Chapter 545: Take the initiative
“15:40”.
In Mayer's serve, Gao Wen got two consecutive break points, but this is not the point, because Gao Wen also broke Mayer's serve twice in the first set; the point should be:
In the nine points since the start of the second set, the scoring ratio of both sides was "7:2". Mayer only got two points, and the other seven points all belonged to Gao Wen, and most of them were winning points.
This means that unforced errors are effectively controlled and the offensive success rate is greatly improved.
This is a good thing.
So, what happened during the short 120-second break between sets? Actually, it’s not a secret.
Simply put, Gao Wen reduces his own hitting risks. For example, when attacking diagonally, when he feels good, he will directly aim at the sideline or dead corner to hit the ball. In this way, he can establish an advantage faster; but now, more space will be reserved for the landing point of the ball, often one step outside the baseline and sideline.
At the same time, Gao Wen improved the sudden changes in his batting line arrangement and combination and the connection changes in offensive rhythm. Through layout and changes, he disrupted Mayer's return inertia, and then created a situation for himself to score easily without taking risks, reducing mistakes while taking the initiative.
Of course, the price is that it takes time and brainpower -
To put it more directly, at the US Open, a round could be ended within three or five shots; but now, Gao Wen needs seven or nine shots to create a winning point.
The overall physical and mental exhaustion is obvious.
But this is the point. On the one hand, Gao Wen really needs time to find his touch, so he needs to remain patient and adjust his condition little by little. On the other hand, Gao Wen’s current game condition is not very good, and his physical strength fluctuates obviously. Using competition as training is the best way now.
Patience, patience, and more patience. The more impatient you are, the more patience you need.
At least, judging from the start of the second set, the effect was good.
Break point! Snap. Snap. Snap.
Mayer was dribbling the ball. He looked up at Gao Wen and then threw the ball.
Mayer's serving action has a very full arc of bending backward, just like a fully drawn bow and arrow, but compared with the completeness of the entire serving action, the power conversion rate is relatively low. The speed of the serve is only about 185 kilometers per hour, and the tail force of the ball is not heavy.
Area 1, outer corner.
Just like Gao Wen's game point in the previous game, Mayer also chose the outside corner on his first break point to suppress Gao Wen's forehand.
Obviously, after the brilliant performance at the US Open, Gao Wen's technical characteristics have now been fully demonstrated to everyone, and the tactical combinations have become simpler. Suppressing Gao Wen's forehand was a tactic that Mayer frequently used in the first set of the game, and the effect was good.
So, how does Gawain respond? Push off the ground. Step forward. Lunge.
Gawain rushed out with a lunge, and it looked as if he was exhausted and couldn't keep up with his pace, and he moved his feet lazily.
Because his footwork was not in place, the hitting action could not be completed completely. Gao Wen had no way to complete the regular swing, so his forehand slashed down like a machete, completing the serve in an unconventional way, and then you could see the tennis ball drawing a parabola.
Whoosh! The arc was not high, but the landing point was not deep either, and most importantly, there was no force, which also meant that Mayer got the chance to serve and attack.
Huh! There was a sound of people gasping for air in the Diamond Stadium. Even laymen knew that it was not easy to hit a high ball, just like in table tennis and badminton. How could Gao Wen make such a mistake when receiving the serve?
Could it be that he was really too exhausted and his steps were lazy? Or was it that his steps were not getting enough strength to push off the ground?
On the court, things change rapidly.
Meyer was preparing to receive Gawain's return, but he immediately realized that Gawain did not use his strength to receive the serve this time. He rushed forward with a push of his feet and immediately entered the court, ready to complete the midfield attack.
Tap tap tap.
Tap tap tap.
Mayer's awareness of stepping forward is weak, and the speed of the entire offensive connection is not fast, but he still enters the court as soon as possible within his ability. By the time his feet arrive, he has missed the opportunity to hit the ball directly in the air, and can only wait for the tennis ball to land before making a second hit.
Then, Mayer realized that this was a strong topspin, and the bounce after landing must be very high. If he missed the hitting point, he might have to hit the ball above the shoulder in a very awkward way, which would not only fail to exert force, but also lead to mistakes.
This is a trap.
Mayer had to grab a hitting point. Although this was not his strong point, he continued to adjust his small steps, looking for a comfortable hitting space, patiently waiting for the tennis ball to hit the ground and bounce back, and then swung the racket for his forehand.
The details are here.
Mayer's entire racket swing action is relatively large, and it is indeed not his strong point to hit the ball. If he hits the ball a little faster, it will easily fly away, so he would rather hit it slower and use his racket swing action to forcefully hit the tennis ball. This is also a safer approach, and all clay court players do the same.
The "King of Clay" Nadal did the same when he first started out. It was not until he gradually evolved after 2011 that he got rid of this habit. Later, he would not hit the ball in this way on hard courts. If necessary, he was very good at grabbing the hitting point and could even change the way he gripped the racket to increase his success rate and attack power.
Bang! Mayer's ball was already flying over, but then Mayer found that Gao Wen was waiting on his batting line.
What's going on?
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A second ago, Gao Wen lunged and cut.
The next second, Gao Wen straightened his right knee and stood up. He pushed his body towards his backhand to defend.
But these were just smokescreens, because Gawain knew that Mayer's offensive connection ability was not tight enough, and Mayer's forehand attack was often accustomed to hitting diagonal lines, but his backhand, as a weak link, often changed the line and landing point to complete the cover, so Gawain deliberately increased a lot of topspin friction to create a very awkward return for Mayer's attack.
If the opponent was Wawrinka or Kyrgios, such a shot would basically result in a direct defeat, as Gawain would never receive the serve like that; but the opponent was Mayer, and after the first set, Gawain dared to try such a wild and unexpected return.
Tap tap.
Sudden stop and turn.
Tap tap.
Even the lateral movement on the left was a trap, further convincing Mayer to attack diagonally, but the center of gravity remained flexible, and he changed direction without hesitation, facing Mayer's ball head-on.
Stand firm! Push off the ground! Swing!
At the moment of shooting, he gently pushed his wrist forward. There was no need to pursue the extreme angle and line, because Mayer, who was standing in the half court, was already in a dilemma at this time, so Gao Wen only needed to hit the tennis ball in a relatively safe and conservative straight line.
Attack!
Boom! The tennis ball flew out and passed through Mayer's position. Before his brain had time to think, the referee's voice announcing the score was heard.
"Competition, high."
Breakthrough successful!
(End of this chapter)