Chapter 393 Getting Better

Andre Agassi is a typical baseline player. His playing style is also very special. He is a tempo player:

not only does he grab the rising point, but also the connection point between offense and offense. His forehand and backhand shots have a very small arc. He relies on the force of the opponent to increase the tempo of the round. Whether it is changing the line or attacking, he can put the opponent into a suffocating rut.

Watching Agassi's game, the whole rhythm and rounds are very brisk and clean. On the surface, you can't detect too many strong forceful movements, but just like table tennis, the outcome is decided in just a few rounds.

It is also because of this that Agassi has a unique understanding of rhythm control.

"In the first set, Gao kept adjusting his rhythm, trying to disrupt and suppress Wawrinka's attack with different shots, but he obviously lacked enough game experience and needed time to adapt to Wawrinka's attack. Therefore, many of his returns were not well controlled, and even a little outrageous. The quality of his shots was not good enough, and Wawrinka scored directly."

This is also the reason why Gao Wen lost two service games in the first set: on the one hand, it was indeed because he was not used to it; on the other hand, it was because of Gao Wen’s own continuous attempts.

Facing the third seed, Gao Wen did not intend to be conservative and "just show his strength". Instead, he took the initiative boldly and tried to disrupt the game and launch an effective attack.

"In fact, it can be seen that Gao Wen was not affected by the score. He was constantly learning and adjusting. On the contrary, Wawrinka's game was too simple. At the end of the set, Wawrinka could clearly feel the impact. You can see that he faced more challenges in serving to win the set."

After leading by a wide margin of 5:1, Wawrinka served for the set. Gao Wen, who slowly found his rhythm, launched a fierce attack, and the score was deadlocked for the first time. In the end, Wawrinka missed three set points and saved two break points, and then won the fourth set point with a backhand winner.

But it can be seen here that the confrontation has already formed.

"Don't look at the huge score difference in the first set. I think the second set may be very close."

"Gawain still needs some time to find a way to limit Wawrinka's attack, but Wawrinka should have planned the allocation of his energy in advance, otherwise Gawain would not easily miss the opportunity as long as he sees it."

Very rarely, Agassi kindly explained the entire context of the game to Jiang Yanyun. Obviously, a tennis match requires looking at the overall situation, rather than simply looking at the outcome of a single set.

Jiang Yanyun's tension eased a little, but his wildly beating heart would probably not calm down in a short time.

Agassi smiled and said, "We just need to wait and see. If you don't believe me, look at Pete. He is so calm."

Turning his head, Sampras was about to pick his nose, but when he noticed his gaze, he froze in his place. This...

Roar, roar, roar! Ahhhh! Aaaaaa! The cheers that slowly emerged from Louis Armstrong Stadium relieved Sampras's embarrassment, and their attention turned to the stadium.

The second set of the game began.

"Come on, Gawain!"

"Fight to the end, Gawain!"

"Gawain, show some fighting spirit!"

Audiences could be heard shouting passionately to Gawain. Some were genuine fans, while others were neutral fans who simply wanted the game to be more exciting and the competition to be more intense. But the same thing was that they were all cheering for Gawain at this moment, and the five-star red flag could be seen waving above the stadium.

Far away on the other side of the Pacific Ocean in China, it is dawn when the sun is rising, but there are still a large number of fans waiting in front of their TVs and computers to watch the live broadcast. The hustle and bustle can be seen in the barrage.

"There are obviously more five-star red flags at the scene today."

"Ah, I also want to wave the five-star red flag on the spot."

"Gawain, charge!"

"Don't worry, Gawain won't give up the game that easily."

"We are familiar with the routine, so losing a plate is really nothing for us."

"I'm so nervous now that I'm suffocating."

"Gao Wen, show your true strength and let everyone see your true strength."

"Don't underestimate Wawrinka, okay? This is a player who can beat the Big Four."

"Here it comes, here comes the second set."

Outside the stadium, the audience was already boiling with excitement, eagerly looking forward to witnessing more exciting matches in the second set, from the live audience at Louis Armstrong Stadium to the audience watching the live broadcast in front of the screen, no one was exception.

On the field, the game entered a fierce stalemate as expected.

In the second set, Gao Wen served first.

Just as Agassi said, Gawain had been trying and adjusting all the time, even in the second set, but the difference was that he gradually adapted to Wawrinka's offensive rhythm and Gawain gradually turned the situation around.

Compared with Kyrgios, Wawrinka plays very "honestly", that is, he has fewer tricks and tactical changes. His entire strokes and tactics are particularly solid. It is precisely because of this that a one-handed backhand attack that breaks the rhythm can often create a more sudden impact.

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

It seems that there is no pattern on the surface, but in fact there are hidden patterns. When Gao Wen gradually figured out Wawrinka's offensive routine, his return ball became more purposeful and tactical, and then the confrontation between the two sides slowly returned to the same level.

The game score went from "1:1" to "5:5" and no one was able to break the serve.

Wawrinka was a little more experienced and had twelve break points, but in this set, Gawain performed bravely on the break points and saved all of them.

Gao Wen was still improving and got five break points, but unfortunately he was unable to break the serve.

Then, the game entered the final stage.

In the eleventh game, Wawrinka got another break point. Gao Wen saved the break point with a forehand winner in a 27-shot round, completing the most exciting round of the game. He won a crucial point in the second set with an unparalleled performance, and then scored directly through a serve and a forehand attack from Wawrinka went into the net, thus saving his serve again.

"6:5".

The fans at Louis Armstrong Stadium were instantly excited. This was the match they were looking forward to seeing. This was the match they enjoyed. As the second set was heading towards a tiebreak, the commentators also became excited.

"In this US Open, Gao Wen played a total of five tie-breaks, winning four and losing one so far, including three tie-breaks against Isner. His courage at critical moments shows the temperament of this young player."

Wawrinka also experienced four tie-breaks in the first two rounds, winning three and losing one. A 75% winning rate is already very rare for a sudden-death tie-break. So if Wawrinka and Gawain enter a tie-break, who will have the last laugh?

However, Gao Wen, the "tie-break king" of this year's US Open, seemed to have no interest in entering a tie-break again. In the twelfth game, he launched a fierce attack.

(End of this chapter)