On the stage of the US Open finals, Gao Wen truly felt the limit for the first time. The ceiling, the constraints, and the pressure were clearer than ever before, and they were even more real than the bottleneck where the growth potential stopped rising.
However, Gao Wen broke through himself and his limits. Without relying on the help of system points, he went from quantitative change to qualitative change step by step, truly touching another level of the charm of competitive sports.
He is eager to train——
Because he knows that he still has potential waiting to be tapped, and because he knows that he still has room for growth.
Those simple and boring trainings become interesting in the joy and wantonness of sweating.
Focus, devote, immerse.
For the young players who just joined the UCLA Bruins in September this year, this is a shocking education that has more impact than any words.
Four days ago, Gao Wen stood on the biggest stage in the world to save and defeat the world number one and break the curse to defend the Grand Slam championship; four days later, the same person stood on their daily training ground and conducted basic training honestly.
Actions are always more effective than words.
McDonald's didn't even need to remind him, the Bruins players started training honestly, and then the legend about Gawain in the Bruins team became bustling again, and then...
Rumors leaked.
One spreads to ten, and ten spreads to a hundred.
Before I could even take a breath, people outside the UCLA Westwood campus had already heard the rumor, and people flocked there in twos and threes, like a tide.
Training can be just as exciting.
In the four Grand Slams, tickets are also sold for daily training. Spectators can buy tickets to watch the training matches of top players. At the same time, they can also gather outside the barbed wire to watch for free, and they always attract a large number of spectators.
Same today.
Soon, the audience seats were full, and those who came a little later were unwilling to leave, so they reluctantly stood outside the barbed wire fence to watch.
——A huge crowd!
However, he was completely unaffected on the court, very focused and very dedicated.
"...Wow, who is that attacking Gawain? His forehand and backhand are too violent."
"Tim."
"who?"
"Dominic Thiem, Gao Wen's good friend, plus Dimitrov and Raonic, they are a group of young people who all play together."
"This forehand, the power is not contained at all, and it hits hard with all the force."
"Dominic's signature weapon is his backhand..."
The "top of the hill" behind the spectator stands was also bustling with people. UCLA's Westwood campus is built on a small hill. Although the slope is not high, you still need to go up and down the campus.
This is the training ground in front of you. The north and east sides of the stadium are surrounded by small hills. The east side is a road for vehicles, and the west side is lined with trees. You can overlook the stadium when you come and go.
Today, the place is also full of people, coming to watch from a high position.
Inside the training ground, one could clearly feel the tension of the collision of strength and power, which made people hold their breath and stare at it. However, the tension on the outside was slightly weaker, and passers-by could not hold back their curiosity.
However, before the words could continue, Tim's backhand broke out——
boom!
The right hand is fully extended, the roc spreads its wings, and the power is like a bomb. You can even hear the sound of hitting the ball clearly, which is more violent than Wawrinka.
The air waves are rolling.
In an instant, the entire audience held their breath, including the melon-eating crowd on the hillside.
straight line.
Dead corner.
Amazing skills!
Although Gawain had predicted it and rushed at full speed, he lacked room to swing the ball with his forehand. He could not withstand Tim's power just by relying on his upper body strength. The forehand hit missed the shot and flew directly into the stands of the audience.
Roar!
The whole place was in an uproar.
They had just witnessed Gawain's amazing performance in the US Open final, and at this time, a "little-known" Thiem was able to hit such a wonderful shot, and the impact was really coming to them layer by layer.
In fact, is Tim really that unknown?
Not necessarily.
According to the latest world rankings, Tim is ranked 21st, only one step away from the top 20 in the world, and he is also a master.
But the past two months have been more disappointing than joyful for Tim.
After Wimbledon was upset and stopped in the second round early, Thiem was a little frustrated. He played for Austria in the next Davis Cup match, but lost two singles matches in a row against the Netherlands, and his confidence dropped to rock bottom.
Tim is not a sad player. The frustration and loss are real, but he will not hide in the house and wipe away tears. Instead, he will step onto the court to regain his form through the game. He is still eager to fight for real.
duel.
Before the North American summer hard court season kicks off, Tim has already taken the lead on European clay courts and continues to hone and improve on the surface he is most familiar with and best at.
Facts have also proved that this strategy is wise——
After a ten-game winning streak, his defeats included Monfils, Lajovic, Busta, Felipe Lopez, Goffin and other top 20 players in the world, and he won two 250 points.
The championship of the competition ended in the semi-finals in Kitzbühel, Austria, ending the winning streak.
finally!
Thiem has finally regained some form and confidence, and embarks on the North American summer hard court season with full expectations.
Last year, Thiem entered the public eye for the first time with his wonderful performance in the fourth round of the US Open, allowing people to see the rise of this SLR star.
This year, like Gao Wen, Thiem also has points to protect, and at the same time, he also needs to prove himself, embarking on the North American summer hard court season amid expectations and pressure.
However……
Toronto, eliminated in the first round.
Cincinnati, eliminated in the first round.
From winning streak to losing streak, from clay to hard court, from heaven to hell, Tim seems to be lost again, how to maintain his mentality amidst the attention and pressure, how to firm his direction amidst the pains and twists and turns of growth, and how to face everyone.
It is still a difficult subject for young players.
New York stopped in the third round, losing to Anderson.
Of course, in terms of results, last year's fourth round and this year's third round didn't seem that bad, but for Tim, they were disappointing.
He has more expectations for himself.
Therefore, after the US Open, Tim took the initiative to ask Gao Wen about his training plan. He also wanted to go to UCLA to train for a while to find the feel of fast hard courts——
After all, the next five months will basically be all about fast and hard courts.
Gawain welcomed him with open arms.
In Gao Wen's view, Tim already possesses top strength and there is absolutely no problem in being ranked among the top ten in the world, but the shackles of mentality still need to be broken through.
Every detail is very straightforward. Tim was also 100% committed in the training matches. The overall quality of the ball is very, very good, including the selection of routes and landing points. He is also a typical single-minded player. Once he gets into the state,
It is unstoppable; but in official competitions, they can often only display 70% or even 50% of their strength in training matches.
Mentality is the key.
Therefore, Gawain was not surprised at all by the straight line quality of Tim's backhand just now. Not only was he not surprised, Gawain also took the initiative to give Tim applause to express his affirmation——