Chapter 67: Momentum Suppression

Prediction is indeed Gao Wen's strong point, and before this game, he had already made sufficient preparations.

Compared to Gawain, Harris is already a sophomore, and as the No. 3 singles player for the Sooners this year, he will definitely play in every game, which also means that the reference materials are richer.

Harris from Australia is an atypical "Lleyton Hewitt" player. He is 183 cm tall and weighs 80 kg. He is not strong and has no outstanding explosive power, but he is very flexible and quick on his feet. The most direct difference is that Hewitt uses a two-handed backhand, but Harris uses a one-handed backhand.

The advantages of a one-handed backhand are that it is graceful, flexible, and full of changes; but the disadvantages are that it lacks power, is unstable, and you may miss the hitting point if you are not careful.

Hewitt's forehand and backhand are not explosive, and he cannot even attack effectively. He can only use the opponent's force to play against him. If he actively exerts force, he will easily make mistakes. This is also the fundamental shackle that limits Hewitt's later career. But relatively speaking, Hewitt's two-handed backhand has strong resistance to impact and can withstand the opponent's bombardment.

In this regard, Harris and Hewitt are obviously different, because the one-handed backhand's ability to withstand blows and explosive offensive capabilities are relatively weak, and his performance in both offense and defense is mediocre, which has also become Harris's obvious shortcoming.

It is also because of this that Harris often likes to limit the opponent's backhand when serving, create opportunities, and then turn sideways to hit the forehand to connect the attack for the next shot - compared to the backhand, Harris is obviously more confident in the forehand.

Moreover, the Sooners must have studied Gao Wen.

In the past two full matches, Gawain's backhand was stable, but his offense was still mainly completed through his forehand, which was basically no different from all young players with two-handed backhands. Naturally, when serving, Harris would aim at Gawain's backhand.

Observe carefully, predict in advance, and then react——

The results also proved that Gao Wen's two judgments were correct, and Harris still habitually used the backhand as a breakthrough point.

If you only watch Kovac's two complete matches this season, it is hard to believe that Kovac's backhand is stronger than his forehand, because Kovac has been insisting on forehand attack and constantly practicing the aggressiveness of his forehand. The threats from the two previous opponents were relatively small, which did give Kovac many opportunities to hone his forehand attack.

However, due to the lack of strength, it is difficult to improve the forehand, so usually the training focuses more on the backhand. Gao Wen's two-handed backhand has always been a relatively strong point. It is not only stable and durable, but also has offensive capabilities.

Watching Gao Wen's game, the backhand determines the lower limit. Even if the condition is bad, the backhand can hold the bottom line; the forehand determines the upper limit. The performance of the forehand attack can show what level the competitive state of the game is at.

Of course, Gao Wen is young now, and his condition fluctuates significantly, so the upper and lower limits are also relative.

However, there is still too little reference material about Gawain so far, and the coaching team of the Sooners has not been able to fully understand Gawain's characteristics.

At the beginning of the game, Harris's two serves were aimed at Gawain's backhand, but Gawain predicted it in advance and ran into the trap.

"0:30".

In silence, one can faintly feel the subtle changes in the atmosphere on the scene.

The game had just begun when Harris lost two points in his own serve game. More importantly, the two points did not form a stalemate and the outcome was decided within three shots. In other words, he lost points too quickly and was in trouble before he had time to react. The pressure suddenly increased exponentially.

In the final decisive battle, Gawain was under tremendous pressure, but Harris was also under tremendous pressure. For both sides, this was a game that they could not afford to lose. In this respect, both sides were the same.

Harris felt a little nervous while waiting to stand on the serving line again.

If it was Gawain who faced such a dilemma, he would deliberately use the opportunity of wiping sweat or asking for the ball to slow down the pace of the game. There is no need to rush to speed up. The main thing is to let the brain clear up again, think carefully about the tactical combination of the next serve, and then prepare to serve.

The most valuable thing about being a human in two lives is experience and wisdom, which allow Gawain to keep a clear head at critical moments.

But obviously, Harris is still too young. Once he gets into the rhythm of the game he is used to, it is difficult for him to slow down, and he has to prepare to serve again without any breathing space.

"One missed shot!"

There are two chances to serve in tennis. If the first serve goes into the net or out of bounds, you can try a second time. If the second serve also goes into the net or out of bounds, it is a "double fault" and the point is lost directly.

It is precisely because of this that the strategies for the first serve and the second serve are often completely different. The speed, power, and rotation of the first serve are all more threatening; in order to avoid mistakes, the second serve naturally adds more insurance, and its power is reduced in all aspects, and may even become a weak point for the opponent's attack.

In order to remind themselves the difference between the first serve and the second serve, most players will put a tennis ball in their pocket when serving the first serve, and use the touch of their thigh to remind themselves that it is a first serve. If the first serve goes wrong, they will just take the tennis ball out of their pocket, and when they can no longer feel the tennis ball with their thigh, they will subconsciously know that it is a second serve.

Obviously, Harris has felt the pressure of serving.

Harris had been predicted by his opponent twice in a row, and lost points. When serving again, he needed to think and calculate more. However, Harris's game rhythm did not slow down, and his brain probably did not have time to organize his thoughts. He might have hesitated a little when serving, and then -

Just made a mistake.

call……

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Harris let out a long breath and calmed himself down. In men's competitions, a first serve success rate of 70% can be considered an excellent performance. This also means that there is indeed an error rate in the first serve. There is no need to take a first serve error too seriously. He needs to focus on the second serve.

The question is, can Harris put aside his distracting thoughts at this moment? Raising his eyes slightly, Harris observed Gawain's position.

Gao Wen was still standing near the baseline ready to receive the ball, his entire stance obviously slightly pressed forward, his light leaps and tiptoes were like he was stepping on a spring, and he could feel the positive energy all over his body.

Harris was ready to toss the ball, but hesitated, tapped the ball on the ground, readjusted himself for a moment, and then prepared to serve.

Toss the ball! Push off the ground! Turn! Swing your arms! It felt like the entire toss was slightly forward, but Harris' mind was in a mess, and he didn't stop. He swung the racket and hit the ball in a daze. When he was waiting for his feet to land and quickly adjust to prepare for the next shot, he could hear the voice of the sideline referee.

"Out!"

The serve failed to enter the serving area and went out of bounds!

Double fault.

(End of this chapter)