Chapter 420: Reduce force and increase force
Slow.
On the break point, Kei Nishikori's first serve was obviously slower. Was this a tactical slowdown?
Gao Wen himself often deliberately slows down at critical moments, but the premise of tactical deceleration is that his serve has always been able to maintain a certain speed, and then suddenly slows down and reduces power, thereby disrupting the opponent's habitual serve and receiving rhythm.
However, if the first serve speed is always slow like Kei Nishikori, the tactical significance of slowing down is not high. It should be more to ensure the success rate of the first serve and create psychological pressure, at least to force the opponent not to be as reckless as in grabbing the second serve.
In fact, this was also Kei Nishikori's plan for Gao Wen.
Push off the ground!
Step forward!
Gao Wen was indeed calculated. He predicted the outside corner and took a step forward, but the action that usually bought him a beat of time now became too early because of the slower ball speed. The whole batting rhythm was not so perfect and harmonious.
However, Gao Wen completed the adjustment in a flash. Although he missed the time to receive the serve, he was still able to take the initiative to attack with such a slow serve.
Gao Wen completed the two-handed backhand swing steadily.
Bang! At this point, we can see Gao Wen's tricks. Since he can't use his strength to grab a serve, he simply changes his hitting routine:
Gao Wen did not use his full strength, but simply hit the ball lightly, with the racket flicking upward and outward. He actually drew a small diagonal line when receiving the serve, and the tennis ball returned to Kei Nishikori's left serving area and rushed out like a naughty elf.
"Outside corner serve VS wide outside corner receive".
Kei Nishikori didn't have the angle to tear it open, but ended up being torn open by Gawain.
The effect of this light hit was exceptionally good, and a low exclamation was heard in the Arthur Ashe Stadium, but then Kei Nishikori was seen running at full speed.
Tap tap tap.
Tap tap tap.
Kei Nishikori moved sideways quickly, then stood on one foot and, with the movement of a white crane spreading its wings, hit the tennis ball, which had bounced high after landing, hard.
The action of White Crane Spreads Its Wings is, on the one hand, to grab the point, and on the other hand, to exert force. He transforms all the strength of his body and the inertia of forward rushing into the power of hitting the ball and vents it out.
Instant speed increase! Gawain was deliberately slowing down.
On the other side, Kei Nishikori immediately sped up.
The two players were still calculating, and every shot was full of invisible details. Then the tennis ball returned to Gawain's backhand along the diagonal line. Even Kei Nishikori increased the angle a little bit, and the speed increased to a higher level, rushing towards the sideline like lightning.
The steps were just a little off.
The ball is still within reach, but there is not enough space for the swing, so the wisest choice would be to slice back to Nishikori's backhand.
But this would fall into Kei Nishikori's trap, because Nishikori could immediately hit the rising point, aiming at the forehand gap, forcing Gao Wen into a passive position.
Of course, Gawain could have hit the ball like this. Anyway, Kei Nishikori's hitting power was insufficient and he would always have time to defend, just like when he played against Sacramento. But Gawain didn't want to do that. He consciously wanted to break the conventional routine and force Kei Nishikori's plan to fail.
So, what should he do? In fact, there was no time to think. Everything happened in a flash. Gao Wen had to think about the next shot while running to the right position, otherwise he might miss the shot. In particular, the quality of Kei Nishikori's counterattack was too high, just hitting the line, making people feel Kei Nishikori's fiery touch again.
Left leg, push off the ground.
Both hands, cutting.
Gao Wen still chose to cut, and chose a diagonal line, which was the wisest choice.
Kei Nishikori's eyes lit up. Gawain's return ball hit his trap. He only needed to adjust his steps slightly to complete the shot.
but!
Kei Nishikori immediately realized that the situation was not good -
Half-court ball? Gao Wen actually cut a mediocre half-court ball, not a small ball in front of the net, nor a deep ball at the baseline, but an awkward half-court ball that was neither forward nor backward.
Logically speaking, a half-court ball is equivalent to an opportunity ball, and the attack can be started immediately, but Kei Nishikori immediately noticed the hidden trick. Gawain cut a backspin ball and effectively unloaded the force, which also meant that after the tennis ball hit the ground, it had almost no force to continue to rise after rebounding, forcing the receiving party to completely lower the center of gravity to complete the shot.
Lowering the center of gravity has never been a problem for the 178cm tall Kei Nishikori.
However, Kei Nishikori found that he could not grab the rising point even if he wanted to, because the rebound height was too low, and if he exerted too much force, it might go directly into the net.
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But Kei Nishikori still handled it very easily. He entered the baseline with a few big strides and steadily hit a strong topspin backhand with both hands aimed at a large triangle at the baseline in a straight line, trying to use the speed and rotation of the tennis ball to squeeze Gawain's swing space and continue to win an advantage for himself in the next shot.
So...wait! When Kei Nishikori finished hitting the ball, he could see that Gao Wen was already there. He immediately realized that his choice to hit the straight line was completely seen through by Gao Wen. It could even be said that it was a trap set by Gao Wen to cut the ball in the middle. But when Kei Nishikori realized this, it was too late.
Speed? Rotation? The blind spot of the bottom triangle?
These had no suppressive effect on Gawain, and then we can see that Gawain did not retreat, but took the initiative to step forward and press forward.
With this move, Kei Nishikori immediately understood Gao Wen's intention, because this is the shot he is best at: stepping forward to grab the rising point!
How could he forget that although Gawain was tall, his batting style was completely different from those big guys' heavy and solid characteristics. On the contrary, it was always very light and agile.
But now it's too late to realize all this.
Push off the ground! Lead the racket! Grab the point!
From slowing down the pace to suddenly accelerating, Gao Wen changed freely. His forehand was very fast and timely. With a pulling action, he knocked the tennis ball directly back, and the muscle lines that actively exerted force were very obvious.
Boom! The tennis ball turned into a streak of light and flew across the entire court, heading back towards the wide open space of Kei Nishikori's forehand. However, Kei Nishikori's footsteps were still in an awkward position, with a long way to go to intercept and a long way to go back to the baseline to hit the ball. He could only watch the tennis ball pass by without any chance.
Or out of bounds? Obviously not. Everything was in Gawain's calculation. The winning shot was almost waiting on the spot. He only needed to swing the racket to score. How could Gawain pursue those risky shots? "Game, Gawain!"
Break, success! As always, at the most critical moment of the first set, Gao Wen keenly improved his condition and seized the opportunity, gaining the upper hand in the game of calculation and counter-calculation, and after breaking the serve again, he ushered in his own serve to win the set.
Kei Nishikori stood there, feeling somewhat annoyed that he had not been able to see through Gawain's tactical intentions in advance in his mid-field shot. With his shoulders drooped, he walked back to the baseline dejectedly, as if he had lost the whole world.
(End of this chapter)