"CCTV, CCTV, viewers in front of the TV, what you are watching is the last highlight of the Arthur Ashe Stadium on the second match day of the 2015 US Open."
"The defending champion Chinese player Gao Wen will face Alexander Zverev, the youngest German player in this tournament. The two players are now warming up."
"The one wearing the white jersey is Zverev, and the one wearing the black jersey is Gawain."
"This is the first time that Gao Wen has played in a black jersey. It looks slightly different from the past. This is also the second time that a sponsor has specially designed a unique jersey style for Gao Wen after Wimbledon."
On the court, Gawain was dressed in black, and his whole temperament seemed cold and stern. It was very different from the bright sunshine in his impression, but it inadvertently brought out another temperament hidden in Gawain's bones.
Iron-blooded. Tough. Sharp.
The Arthur Ashe Stadium was indeed in a state of madness. It was a party not just for Chinese fans, but for all Gowan supporters.
The short pre-game warm-up is over, and Gao Wen's journey to defend his title is about to begin——
In the coin guessing session, Zverev guessed correctly and chose to serve first.
Zverev's confidence can be seen in a small detail.
At this time, the commentators who were familiar with Gawain began to recall the scenes in their memories:
It was the same situation in Miami. Zverev served first and achieved a "40:0" lead, but... he suffered a break.
So, when we come to Flushing, five months have passed, and what will happen?
"0:15".
A double-fault started, and Zverev himself did not expect it at all.
You can tell at first glance that he lacks experience. This should be Zverev's first night match in his career. In addition to the strong wind in New York, the elasticity of the tennis ball will also decrease slightly due to the lower temperature.
In addition, Arthur Ashe Stadium is really too big, comparable to a football field. The entire sense of space and position also needs to be adjusted, and the feeling of playing the ball is slightly different.
These details are not a rare secret, but they do play an objective role. Players must experience actual combat experience before they can absorb and transform them.
The double fault was due to Zverev's lack of overall control over the elasticity and space in strong winds and low temperatures, and the deviation of the two serves was relatively obvious.
Zverev Jr. is known as a "genius". The most important reason is his batting touch, which combines Federer's spirituality and Djokovic's package. This also makes his ability to hold on to the baseline easily among the top.
Of course, this also includes the serve. His first serve is indeed an important weapon. Although it is not a powerful and heavy type, its speed and tail power are still very lethal; and the conservatism and caution in his character are not only reflected in his habitual baseline fights.
It is also reflected in the softness of the second serve. In order to avoid double faults, the second serve is completely restrained.
At this time, Zverev also noticed that the deviations of the two first serves were a bit outrageous. He raised his head and looked at the Arthur Ashe Stadium——
A moment of dizziness.
Zverev knew right away that he needed to make a slight adjustment.
As a result, Zverev became relatively conservative in his subsequent serves and baseline shots. He needed some time to adapt to the competition environment.
If Gawain launches an attack, Zverev is not afraid of the bottom line stalemate. He has balanced abilities on both offense and defense and is fully capable of maneuvering.
It's just that... little Zverev didn't expect that Gao Wen would actually join him in a stalemate at the bottom line.
Little Zverev was overjoyed, it was exactly what he wanted!
Then--
The two players began to stalemate at the baseline.
In fact, for Gawain, this is his purpose:
Adjust the feel, adapt to the rhythm, and polish the state.
First of all, this is the first official game after recovering from an abdominal muscle strain. In a high-intensity confrontation, the body's reaction state is unknown.
Secondly, the training and competition in the past two months were not very systematic. To return to the intensity of professional competitions, he needs to get back into competition shape.
To be precise, a back-and-forth player like Zverev is the perfect opponent for Gao Wen, who needs more high-intensity hitting.
From the current point of view, Zverev is a bit like a low-end version of Murray. He needs rounds, seesaws, and layout. He is often not decisive enough when attacking. Instead, his conditioned reflex counterattack when his backhand is passively beaten can show his strength.
But the point is that his layout ability is far inferior to Murray's, and the gap is obvious.
Murray's returns, whether active or passive, are generally purposeful, except for the occasional extremely passive transition ball. But even after a passive transition, he will immediately start planning for the next shot, and his mind is always spinning.
Zverev Jr. did not. In his stalemate round, he made too many aimless transition balls. Even when he was not so passive, he would subconsciously hit the tennis ball over first without pursuing the layout.
Youth is one thing, but character is another. Even if little Zverev later matures and establishes himself among the top ten in the world, this habit is still rooted deep in his bones.
After the opponents in the first round were announced, Sampras and Agassi breathed a sigh of relief, not because their opponents were too weak, but because their styles matched. For Gao Wen, the most important thing now is to slowly adjust his feel through the baseline stalemate round.
and status.
Although this is not entirely correct, it is basically equivalent to a training opponent——
A formal match played as a practice match.
Zverev Jr.: Just what he wanted.
Gawain: Hey, me too.
then.
The back-and-forth back-and-forth on the bottom line unfolded like a practice match. Judging from the scores, the back-and-forth between you and me seemed particularly exciting, but Arthur Ashe Stadium was a bit... boring.
The exciting bottom line round is a constant alternation of offense and defense, and the game is full of dangers.
In the current baseline round, there are too many transition balls, aimless and meaningless shots, and too many shots that simply push the tennis ball across the half court, just like the meaningless midfield kick in a football match.
Can't get excited.
But little Zverev didn’t think so.
In the first game, there were three draws, but Zverev never sent a break point and finally kept serve.
In the third game, Zverev saved a break point, won the third game point, and held serve again.
"2:1".
At the end of the first three games, the two players each maintained serve. Zverev, who served first, returned to the dugout with the score advantage and entered the first inter-game break of the game.
It can be clearly seen that little Zverev's eyebrows are completely relaxed, a little relaxed, a little proud and a little excited, and his smile also rises.
Zverev turned his head and looked at Gawain who was across the referee's chair. This guy didn't seize the opportunity during the opening period, and then it was his performance time.
He was sincere about defeating Gawain, he just wanted to see the arrogance on that face shattered.
He couldn't wait, and even before the referee announced that the break was over, he had already stood up and stepped onto the court one step ahead to prepare to continue the game.