In fact, no one knows the subtle changes in the situation better than the two players facing each other on the court.
Wawrinka has realized that relying solely on this seemingly powerful and sturdy shot will only suppress Gawain at most, but it is not enough to score——
The advantage established by an excellent serve is actually very little left.
then.
After the right leg landed on the ground and braked, it continued to exert force, stopping and turning suddenly, as if stepping on a spring. When it started again, the body was pushed out.
Return to defense, return to position.
At this time, the impact of "gear misalignment" came out bit by bit. Wawrinka's transition between offense and defense appeared incoherent due to the violent swing of the center of gravity. The starting speed was slightly slower, a slight difference that could not be recognized by the naked eye.
, the slightest difference before you can even close your eyes in the blink of an eye.
It’s just this tiny difference——
Wawrinka caught Gawain's batting action, and an ominous premonition suddenly arose.
Oops!
So far in today's game, Gao Wen's main offensive strategy has been focused on Wawrinka's forehand, especially the tactic of suppressing the backhand and hitting the forehand.
This is even more true in this round.
Therefore, Wawrinka subconsciously focused on protecting his forehand. He obviously did not reserve the forehand shot just now. He attacked with all his strength. He was trying to show strength in the forehand confrontation and give a frontal counterattack. It was also a strategy to suppress Gawain's attack.
However!
This time, Gawain's footsteps were on the forehand position and did not leave at all. It seemed that he had long expected that Wawrinka would not choose a straight forehand, which gave him a slight difference in his conditioned reflex reaction.
A "tiny difference" here, a "tiny difference" there, one plus and one subtraction, can be enough to overturn the situation in an ever-changing game.
I saw that Gao Wen took advantage of this small gap of time, took a small step forward, grabbed the ascending point, and struck out with his forehand. The entire swing was clean and neat.
straight line.
Heavy hammer.
Not only is it fast, it's also heavy.
The previous shot was super topspin, and this shot is flat hammering.
The change of rhythm and the change of line, everything is just right——
Turn defense into offense!
The tennis ball turned into a ray of light and flew straight along a straight line.
The long sword was unsheathed, as graceful as a startled giant.
He.
The O2 Arena was completely silent.
You can see Wawrinka running wildly in his sight, running across the court at lightning speed, dragging a long figure behind him, pushing his speed to the extreme.
Tread, tap, tap.
Wawrinka was speeding up, sprinting, and running wildly. However, he was just a little bit behind.
It's just a brief moment when the gears are misaligned.
Although Wawrinka's steps were barely in place, his one-handed backhand simply couldn't withstand the power of Gawain's straight forehand. He blocked it but didn't block it.
Anti-aircraft guns.
The tennis ball flew directly into the sky, rose high, and fell vertically.
Wawrinka looked up at the sky with some depression, threw the racket up, as if preparing to control the racket with his mind to complete the second hit, then took a step forward, successfully caught the racket, drooped his shoulders, and gave a slight helpless
Shaking his head, the smile on his lips also rose.
——Break point, cashed.
From holding three consecutive game points at "40:0" to losing five points in a row and encountering a break, the whole thing happened too fast. The battle was all resolved within five beats. The transition between offense and defense was concentrated in the front.
In the competition and control of the three shots, Gao Wen once again showed his superior field control ability.
Especially this point on the break point.
Wawrinka admitted that he had been calculated. He did not expect that he would suddenly turn into a forehand and a backhand. Moreover, when he had full control of the offensive initiative, he was quietly turned around by Gawain. This feeling is not good.
Very very bad.
Wawrinka knows that his state is mediocre at the end of the season. Even if Paris has improved somewhat, his overall state is still average. Facing Gawain in the first game of the year-end finals is even more difficult. He himself is also adjusting his mentality, watching and watching while playing.
See if we can find a better state through actual combat.
but--
That's it?
Wawrinka was also a little dumbfounded.
"3:0".
As soon as the game started, Gao Wen broke serve twice and won three consecutive games, widening the score gap in an instant, so much so that the audience could not react.
Yesterday, the two games of the Stan-Smith group were swept, and the battle ended in about an hour; today the audience has higher expectations for the game of the Ilye-Nastase group, but now judging from the opening situation, it is...
There is an unknown premonition——
No way……?
"Judging from the score, the gap quickly opened up at the beginning, which was obviously not expected before the game."
"But from the perspective of the process, the situation is actually still anxious. The real point is that Gawain is fully prepared for this game, his tactics are in place, and he firmly controls the initiative. On the contrary, Wawrinka is slightly hesitant and does not make any choice in hitting the ball.
A clear idea, relying solely on hard power to fight."
"This is also one of the charms of the year-end finals."
"There is no time to get warmed up slowly. The strong competition at the Grand Slam quarter-finals and semi-finals level poses a new challenge to the players' ability to adjust."
"Next, it depends on how Wawrinka responds."
"Actually, in the first set, Gao Wen was two breaks ahead, but this was just the beginning. Maybe it was a good thing for Wawrinka. He could take off the burden and give it a try. Instead, he could complete adjustments as soon as possible and there would still be enough time for the game.
"
Strictly speaking, it cannot be said that there was no psychological preparation at all for this scene.
Since successfully defending the US Open, in the past three months, Gauvin has only lost one game, losing to Djokovic in the final of the Capital City. Gauvin is currently on a 14-game winning streak, including
Including two victories each against Djokovic and Murray, I feel hot.
In sharp contrast, there are Wawrinka's fluctuations and ups and downs, so it is not surprising that in the opening stage, Gawain quickly entered the state and widened the gap.
As Zhan Jun said, this is the first game of the year-end finals. Everything is possible from now on, it depends on how Wawrinka adjusts in the future.
For top players, losing a set or a game is not a disaster. The focus is on subsequent adjustments and getting back on track quickly. The four giants have all experienced "6:0" and "6:1" big scores.
It's not unusual to lose a set and then get back on track to win the match.
Wawrinka, too, the two-time Grand Slam champion did not come out of thin air.
Although Gao Wen's performance was still strong and stable, and after successfully holding serve, he took a "4:0" score advantage, but Wawrinka did not panic.
Standing firm, he seized the second game point in the fifth game and secured serve for the first time in the match. "4:1", the score was broken and the whole situation was slightly stabilized.
However, Gao Wen remained unmoved and played steadily without encountering any break points. He successfully won the first set point with a winning point.
"6:2".
The first set of the game progressed very quickly, and the winner was decided in just twenty-five minutes. This was obviously not what the audience wanted to see.
However, this is also not what Wawrinka wants to see. He is also working hard and fighting——
In the second set, it was Wawrinka who broke serve first.