whip whipping, and explosive strikes.
"ah!"
Dantian exploded.
The tennis ball turned into a flat and long light and shadow. Nadal's iconic Jedi counterattack once again unsheathed his sword. Although his body was nearly parallel to the ground, his return was sharp and powerful, drawing a perfect arc. It was obviously already Even though he was exhausted, he still followed the inertia and instantly burst out with surging power.
Write defense, read offense -
"Nacional defense" once again shines through Philippe Chartier, just like hundreds of times in the past ten years, the sharp knife points directly to the opponent's heart.
