For Tiafoe, this game was indeed very, very difficult.

First, lack of experience.

Although Tiafoe was in a positive mood and not nervous at all, but took to the field with the mood of enjoying the game, some shortcomings objectively existed.

This is only Tiafoe's second ATP-level tournament, and he started off on a Grand Slam stage. This means that the size of the entire stadium, the size of the audience, the atmosphere of the game, etc. are all different. These factors have an objective impact on the hitting effect and the game state.

Tiafoe is not a player who is meticulous and good at thinking. When the size of the field changes, the entire three-dimensional space changes accordingly, and the hitting technique, effect, position, etc. also need to be adjusted accordingly, but obviously, Tiafoe did not realize this.

As a result, the same shot, the same tactics, the effect deviated from what Tiafoe imagined, which led to many unnecessary mistakes.

Moreover, Tiafoe is facing the second seed, Gao Wen, who is currently undefeated in Grand Slam tournaments throughout his career, so the gap in experience is even more obvious.

Don't forget that Tiafoe is only seventeen years old, just a child.

In a way, this is the same as Gao Wen at the US Open last year.

It was the first Grand Slam in my career, and I faced a master like Isner right at the start. It was difficult in every aspect.

Now, Tiafoe plays the position of Gawain, and Gawain plays the position of Isner. The layers of pressure limit Tiafoe's performance.

Second, there are venue limitations.

Tiafoe is a player who comes from a typical North American hard court training system. Although he has some unconventional methods, which makes some of his technical movements not so standard; his entire technical and tactical style is that of a thorough hard court player. As for clay, even his training time is limited, let alone competitions.

Before coming to Roland Garros, Tiafoe played in three Challenger tournaments and the Nice tournament, all of which were on clay, to help him adapt to the venue.

But obviously, Tiafoe's adaptation was not good. Standing on the Suzanne Lenglen Stadium was like standing in a quagmire and he could hardly move.

It is also the first clay court season in his professional career, and he also needs four tournaments to adapt to the clay court. It can be seen at this time that Gao Wen is obviously superior in skills.

Tiafoe: It’s really hard for me.

Objectively speaking, the first two games were not good to watch.

Tiafoe was blocked on both offense and defense. Firstly, his offensive power was greatly reduced on the clay court; secondly, his defense lacked the means to drag the game.

The entire game progressed very quickly, and Tiafoe made too many mistakes, which resulted in the game being incoherent. The fragmented confrontation was far from exciting.

It wasn't until the third set that Tiafoe finally adapted a little and showed his natural ability.

For the first time since the start of the game, he held his serve for two consecutive games, and the score was finally broken to one in a single set.

As a tennis player, Tiafoe is indeed extremely talented.

In addition to the physical talents such as strength, muscle, flexibility, mobility, etc. that everyone can see, his batting feel is also excellent.

This is reflected in the following aspects: firstly, Tiafoe's shots at the net are particularly soft and flexible, and he can often hit incredible shots; secondly, Tiafoe's shot selection is often imaginative, and he often chooses some unexpected routes and landing points, and he can still succeed.

Later, some people said that players such as Tiafoe, Monfils, Kyrgios and Bublik may have always been controversial and may not be loved by everyone, but it must be admitted that their tennis is imaginative, which is undoubtedly special.

Just like this point——

Gawain had taken the absolute initiative, and Tiafoe was forced to come to the net to intercept, but the racket face was not controlled well, so that the arc of the return ball was pulled, giving Gawain a half-court chance. Gawain chose to break the net in a straight line with his forehand and completed the shot with great force.

Bang!

The tennis ball hit Tiafoe hard, and he flew into the air. His two-handed backhand was forced to turn into a one-handed backhand. He barely blocked the ball, and with no power, he just relied on the twist and push of his wrist to push the tennis ball back unbelievably.

and!

The tennis ball made a miraculous curve. Gao Wenming had already stepped forward to intercept it, but the tennis ball turned and actually went around the racket head and hit the sideline accurately. Finally, it jumped sideways, and its strong rotation created an arc that broke the laws of physics.

Tiafoe, just hi.

While retreating, he waved his arms up and down to call for applause and cheers, his sweaty face shining with pride and ignited his high morale.

Saving the break point! This point is indeed crucial and important, and it is worth celebrating for Tiafoe.

"4:4".

"40:40".

In other words, once Tiafoe's serve is broken, Gawain will be serving to win the match, and he will not have much room to retreat.

A reference data, in the whole game today, Tiafoe has not yet got any break point, and Gawain's serve is impregnable.

At this point, it can be seen how important this game is to Tiafoe. He must keep his serve in order to continue the game's glimmer of hope.

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After the one-sided first two sets, Tiafoe finally found the youthful vigor and dominance in the third set. Regardless of whether he could defeat Gawain, at least he finally showed his style, played his own tennis, and displayed his unique skills on the Suzanne Lenglen Stadium.

Boom! Boom boom boom! The whole stadium was filled with thunder. The audience responded to Tiafoe's call with applause and cheers, and gave encouragement to the 17-year-old player.

Even Gawain is no exception.

Gawain looked at the ball's landing point, and there was a hint of surprise in his eyes. He applauded Tiafoe without hesitation.

For a shot like this, you have to admit that the opponent's flash of inspiration broke your expectations and deserves all the praise.

Tiafoe enjoyed this moment very much, and even put his hands to his ears and pretended to listen attentively, which made the cheers even louder.

Originally, everyone thought that Gawain would rush to the finish line in one go and sweep away all opponents to take the victory; but something unexpected happened at the end of the third set. Tiafoe's high morale woke up the audience who were eager to watch the exciting match from their drowsiness and released all their energy.

The score was tied, Tiafoe wasted a game point and Gawain also wasted a break point. This game lasted more than three minutes, but the score remained evenly matched.

All the noise, all the surge, all calmed down, and the spectators watched the game with relish, hoping that the excitement would continue.

Zone 1.

How will Tiafoe choose to serve? Push off the ground!

Throw the ball!

Swing!

Tiafoe's serve was simple and concise, but it also released powerful energy. The tennis ball turned into a streamline and rushed out mightily.

Outside corner, 200 km/h, Tiafoe gives it his all.