Chapter 1004: Facing the Impact
Gawain and Cilic have never formally met, neither on nor off the court, but the two players struggled in their own space, and they had many "intersections in the air" invisibly.
Last year, Flushing.
Coric passed three rounds of qualifying and entered the main draw, participating in the Grand Slam main draw for the first time in his career - just like Gao Wen. He also defeated a seeded player, No. 29 seed Lucas Rosol, in the first round and advanced to the second round, becoming another shining star in the US Open.
Again, New York.
Nike is not only targeting Gao Wen, but also has many small actions in private: for example, signing Cilic.
Unfortunately, Cilic was eliminated in the second round, ending his first Grand Slam main draw. Then, the dark horse that shocked the world happened. Nike also had a score to settle, so they still signed a contract with Cilic, but the content of the contract was completely different.
Although no one has ever linked Cilic and Gawain together, they are of similar age and have similar experiences. From the US Open to Nike to the Rookie of the Year award, the two players rose to prominence at a similar time but took different paths, drowning in the overwhelming news. Only they themselves know what they are thinking.
Until——
"Gawain vs. Coric" is coming.
The media were immediately excited.
Only two months have passed since the Rookie of the Year award was given, and those scenes and memories are still vivid in my mind. Who could have thought that the story would change again in the blink of an eye: Coric set a new personal Grand Slam best at the Australian Open, while Gao Wen went a step further and made history.
The gap has not only not narrowed, but has continued to widen.
Then, the two young players will face each other for the first time in their careers.
What sparks can this storm of youth create?
Before the young players born after 1990 had the chance to seize power, the younger "post-95" generation has already entered people's vision.
Interesting, indeed interesting! In the press conference after Coric defeated Baghdatis to advance to the third round, reporters couldn't wait to start fanning the flames, and Morgan was the first to bear the brunt.
How could the young and energetic Coric recognize those traps? He rubbed his hands and expressed his anticipation.
"I'm ready for this."
"What preparations?"
"I am ready to defeat Gawain."
Upright and full of confidence.
Young people are always full of enthusiasm. Regardless of the context of this sentence, one can indeed feel that Cilic is ready to go.
From the US Open to the Australian Open, although Gawain created another miracle, the number of young people eager to challenge Gawain, eager to defeat Gawain, and eager to become famous by stepping on Gawain has increased instead of decreased. When they see Gawain, they are like wolves seeing prey.
Eyes glowing.
Coric, the 18-year-old young player, is ready.
Boom! Originally, the match between Cilic and Gawain was not a focus match, but the media deliberately exaggerated it and the popularity of the match was quickly hyped up.
Morgan even used the tag "Duel between potential new generation kings" to heat up the game, and thousands of eyes were focused on it.
Opening.
Cilic immediately showed the courage of a newborn calf who is not afraid of a tiger. He chose to serve first and won four points in a row in his first service game, giving a "love-game". Every time he won a point, he clenched his fist and cheered at Gawain, jumping continuously like a little flea to stir up his emotions.
He proved his courage and determination through practical actions. He came for victory.
The vigorous vitality is overwhelming.
However, Gawain was not moved at all.
Immediately afterwards, Gao Wen also delivered a "love-game" and easily held his serve.
Moreover, compared with Cilic's excitement, Gawain seemed much calmer. He neither celebrated nor roared. He responded positively in a nonchalant manner and quickly regained his footing.
Sometimes, roaring and exploding is a way to boost morale.
Sometimes, practical actions are more effective than emotional catharsis.
Obviously, Gawain has gradually matured and is well versed in this. After a simple test, he directly launched an attack -
In Cilic's second service game, Gao Wen took the lead.
Cilic is not a cannon-type player. The average speed of his serve is not fast. The first serve is around 180 kilometers per hour, and the second serve drops to around 155 kilometers per hour.
The overall serving strength of this new generation of young players should have fallen to the lower middle position. After all, the young players are tall and strong. Even if they are not heavy artillery, the quality of their serves is better than another, and it has gradually become a basic configuration.
However, a slow ball speed does not mean that it is easy to bully.
Cilic has a wide variety of serving tactics. He is smarter than Kei Nishikori and increases the threat of his serve by controlling the landing point and rotation.
Simply put, Cilic's serve landing point selection is very accurate, and it often lands in the corners, and the line combination is always changing, trying to avoid being discovered by the opponent's serve tactics and seize the initiative. Therefore, Cilic's serve success rate is higher than Kei Nishikori.
Does this description sound familiar?
Gao Wen often used this tactic when he was in the NCAA. When he lacked strength, he would control the ball through the landing point and then start to maneuver.
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Judging from the score, Cilic was indeed full of fighting spirit. In his second service game -
"0:15", and then "15:15".
"15:30", followed by "30:30".
Gao Wen took the lead to open the situation and scored points, but immediately afterwards, Cilic adjusted his serve to restrict Gao Wen and then attacked to score points.
After going back and forth, the scores remain entangled.
The match had only entered the third game, and Gao Wen still lacked understanding of Cilic's serving routine, and his prediction was not accurate, so he was unable to fully control the situation in the serving and receiving stages.
However, if Coric thinks that Gao Wen is only at this level, he is too young and naive.
Area 1.
First serve, inside corner, the serve speed was only 170 kilometers per hour, but Cilic wanted a very tricky landing point, almost hitting the T point.
Moreover, after landing, it bounced high with a strong topspin.
Obviously, this should be a serve designed by Cilic based on Gao Wen's technical characteristics: the inner corner of the first zone, suppressing the backhand.
At the same time, he deliberately pulled up the topspin so that Gao Wen could not find the hitting point in a comfortable position, and he could not launch the backhand attack.
This, coupled with the fact that Gawain has no habit of sideways forehand shots, further ensures that Gawain is forced to attempt shots in awkward positions with his backhand.
Naturally, Cilic can buy time for his next offensive connection.
So, how did Gao Wen choose to deal with it? He took small steps to adjust and completed the backhand swing early. Not only did he not rush to hit the ball, but he also adjusted his steps slightly and retreated a little.
Because the landing point of the serve is a bit shallow, after it bounces off the ground, it reaches the highest point and then begins to fall. This also means that Gao Wen can find a better hitting point by pulling back the distance.
The key point is that when the tennis ball starts to fall, the gravitational acceleration of gravity is a variable. If you are not careful, you may miss the hitting point. This is also the most difficult part of landing with high pressure.
Amidst all the attention, Gawain’s handling was very light and very...special.
Gao Wen did not hit the ball directly, but used both hands to gently pull and roll the ball, and then lifted the tennis ball high up.
Is this... a lob?
(End of this chapter)