In the second point of the match, the two players were already entangled with Agut's serve, and started a long and multi-round tug-of-war on the baseline.
You go back and forth, clinging to each other, both players are moving in a wide range on the baseline, and in the blink of an eye, the number of shots in the confrontation has easily exceeded thirty.
The audience at Louis Armstrong Stadium had not even had time to take their seats, but they were already stunned and frozen in place, not daring to blink, for fear that they might miss this turning point in one breath or another.
As expected, there will be a lot of bottom-line tug-of-war in this game.
The scene in front of me can't help but remind people of last year's match between Gawain and Simon in the Demon City. It was just as difficult, just as anxious, and just as severe a test.
Indeed, Agut and Simon's games seem to have many similarities, but the wonderful thing is that professionals will not classify the two players as the same type of players. They are different after all.
If we sum up the difference between Agut and Simon, it mainly lies in the purpose of hitting the ball.
Simon is a typical defensive player. His hitting is pure entanglement, entangling his opponent with defense and delaying the round, making it difficult for the opponent to get rid of him.
Agut is not the case. He is a full-attack and full-defense coverage type. His returns are obviously counterweighted. Even transition balls often lead to confrontation and create a certain amount of pressure, making it impossible for the opponent to hit the ball comfortably.
In other words, against Simon, players need to lead the offense and create gaps; against Agut, it is confrontation and collision from beginning to end.
The difference in batting intention and tactical layout makes the experience of playing against the two players completely different. Naturally, the handling of the game is also different.
Of course, the confrontations presented to the audience look similar; but the players themselves must handle them differently.
Such as now.
One kick, one swing.
Gao Wen's two-handed backhand hit the ball head-on, but he did not break the angle, but controlled the landing point of the return ball in the central area; at the same time, he did not pursue the ultimate depth, just maintain a certain level, the real focus is to maintain the quality of the ball
, strength and speed are maintained at the same level.
Solid and stable.
Some people may ask, why did Gao Wen not change the angle to attack? Is it because of the ankle injury? Or is the batting feel not fully restored?
No. None of them.
It has nothing to do with injuries, but everything to do with tactics.
Facing Agut, you can't be impatient, and you can't expect to build an advantage with three shots or two, because Agut's strength on both offense and defense is very balanced, and he has no obvious shortcomings in his anticipation, movement, strength, etc.
Although Agut does not have a particularly outstanding strength, he will not easily expose his loopholes and even has the ability to launch counterattacks at any time.
Therefore, Gawain needs to maintain the intensity of the confrontation and deal with it more patiently until the opportunity arises before taking action. The timing to break the balance is very important.
In fact, Gawain is looking forward to this game very much.
If it were Goffin, the transition between offense and defense would be very fast, the pace of the entire game would be very fast, and the stalemate style in the bottom round would be different.
But what Gao Wen needs more urgently now is the state he has polished through rounds, including different aspects such as feel, tactics, defense, etc.
From a tactical perspective, Agut is indeed a more suitable opponent; of course, Agut cannot be underestimated, and any chance may be an opportunity for Agut to reverse the situation.
People saw Goffin retire from the game due to heat stroke and cramps, and let Agut advance; but Gawain saw that Agut continued to maintain pressure throughout the game, which brought a huge impact to Goffin. After intense consumption, he encountered a crisis in the third set, and finally changed
Is suffering from heat stroke.
Agut is not really a winner.
Gawain is looking forward to this game, because Agut is indeed a dangerous opponent.
Thirty-four shots.
In the blink of an eye, within a few rounds, I was already approaching forty.
In the eyes of the audience, there are more invalid shots, that is, transition balls; but Gao Wen understands that confrontation and stalemate are always going on, and both people are playing games.
In the next shot, Agut seized the opportunity and suddenly chose to turn sideways. In fact, it was not that good of an offensive opportunity, but Agut's ability to combine offense and defense was there, and he would turn defense into offense even if there was a gap.
Backslash.
Agut aimed at Gawain's backhand sideline hammer, actively exerting "inside-out" across the court, landing near the sideline and continuing to spin outward. Although the power was average, the angle was completely torn apart in an instant.
Gawain was preparing to return to defense, but then returned. He stopped and turned suddenly, then pulled back to the doubles area, and suddenly changed his batting method——
Previously, the two-handed backhand was flat hitting, whipping, etc., focusing on power, but this time, Gao Wen chose to cut the backhand without any warning.
In fact, similar shots can be seen in the past three games. This is Gawain's brand-new weapon after polishing on clay and grass. It is not only used to change the rhythm of the round, but also to control the power, speed and landing point.
It is also possible to reorganize the space utilization of rounds.
That's it for this shot.
If you choose to hit the ball, due to the limitations of the swing space and hitting point, Agut's ball not only spins externally but also bounces very high after landing. Gao Wen must complete the ball near the top of his head, and the options for the final return route are relatively limited.
, this is also Agut’s purpose——
He doesn't expect to score a winning point with one shot, but instead sets the stage for the next shot.
Now, Gao Wen chooses to cut, which not only gives him more space and options to return the ball, but also disrupts Agut's layout of the court space and lines.
cutting.
slash.
The detail is that Gawain cut a shallow ball.
It's not a small ball, but the landing point is relatively shallow. I made full use of Agut's shot to open the angle, and then further opened the angle.
Agut's footsteps stopped and turned suddenly and then returned to his backhand position.
After hitting the sideways forehand in the previous shot, Agut's first reaction was to protect his forehand gap, especially when Gao Wen chose to chip. In the last game, Gao Wen was pulled out of the singles line.
At that time, Gao Wen made a straight shot with his backhand to completely reverse the situation, but unexpectedly, Gao Wen chose to return the ball.
Agut's center of gravity was already in a turbulent state.
At the same time, Gawain opened up the angle further, forcing Agut to hit the ball outside the doubles line.
However.
Agut was not prepared to compromise, his steps were flustered, his center of gravity was turbulent, and he already struck with a backhand with both hands.
It's not a powerful hit, but it's definitely a powerful hit.
Agut appeared to be more careful, adding some rotation and control. When shooting the backhand with both hands, the speed of the racket head increased by a level.
Straight line neutral, aiming at the blind corner of the big triangle on the bottom line of Gao Wen's forehand position, and launching an attack.
This is Agut.
From offense to defense, from defense to offense, there is a seamless transition. Confrontation and confrontation are maintained at all times, and the offense can even be launched in passive situations.
So, don't be surprised why Agut was able to defeat Djokovic in his prime on hard courts, and more than once.
boom!
The tennis ball is neither fast nor heavy, but it hits in a straight line like an angry bird.
