This was a first serve, but Gao Wen did not choose the outside corner to suppress Federer's backhand. This was definitely a surprise. After all, Federer's backhand was indeed relatively weak.
Moreover, in the last point, although it was Gawain who scored, Federer's forehand return performance was very good, which made Gawain break into a cold sweat.
Now in the second area, Gawain actually gave up his classic tactics?
Not only were the professionals and fans in the audience a little surprised, but Federer was also surprised. His body's center of gravity subconsciously took care of his backhand position. Although he did not move ahead to grab the rhythm, when he caught Gawain's serving line, he could still see the balance of his center of gravity.
swaying slightly.
Subconsciously, Federer followed his body's instinct and moved to the left.
The difference is that instead of receiving the serve with a backhand, he simply switches to a sideways forehand to prepare for the attack, which is exactly what Federer wants. This is Federer's strongest weapon.
I switched my steps and had already swung the racket with my forehand. When I was about to release the racket, I realized that the tennis ball had not come over yet.
He took the photo.
There was not enough of a trap, but a layer wrapped around it. Coupled with the high bounce caused by the strong top spin, Federer was instantly put into a passive position.
Well.
Federer let out a low groan, and still managed to hit the shot with his sideways forehand, but the hitting point and the timing of the shot were wrong, and he could faintly feel that the control was out of his palm.
The tennis ball flew along the diagonal line towards Gawain's left backhand position.
But obviously, Gawain had predicted it early and got stuck in position with one step, and faced forward with a backhand with both hands without any hesitation.
Kick off the ground. Turn around. Swing the racket. Use force.
Hit! Hit!
A solid and powerful attack, and the entire rhythm is very well connected.
At first glance, you can tell that this is a comprehensive and carefully planned layout.
Return the ball, lower the parabola, cross the net, and get into Federer's backhand position. This shot is the heavy hammer aimed at the weakness of Federer's backhand.
Federer's eyes were bright. Even though he was passive, embarrassed, and confused, he was still calm, and with his nimble and light steps, he had already reached the backhand position.
Just in time, it was right here, and the cross step would be in place if I made a mistake, and I took the one-handed backhand without hesitation.
Deep down in his heart, Federer was still wary of the weakness of his backhand position, so he immediately followed up. Not only did he follow up with his racket, but he also followed up with his body.
A bump.
The body is like a backer to absorb the power of Gawain's attack, forming a support, and then the backhand is like whipping a whip, and the strength and speed are instantly increased.
The speed of the racket head increased across the board.
Passivity does not mean being beaten, nor does it mean defense. Even in extremely embarrassing situations, you can still turn the situation around. This is the essence of tennis.
Now, Federer is explaining this.
The first step was still passive, but the next step was to explode with strength and fight back on the spot.
"ah!"
Federer also rarely used force to make a sound. It was not obvious, but you can still feel the impact of the unreserved release of power amidst the chaos and bumps.
——Straight line. Attack.
This is Federer's ability at his peak. Even if Gao Wen has a complete plan and executes it resolutely, Federer can still counterattack while taking a breath. It is precisely because of this that Federer and Nadal have dedicated countless incredible duels at their peak.
It is still a classic to this day.
Before he had time to take out his last breath, Gawain had already fallen into passivity.
Kick the ground.
Sprint.
Run wildly.
Gawain's speed increased to the extreme. He had no time to worry or be frightened. He was completely focused and reached the right end of the court in a matter of breaths.
The ball comes, heavy, fast, flat and heavy.
Although it lacks some of Wawrinka's instant explosive power, Federer's backhand is still unparalleledly sharp, and its strong tail power forms a continuous impact.
The footsteps continued to hit the ground, and the surging reaction force pushed the body to run faster and faster.
but!
Just when he was about to reach the hitting point, he kicked off his right leg and braked in an emergency. In an instant, he could feel the power pouring into the ground along his footsteps, but without stopping, the continuous impact was transmitted back vigorously.
.
Ankles. Knees. Abdominal muscles. Upper limbs.
Just like this, he jumped up with power all the way, swung his forehand to attack, and the speed of the racket increased instantly.
No concessions, no timidity, head-on collision.
"Strength vs Power".
The scariest and most astonishing thing was not Kirk's head-on collision, but the two players, in a passive situation, both burst out the energy hidden in their bodies, completing a strong confrontation amidst the bumps and turmoil, just like a high-altitude wire rope.
The fencing is average, and every shot is a risk.
boom!
The tennis ball hits back again, along the straight line.
"H."
The sounds of shock and astonishment were cut off before they could be heard, and one or two people stared at the court with wide eyes, forgetting to blink.
Fairy ball!
Federer also didn't expect this shot.
He finally reversed the disadvantage but then fell into passivity again, but this is Gawain's ability. The world's No. 2 has proven his ability more than once.
Federer tried to return to the midfield to continue the attack, but was pulled back again. Instead, he fell into a passive position and had to defend this time.
The collision of strength and power has raised the rhythm to the extreme. Federer understands that if the strong collision continues, the winner can only be Gawain. He needs to control the rhythm instead of being involved in Gawain's strategy.
Therefore, Federer supported his body with his left leg and made a one-handed backhand chip, which not only neutralized Gawain's counterattack with softness but also won him precious breathing time.
slash.
Big diagonal.
The entire tennis court space is fully utilized.
On that side, Gawain ran at full speed and returned to this section from the other end of the court. But this time, he did not choose to continue to speed up and exert force, but——
A light tap.
Push straight line.
It can be seen from the swing and batting movements that Gao Wen is also slowing down the rhythm to control the situation and win precious breathing time in an anaerobic state. Both players have pushed to the extreme, but they both know that this point
There is no end, they need to reorganize their layout and look for scoring opportunities.
Federer's steps have also accelerated, from backhand position to forehand position. As soon as he saw Gawain's hitting, he immediately decoded the hidden trap.
When hitting a flat push, the tennis ball will hardly move forward after it bounces off the ground. This is especially true for the competition environment at this year's US Open. Even late-night matches are no exception. The temperature has dropped but the air is still dull, which means that Federer cannot grab the hitting spot.
.
Once you grab it, it's easy to lose it.
Therefore, Federer had no way to attack. He hit lightly with his forehand, chose a diagonal line, controlled the landing point, and firmly controlled the rhythm in his own hands.
Of course, Gawain also had the same idea. After rushing across the court to beat the opponent, he unexpectedly pulled out a super topspin on his forehand, completely breaking his prediction.
Amid the stunned exclamations of the audience, Federer returned to his backhand position, and then saw the shot hitting the line almost hit the line with strong topspin.
This scene seems familiar——-
Are you sure the guy on the other side of the court isn't Nadal?
The momentary illusion made Federer a little confused, and he had to remind himself that he and Nadal had never met in Flushing.
Focus, he needed to focus, he paused in his steps, and with a one-handed backhand, he was already heading towards a strong spin.