In the final, the first set victory belonged to Djokovic.
In fact, the score cannot reflect the anxiety of the game at all. Perhaps some clues can be gleaned from the fifty-seven minutes of game time.
In this game, it was Gao Wen who broke serve first.
In the opening stage, Gao Wen took advantage of Djokovic's habitual slow start, broke serve first, and then held serve, turning it into a lead in the score.
However, entering the set, Djokovic found his form to turn the situation around, breaking and holding consecutively. He once won four games in a row, and finally saved a break point when serving to win the set. He suppressed Gao Wen's counterattack with a strong performance and fulfilled his goal.
The third inventory is to take the next set first and take a step towards victory.
Mutual exchange.
Strong confrontation.
Long rounds of multi-shot see-saws were staged frequently, and there were endless wonderful shots that wowed people. This final was definitely worth the price of admission and a worthwhile trip.
A game lasted fifty-seven minutes. This is the most intuitive data, which is enough to explain many problems.
So, what happened?
How could Gao Wen lose four games in a row when he was the first to break serve, giving up his advantage and also losing the first set victory? What was going on?
Frequent mistakes? Decline in condition? Too hasty? Mental fluctuations? Loss of physical strength?
No, no, none of it.
There is only one reason:
Djokovic.
It's not that Gawain didn't play well, but that Djokovic played too well. Obviously, the world's No. 1 pair is determined to win this game with great force.
Before the game started, Sampras and Agassi had foreseen that Djokovic would inevitably make changes at the tactical level to break the balance of the confrontation.
Just look at the duel between the four giants. They have met each other too many times, ranging from twenty to forty times.
Tennis is not a team event, but an individual sport. This also means that there is no room for adjustment in the "participating lineup", which is the same every time:
It was the same face last time, and it's the same face this time, exactly the same.
Naturally, when the number of matches between two players reaches a certain level, there will be basically no secrets from each other. It is like an open book. Everything is open to the public. Especially after the player's style and skills mature, the weapons
The inventory in the library is also clear at a glance.
You know all your strengths and weaknesses, strengths and weaknesses, and your opponent may even know all your skills better than you do.
In such a situation, what should the players do?
Do you just trust your own improvisation?
of course not.
If they just stand still, the Big Four will not be able to become the Big Four. They will not be able to maintain a competitive state in the peak showdown, and they will not be able to maintain strong competitiveness in the impact of later waves. Ten years of long time will be enough to wash them down from the top of the pyramid.
, a new generation replaces the old.
But they didn't. Not only were they not eliminated, but they further consolidated their strong position and created an era.
On the one hand, we should constantly improve ourselves, constantly enrich ourselves, supplement our shortcomings, become more comprehensive and stronger as much as possible, and maintain the pace of progress.
On the other hand, the importance of information collection, strategic analysis and tactical formulation must be taken seriously. Every game is a new beginning. Therefore, they must analyze and summarize the previous game, the key to victory? The reason for failure? Then start again
Develop tactics and meet challenges.
To put it simply, in the duel between the four giants, every confrontation must come up with a little change or something new, otherwise the game may be very difficult.
Perhaps, overall, Gao Wen has not yet reached the level of the Big Four. It has nothing to do with the quality and quantity of championships, but has to do with the peak length of his career. His rise is rapid but the time to emerge is too short. Therefore, even if the number of Grand Slam championships is
Already tied with Murray, but still not a giant.
However, for Djokovic, a record of one win and four losses has shown too much, and he must show the same attitude towards top players.
Therefore, changes at the tactical level are foreseeable, and they are also the key to breaking the balance of the game——
Djokovic once again showed his heritage as the world's number one.
Entering 2015, Djokovic met Gawain twice in Melbourne and Indian Wells, and his tactics have been adjusted to a certain extent.
However, from the perspective of the overall tactical framework, the core of continued suppression of Gawain's backhand, or in other words, breakthrough from Gawain's backhand has not changed.
There are two reasons.
First, Djokovic has "the world's best double counterattack", which is by no means a deserved reputation. Whether facing Federer or Nadal, he has enough confidence. From 2010 to 2011, Djokovic
To achieve a seven-game winning streak against Nadal, his two-handed backhand played a major role.
Secondly, Djokovic has never adjusted his mentality. He still regards Gao Wen as a rising star, a challenger, a rising new wave, rather than a strong enemy on an equal footing with the giants. He uses "backhand VS backhand" as a tactical entry point.
, more or less stubborn to make a head-on breakthrough.
In other words, "This young junior is outstanding, but he is not strong enough to force me to change my strategy and formulate targeted tactics. It is enough to just rely on my basic tactical literacy to make detailed adjustments. I believe that I can make a breakthrough head-on. After all, there are countless generous
The big waves are coming."
Strictly speaking, it's not contempt or contempt, it's just that I haven't given it real attention.
In fact, Djokovic’s idea is not entirely wrong——
Melbourne won the first two sets, and also had three consecutive break points in the third set. As long as one was realized, the outcome might be different.
In Indian Wells, even though they lost the first set, they turned the tide in the second set. There may not be no chance in the third set, and the victory or defeat is just a hair's breadth away.
It's a pity...a defeat is a defeat.
Although victory is within reach, if the match point is not realized, then it is a failure. The world of competitive sports is so simple and so cruel.
Therefore, Djokovic adjusted his tactics and made adjustments to the tactical framework for the first time in six meetings between the two players, which also means:
Gao Wen finally got the real attention of Djokovic.
Of course, difficulties still exist objectively.
First of all, the time distance from Indian Wells to Miami is too short, so it is not easy to adjust the tactical framework. The entire tactical idea may also lack consideration, and there will inevitably be some flaws. Whether it can be effective needs to be watched and tested through games.
Secondly, the two events lasted for four weeks. Gao Wen was still young and energetic, and his recovery and physical reserves were better. Djokovic needed to maintain his success rate while adjusting his tactics, and he also had to face physical tests.
, the difficulty can be imagined.
but.
After the unforgettable defeat in Indian Wells, Djokovic has adjusted his mentality and corrected his attitude——
Gawain's rise has been unstoppable, not just now, but will be the norm throughout the next season and even more seasons to come.
He should not rely on the victory or defeat of a game as a distraction, but should take a longer-term view.
If you can win this final in Miami, that would be the best, but there is no need to be too happy, because there are still many duels in the future; if you fail, there is no need to be disappointed, because this is the first step to try and change.
The steps, the blueprint, have just been laid out.
Djokovic thought this way and did the same thing. Then, things became slightly different.