Push off the ground and take a step.
Go forward and attack.
Without any warning and very suddenly, Gawain's footsteps had already reached the baseline. Facing Nadal's forehand diagonal return, it was obvious that Gawain had been prepared early. The connection to the net was very smooth and light. In just three steps, he had entered the midfield area.
Not only did he not avoid it, but he took the initiative to face it.
Finally got the chance.
When Nadal is in good form, his opponents are often pressed to the baseline with no breathing space, because his forehand deep shots are very impactful and oppressive, making it difficult for opponents to defend.
Naturally, when Nadal occasionally hits the ball in the shallow area, his opponents dare not rush to the net. On the one hand, they need to worry that Nadal will hit the ball in the deep area with his forehand in the next shot, which can easily "overturn" the opponent; on the other hand, they need to worry that Nadal will set a trap to lure the opponent to the net to attack, and then Nadal will break the net.
Federer has suffered such a loss more than once.
but.
When Nadal is in poor form, his forehand deep shots are not suppressive and impactful enough, so he cannot "press" his opponent; he tends to use super topspin in the shallow area to control the line layout. After all, most players now stick to the baseline and rarely take the initiative to go to the net, so he can still buy more time and space for himself.
Gao Wen is no exception.
Although Sampras has been cultivating Gao Wen's net awareness since the off-season last year, some habits, skills and tactics still need more time to adapt and adjust. What's more, clay courts are not the best place to go to the net, and changes in tactical routines cannot be achieved overnight.
However, after the match in Madrid, as well as the first and second sets of today's match, Gao Wen has been interpreting and analyzing the match. He has also noticed that Nadal's forehand hitting habits this season clearly lack confidence, at least compared with last year's Beijing time and this year's Melbourne time, the proportion of shallow-area landing points has increased.
Originally, Gao Wen thought that this was just a detailed adjustment of Nadal's clay court tactics, a rearrangement of the landing points and lines, 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 chances of winning in his adventures.
Just like now——
Use both hands to hit the backhand and lead the racket early.
Following the trend of the body rushing forward, speed, strength, and weight are all added together, and the timing of stepping forward and the determination to start are all just right.
Step.
rush.
With an active move, Gao Wen used his two-handed backhand to meet the rotation of the tennis ball. At this time, it can be clearly seen that the rotation of the tennis ball is completely released after it hits the ground and bounces back. It spins faster and higher, and the entire rotation speed and power reach the peak in an instant. The feeling of squeezing and impact comes to the face.
Swing the racket.
extrusion.
Step forward.
With the help of the inertia of the running start and the weight of his body, Gao Wen grabbed a rising point.
Without waiting for the rotation to release further or slow down and relax, it hits head-on at the highest point.
Ah! Instantly, the power is released, following the direction of the tennis ball's rotation, the power presses down, the body rushes forward, and at the same time, the wrist flicks outward flexibly and lightly.
Move forward and push.
--boom!
It can be clearly seen that Gao Wen did not choose to use the opponent's force to counter the opponent's force, but instead took the initiative to exert force himself, forming a comprehensive force suppression and forcibly completing the change of line.
Bang.
With a crisp sound of hitting the ball, the tennis ball flew out.
straight line.
Blind spot.
Land and score.
"ah!"
Gawain continued to rush forward as he released his strength, then he jumped high into the air, clenching his right hand into a fist and raising it high.
“Ah! Ahhhhh!”
The morale is high and the blood is boiling.
Fight, fight, and fight again.
Fight until the last drop of blood and energy is consumed.
"ah!"
The fourth break point and set point, he made another strong comeback.
From the moment he served, Gao Wen had complete control over the situation on the court, taking the initiative to attack, exert pressure, and attack.
Finally, Nadal's footsteps were pinned to the forehand position, and he had no time to move.
Because he thought Gao Wen might continue to hit his forehand, he was ready to fight back.
However, Gawain did not.
In fact, Gao Wen anticipated this possibility. Maybe Nadal's forehand is not in the best condition now, but don't forget that Nadal was famous for his Jedi counterattack when he was young. The more passive, the more difficult, and the more extreme the situation is, the more Nadal can play magical balls.
Especially on the forehand.
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When Nadal is pushed to the extreme and relies entirely on instinct and experience, he can often show his talent and potential.
So, Gawain took the lead in changing——
He suppressed the forehand for two consecutive shots and finally scored the winning point by breaking through with the backhand.
He succeeded.
This is the fourth time that Gao Wen has faced Nadal in his career. The experience of the previous three times can be summarized into a core key: backhand, backhand, backhand.
It is precisely because Nadal's forehand is unparalleled 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 due to the matchup of "Nadal's forehand VS opponent's backhand".
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. He relied on his backhand to withstand the attack and then sought a breakthrough from Nadal's backhand.
The tactics worked. The two sides were in a stalemate, but they were unable to widen the gap. The outcome was still unclear, but Nadal relied on his experience on clay and his understanding of the Philippe Chatrier Court to gain a slight advantage.
Now at the end of the second set, Gao Wen felt that his tactics needed to be slightly adjusted. 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 forehand's ability to hold on is still the key for Nadal to hold on to this game; but Gawain believes that Nadal's forehand is not stable and strong enough, which may be a breakthrough for him to break Nadal's belief in victory.
He needs to trust his own judgement and his backhand.
"ah!"
Roaring and venting were not only to celebrate saving the fourth count, but also to cheer myself up and believe that my strategy was correct.
The whole audience was boiling.
Across the court, Nadal looked a little disappointed and shook his head slightly.
It was obvious at first glance that he was not satisfied with the quality of his forehand. Obviously, compared to Gawain, he knew his condition better than anyone else and knew how he should adjust to such a change.
The game between the two players is still going on——
At least, the outcome of this round has not been decided yet.
"40:40".
This round had lasted for a full eight minutes and was about to break nine minutes, but it was still tied. The next point was still the crucial point.
Nadal remained calm and focused. After a brief disappointment, he adjusted himself and continued to focus on the next point.
Gao Wen also quickly regained his composure, cooled his overheated brain, and began to plan for the next point.
The crisis has not been resolved.