Chapter 886: Head-on confrontation As
expected!
Second serve, close range forehand.
Gawain's prediction was very accurate. Nadal's serving strategy was to curb Gawain's attack. He not only chose to get close, but also added strong topspin.
The bounce after landing is very high. With Gao Wen's height of 193 cm, he also needs to hit the ball near his shoulder. This rarely happens in Flushing Meadows, but in Melbourne Park, the release of the bounce can be clearly felt.
Don't forget, this is still night time and the bounce of the tennis ball is much lower than during the day.
Naturally, Gao Wen had no space to attack, and his feet were squeezed a little. He used his forehand to push the ball back at a high point.
Then, Nadal used a forehand super topspin to pull the tennis ball high up and fly it toward the left sideline of Gawain.
The landing point is not tricky. The main thing is to control the line and landing point, and use strong topspin to suppress Gao Wen's backhand.
Gao Wen, very calm.
He made a feint with his feet, seemingly moving to the right, but his body's center of gravity remained dynamic at all times, and he completed the change of direction in a moment of pause.
Small steps, small steps! The quick adjustment during the movement soon found the accurate hitting point.
Predict and hit again.
The opening stage is firstly a testing stage and secondly a warm-up stage. Given Nadal's personality, he uses classic routines and daily habits more frequently. As the game progresses, Nadal will slowly adjust his strategy.
After all, this is only the second time that Gawain and Nadal have faced off. The two sides are far from being that familiar with each other. Unlike Federer or Djokovic, they may need to think about breaking the routine in the opening stage.
This is also the reason why Gao Wen’s predictions are generally accurate, and his pre-match homework has played a role.
"Backhand VS Forehand 1.0".
"Backhand VS Forehand 2.0".
In the back and forth, neither Gawain nor Nadal changed their line, and they hit the ball very solidly along the diagonal of the court.
Neither player actively exerted force, but instead focused on controlling the line and landing point, restraining the opponent through the layout of the return line, and the diagonal hitting routine also formed a suppression between the back and forth.
Both sides were making plans and trying to contain the opponent, but neither side found an opportunity.
Then!
Very suddenly.
At this moment, Gao Wen took a step forward, followed by another step, and his light steps were already within the baseline in the blink of an eye.
Chance!
Nadal's forehand shot, even when he is exerting full force, still has a strong topspin, which is also the iconic "Nadal super spin".
At the same time, during normal hitting or transitional shots, strong friction often creates short, high, and strong topspin balls.
This can be considered a chance ball.
If it was not Nadal but an ordinary player on the other side of the net, the player might have directly entered the court to launch an attack.
But if the opponent is Nadal, the situation is different.
On the one hand, there is the deterrence from the forehand and the uncontrollable super spin; on the other hand, there is the aggressiveness from Nadal's combination of long and short offensive lines.
Most importantly, once you enter the court, you enter the midfield, and then the players will face the best master of crossing in the tour -
Nadal's defensive counterattack and breakthrough abilities have been unrivaled in the world for a very long time, and Federer has suffered countless hardships from him.
On the whole, even if Nadal hits the ball shallowly with his forehand, such an offensive opportunity may not necessarily be an opportunity; most players will choose to stay at the baseline and continue to deal with Nadal.
Djokovic and Murray are no exception.
But today, at least in the opening stage, Gao Wen was very positive, very proactive, and very bold. He was always observing and searching.
The moment the opportunity appeared, without any hesitation or pause, his feet had already cut into the baseline and were basically standing above it.
Two-handed backhand.
He hit the ball heavily and solidly at a diagonal line, increasing the speed and power, and creating an angle to attack Nadal's forehand.
Whoosh! The tennis ball hit the ground with a bang like a heavy hammer.
Nadal was a little embarrassed because Gawain's attack was very sudden and there was no warning at all. After the return ball created an angle, his feet continued to be pulled to the left edge. In order to ensure his defensive position, his feet could not lose position, so it was a little difficult for him to hit the forehand.
However, Nadal's forehand is indeed his strongest weapon. With just a hook, the ball was hit. With a roar, he hit the tennis ball back.
Slash!
Nadal did not risk trying a straight line because Gawain's shot was very deep, leaving Nadal with limited space to change line, which was too difficult.
However, choosing the diagonal line does not mean that Nadal will passively defend in an obedient manner. This top star who started out as a defender has his own unique understanding of defense.
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The parabola was pulled up again.
Judging from the flight trajectory, it was unremarkable. It should be a shot that landed near the baseline of the serving area. Obviously, it was suppressed by Gao Wen's shot and could not control the landing point to a deeper position.
But when Nadal returns the ball, he should never forget the rotation. Any shot must be considered in conjunction with the rotation.
The iconic Nash super topspin creates a dilemma: if you go to the net to volley, it is very difficult to control the force release, and the tennis ball may be hit away if you are not careful; if you return to the baseline to hit the ball, the strong rising force will inevitably squeeze the swing action, making it difficult to complete an effective shot.
A passive defense for one shot was able to buy Nadal some breathing time, which is the style of a top defensive master.
So, how does Gawain respond?
Step forward.
The connection between the small steps is very tight and decisive. When he senses Nadal's intention to hit the ball, he takes a step forward as a conditioned reflex.
From the baseline to the midfield, not only did he not retreat, but he continued to exert pressure. Finally, he took a step forward! The ball bounced back! It was precisely with this last step forward that Gao Wen grabbed a rising point and hit the ball as soon as the tennis ball rose after it bounced off the ground.
There is no large-scale swinging of the racket. The shot is completed by simply relying on the connection between the forearm and the turning movement, and a diagonal sweep is made to launch a counterattack.
The strong topspin was knocked back before it could be fully released. This shot choice had some of Federer's style, but the difference was that Gawain used a solid two-handed backhand shot, aiming at Nadal's forehand attack again.
Head-on confrontation!
This was the fourth consecutive shot that hit Nadal's forehand head-on, and the tension of the powerful collision made the entire Rod Laver Arena hold its breath.
"ah!"
Nadal let out a muffled groan. Because of Gawain's relentless pressure, the speed of the ball increased throughout the round. The slow hard court was actually played as a fast hard court, which compressed Nadal's reaction time. He was worried about the gap in his backhand and his steps became a little embarrassed.
As a result, he was forced to slide on the hard ground.
With a squeaking sound, Nadal stretched his body completely, and then intercepted the ball with his forehand on the path where the tennis ball bounced off the ground.
One block, one hook.
Return the ball, it's done.
straight line!
Wait, Nadal changed his line, it turned out to be a straight line! The long sword was unsheathed, cutting through the sky! (End of this chapter)