Chapter 2002: Far Ahead
In fact, no one is more aware of the subtle changes in the situation than the two players on the court.
Wawrinka has realized that relying solely on this seemingly strong and sturdy shot can only suppress Gawain at best, and is not enough to score.
The advantage built up by excellent serve is actually almost gone.
then.
After the right leg touched the ground to brake, it continued to exert force, stopping and turning suddenly, as if stepping on a spring. The second start pushed the body out.
Return to defense and return to position.
At this time, the impact of "gear misalignment" began to show up little by little. The connection between Wawrinka's offense and defense seemed discontinuous due to the violent shaking of the center of gravity. The starting speed was slightly slower, a millimeter difference that could not be detected by the naked eye, a millimeter difference that could not be closed in time even after blinking.
That's the difference of a millimeter.
Wawrinka caught Gawain's shot and had a bad feeling.
Oops!
So far in today's match, Gao Wen's main offensive strategy is still focused on Wawrinka's forehand, especially the tactic of suppressing the backhand and hitting the forehand.
This is especially true in this game.
Therefore, Wawrinka subconsciously focused on protecting his forehand. He clearly did not hold back on his forehand shot just now, and attacked with all his strength in an attempt to show his strength in the forehand confrontation and give a direct counterattack, which was also a strategy to suppress Gawain's attack.
However! This time, Gawain's footsteps were on the forehand position and did not leave at all. It seemed that he had already anticipated that Wawrinka would not choose the forehand straight line, which won him a millimeter difference in his conditioned reflex reaction.
A "millimetre difference" here, a "millimetre difference" there, one plus one minus, in an ever-changing game, is enough to overturn the situation.
Gao Wen took advantage of this short gap in time, took a small step forward, seized the rising point, and attacked with his forehand. The whole swing was clean and neat.
straight line.
Heavy hammer.
Not only fast, but also heavy.
The previous shot was a super topspin, and this shot is a flat hammer shot.
The change of rhythm and the change of line, everything is just right——
Turn defense into offense!
The tennis ball turned into a ray of light and flew straight along a straight line.
The long sword is unsheathed, as graceful as a startled wild goose.
Huh.
The O2 Arena was in complete silence.
You can see Wawrinka running wildly, at lightning speed, across the court, leaving a long shadow behind him, pushing his speed to the extreme.
Tap, tap, tap.
Wawrinka was speeding up, sprinting and running, but, it was just a little bit short, just a little bit short.
It is just a brief moment when the gears are misaligned.
Although Wawrinka's footwork was just right, his one-handed backhand was no match for the power of Gao Wen's forehand straight line. He tried to block it but failed.
Anti-aircraft gun.
The tennis ball flew straight into the sky, flew high up, and then fell vertically.
Wawrinka looked up at the sky with some depression, threw the racket up, as if he was going to control the racket with his mind to complete the second shot, then took a step forward, caught the racket smoothly, drooped his shoulders, shook his head slightly with some helplessness, and a smile rose at the corner of his mouth.
——Break point, converted.
From holding three consecutive game points at "40:0" to losing five points in a row and being broken, the whole thing happened too quickly, and all the battles were resolved within five shots. The offensive and defensive transitions were concentrated on the competition and control of the first three shots. Gao Wen once again demonstrated his superior ability to control the game.
Especially this point on the break point.
Wawrinka admitted that he was tricked. He had never expected that he would suddenly have to use his forehand and backhand. Moreover, he had complete control of the offensive initiative, but Gawain turned the situation around without a sound. This feeling was not good, very, very bad.
Wawrinka knows that his form was mediocre in the final stage of the season. Even though Paris has shown some improvement, his overall condition is still average. It will be even more difficult to face Gawain in the first game of the year-end finals. He is also adjusting his mentality, playing and watching to see if he can find a better condition through actual combat.
but--
That’s it?
Wawrinka was also a little amused.
“3:0”.
At the beginning of the game, Gao Wen broke the opponent's serve twice and won three games in a row, instantly widening the score gap so much that the audience was a little overwhelmed.
Yesterday, both matches of Stan Smith's team were swept, and the battles ended in about an hour. Today, the audience has higher expectations for the match of Ilie Nastase's team, but now from the opening situation, there is a sense of foreboding.
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No...way...right...? "Judging from the score, the gap widened quickly at the start, which was obviously not expected before the game."
"But judging from the progress, the situation was actually quite tense. The real point was that Gawain was well prepared for the match, executed the tactics well, and took the initiative firmly. On the contrary, Wawrinka was a little hesitant, and did not have a clear idea for all his shot choices, relying only on hard power to fight."
“That’s part of the charm of the year-end finals.”
"There is no time to warm up slowly. Right from the start, we faced strong opponents at the level of Grand Slam quarterfinals and semifinals, which posed a new challenge to the players' ability to adjust."
"Next, it depends on how Wawrinka responds."
"In fact, in the first set, Gao Wen led by two breaks, but this was just the beginning. Maybe it was a good thing for Wawrinka. He could let go of his burden and make adjustments as soon as possible. There was still enough time for the game."
Strictly speaking, this scene cannot be said to be completely unprepared.
Since successfully defending the US Open title, Gao Wen has only lost one game in the past three months, losing to Djokovic in the final of the Imperial Capital. Gao Wen is currently on a 14-game winning streak, including two victories each against Djokovic and Murray, and his touch is hot.
Confidence, state, temperament, complete transformation.
In sharp contrast was Wawrinka's fluctuations and ups and downs, so it was not surprising that Gawain quickly got into the game and widened the gap in the opening stage.
As Zhan Jun said, this is only the first game of the year-end finals. Everything is possible next. It depends on how Wawrinka adjusts later.
For top players, losing a game or a set is not a disaster. The key is to make subsequent adjustments and get back on track quickly. The Big Four have all experienced losing a game by a large score of "6:0" or "6:1" and then getting back on track to win. This is not uncommon.
The same goes for Wawrinka, the two-time Grand Slam champion did not come out of thin air.
Although Gao Wen's performance was still strong and stable, and he successfully held his serve and brought the score advantage to "4:0", Wawrinka did not panic.
He gained a firm foothold and seized the second game point in the fifth game. He held serve for the first time in the entire match, “4:1”, breaking the bagel and stabilizing the situation slightly.
However, Gao Wen remained unmoved and played steadily without encountering any break points. He won the first set point with the winning point.
“6:2”.
The first set progressed very quickly, and the winner was decided in just 25 minutes, which was obviously not what the audience wanted to see.
However, this is also not what Wawrinka wants to see. He is also working hard and fighting.
In the second set, it was Wawrinka who broke the serve first.
(End of this chapter)