Tactics, on paper, seem not only clear, but also clear, and seem to be clear at a glance; but putting them into actual use is another matter.
Djokovic's core tactics revolve around his own forehand and Gawain's forehand. However, in actual matches, the permutations and combinations of the entire tactics are complex and diverse, and the response from the opponent must also be taken into consideration.
Variable factors, the situation is naturally not that simple.
But, it worked!
"6:4".
Gawain played a series of wonderful shots, and Djokovic also played a series of wonderful shots. The two players went back and forth, and finally relied on key points to win the first set. They were more calm and confident at the tactical level.
With Djokovic, the entire game layout has become more clear.
Therefore, Djokovic firmly grasped the opportunity and played the next set first.
For the melon-eating crowd watching the excitement, this may not be anything special:
"At the Australian Open, the world number one took the lead in the first two sets, but in the end, Gao Wen turned the situation around, overturned the game, and won the final victory."
Therefore, there is no need to make a fuss about the outcome of the first set.
But as a person involved, Gawain knew that things were different.
So far, Djokovic is the player that Gao Wen has played against the most in his career. He is very clear about the strength and tenacity of the world's number one. At the same time, he also has the ability and potential of the world's number one.
Cognition, the situation changes slightly every time we meet.
Faintly, Gao Wen could detect Djokovic's tactical changes today——
It is not simply about suppressing the backhand or the forehand, but the layout of the entire return line is more complex and more precise, especially the forehand diagonal shot, which makes full use of the entire court and hitting space, breaking the balance of the baseline ball.
, and then create a lot of pressure.
In the first set, Gawain was still the same Gawain, daring to take action and take risks, and his performance remained at a high level.
However, in their sixth meeting, Djokovic already had a sufficient understanding of Gao Wen's routes, timing, techniques, etc. While improving the accuracy of his predictions, he also provided Gao Wen with risk-taking opportunities through his own returns.
Trying to increase the risk also compromises the effectiveness of Gawain's attack.
From time to time, in some key points, the advantages of Gao Wen and Djokovic also changed subtly.
Only then can I say that it’s not that Gawain didn’t play well, but that Djokovic played too well.
If it is an ordinary player, he may think that "this is normal", that is, it is just a difference in on-the-spot performance. This is originally an error in the game, and everything is within the acceptable range, so he only needs to improve his performance in the next game.
Here, just continue to insist on yourself step by step.
But not Gawain.
On the surface, everything looks normal, no different from their previous five encounters. The suspense of victory often depends on the on-the-spot performance of key points.
In the actual situation, Gao Wen could feel Djokovic's calmness and strength. The entire tactical layout was clearer and more targeted.
"I don't know the true face of Mount Lu, just because I am in this mountain."
In the game, Gao Wen cannot see the technical statistics or the overall situation of the game. He can only capture some key points based on his own experience.
Then, make adjustments.
Gao Wen believed that he needed to make some attempts in the second set.
This is undoubtedly bold. We have already lost the first set. Shouldn't we go all out in our own way in the second set? Isn't this the safest way?
Gawain objected to this.
Against the Big Four, even if they are plagued by injuries and are in poor form, victory is never easy. Defeating a giant player who is 70% in shape may require 120% of the energy of an ordinary player. "Be conservative" and not
It may not be the key to victory.
Moreover, this is a best-of-three-set match, which is different from the best-of-five-set format in the Grand Slam, leaving less time for Gawain to counterattack, so he needs to be more proactive.
Some risks, some attempts, some breakthroughs are necessary, even if the cost is losing the game, it is worth it.
So, what did Gawain do?
In fact, Gao Wen was not 100% sure of Djokovic’s tactics and the key to this game——
These are all experiences, which must be accumulated slowly through game after game and duel after duel to cultivate one's perception and interpretation of the game. There are no shortcuts. Even the Big Four are still learning and growing.
It is a lifelong lesson for every professional player.
However, Gao Wen could feel the pressure from Djokovic's forehand.
Compared with previous games, Djokovic's forehand attack has improved significantly. For Gao Wen, the pressure from diagonal lines and straight lines, shallow areas and deep areas all exist objectively. He will not intuitively feel the pressure from the front.
The impact of the hand slash can only be seen after reviewing the entire game after the game.
Therefore, in order to limit Djokovic's forehand attack, Gao Wen also slightly adjusted the layout of his return route:
Added ball return in the middle.
Of course, not all returns are sent towards the center, this requires layout and arrangement.
Starting from the second set, Gao Wen consciously chose the return route and sent the return ball unevenly toward the central area, changing the entire structure.
The reason is simple, Djokovic is not a strong forehand.
In fact, violent forehand players like Federer, Del Potro, and Tsonga are not afraid of returning the ball in the middle, because in the central area, their footsteps can be adjusted in time, and they can find the offensive space with a slight step.
, and then use the forehand to tear off the angle.
Therefore, when playing against them, it is often necessary to send the return ball toward both ends as much as possible to mobilize them as much as possible to break the balance, disrupt the pace, and weaken the power of the forehand.
Players like Nishikori Kei, Ferrer, and Simon whose forehands are relatively weak, if they send the tennis ball towards both ends, they can use the inertia of sprinting and leverage to attack while running fast.
As the speed increases, the forehand can create stronger attacks.
However, by sending the tennis ball towards the central area, firstly, their borrowing space is compressed, and they need to exert more force on their own; secondly, when they stand in the middle area to return the ball, there is not much room for tearing the angle, and the control difficulty increases.
If you are not careful, you may send it directly to the sideline, causing an offensive error.
Djokovic belongs to the latter.
The detail is that Djokovic, like Murray, has a certain offensive ability even when faced with returns from the center, which should be between the former and the latter; but Djokovic and Murray, two players,
His offensive will is not that strong, and he is used to fighting at the bottom line.
In other words, if there is no particularly good opportunity, they will not take action rashly.
In the first set, Gao Wen ran all over the court and attacked vigorously, but Djokovic's forehand attack showed no signs of weakness and was tit for tat.
In the second set, Gao Wen's edge weakened, his return angle became much narrower, and Djokovic's proportion of active attacks also dropped significantly.