Before the year-end finals were about to kick off, Wimbledon’s official Twitter account once posted this text——
"Perhaps, for the players, the Ilye-Nastase group is indeed a death group; but for the fans, it is paradise."
This tweet has aroused widespread resonance on social networks. Not only the other three Grand Slams have forwarded it, but also fans have sparked widespread discussions. Even the official ATP account has joined in the fun, looking both painful and happy, indicating the schedule.
Scheduling is the biggest challenge in life.
This is also true.
Gawain Nadal Murray Wawrinka.
Between the four players, arranged and combined at will, the six games are undoubtedly the focus of the battle, and every collision has something worthy of attention.
And, more importantly, the outcome is unpredictable. Perhaps Gao Wen, who has won the Magic City and Paris Masters championships consecutively, may have a slight advantage, but objectively speaking, the advantage is not obvious; plus the other three players
It is even more difficult to distinguish between them, and it is difficult for bookmakers to predict.
Judging from the pre-match analysis, the qualifying situation for the Ilye-Nastase group is complicated. Only Gao Wen is slightly favored and slightly ahead, but it is not a surprise that any of the four players qualify, far from it.
The upset fully demonstrated the charm of the year-end finals.
It is conceivable that the schedule of the year-end finals will also face severe challenges——
In the first round of the Ilye-Nastase group, the two giants Nadal and Murray will collide head-on, easily igniting the topic.
Judging from the overall context of the season, Murray undoubtedly has the upper hand. He still retains the hope of competing with Federer for the third position at the end of the year. This is a direct proof of the excellent and stable overall performance of the season; while Nadal's season ranking is even one step behind.
It's about to fall out of the top ten.
But judging from the recent state, it is Nadal who has the upper hand. He has advanced to at least the semi-finals in three consecutive tournaments. Even in Paris, he only stopped in the quarter-finals. At the end of the season, his state has improved strongly. On the other hand, Murray has high hopes for the United States.
The Nets suffered an upset loss to Anderson, and have never been able to recover since then.
Of course, the collision between giants is always different. Because of their strength and aura, as well as their familiarity with each other, the outcome is just a matter of millimeters.
This year-end finals competition, as the first game of the two players at the O2 Arena this year, not only tests the state, but may also have an impact on subsequent games, and has an impact on the entire Ilye-Nastase group pattern.
, Gawain and Wawrinka also both cast their gazes.
Therefore, this duel was arranged as the main pivot in the last game of the second match day, which was expected by everyone.
After finishing the press conference and the post-match massage, Gao Wen returned to the players' lounge and saw Wawrinka riding a bicycle——
Heart to heart.
The two exchanged glances, and then Gawain found a bicycle next to Wawrinka, pedaled slowly and leisurely, and watched the game.
This year, Nadal has indeed been in poor form, which is mainly reflected in his forehand and movement.
For Nadal, the forehand is the core of the entire game. It is not just about offense. The super topspin on the forehand has long been a symbol of Nadal. The transition between offense and defense also needs to rely on this racket to act as a hub. Once there is a problem with the forehand
, the entire tactical layout of the game will be very difficult.
This situation persists throughout the entire season, especially at critical moments, when the forehand confrontation cannot keep up with the intensity, and Nadal cannot play his own tennis.
On the one hand, Nadal has indeed been fighting with injuries, and injuries are the biggest enemy of competitive sports.
On the other hand, injuries are not serious enough to prevent participation, but the side effects of injuries and pain are that they affect confidence. The layout and shots above key points are often a slight swing between firmness and hesitation in belief that determines victory.
Negative, these invisible factors are the key.
However, Nadal is a special player, and he has been like this throughout his career. He may not be as talented as Federer, but he is always conscientious. He needs to train and compete, and he relies on collisions to polish and temper himself.
In New York, after winning two sets and then losing three in a row, Nadal suffered a serious blow for the first time in his career. This also made Nadal stand in a desperate situation and break through his inner demons.
Entering the Asian season, Nadal's belief has clearly strengthened, not confidence but belief, a belief in fighting.
Slowly, Nadal found himself again.
——The forehand is the wind vane.
First, the power of super topspin is back.
Secondly, on indoor hard courts, the power and speed of flat shots are also back.
Thirdly, in Gawain's view it is also the most important point, layout.
Nadal's interpretation and layout of forehand super topspin are different. In shallow and deep positions, the same strong topspin can produce different results. Rhythm, rotation, power, etc. can all show different forms. Once
With the quality of the forehand back, the tactical layout will naturally be different.
Looking at Nadal's game now, not to mention comparing it with the distant quarter-finals at Roland Garros, even comparing it with the recent semi-finals in the Imperial City, the entire game quality and layout have changed again. Nadal is slowly changing.
Show your abilities, the abilities that people ignore——
Nadal can also perform well on hard courts.
One thing that few people know is that when Nadal was sixteen or seventeen years old, that is, before he officially entered the professional arena, he said in a TV interview that his favorite venues were indoor hard courts and grass.
, and his favorite Grand Slam is Wimbledon.
"Of course, I also like red soil."
The young Nadal added shyly.
In front of you, on the TV screen.
boom!
A forehand shot, a deep press, and Nadal's signature strong topspin made Murray have some difficulty on the forehand position, and he barely managed to hit it back.
boom!
A forehand shot, the pressure was shallow. Although Murray got breathing space and seized the opportunity to prepare for a counterattack, the forehand combined force was not enough, and the forehand slash was slightly weak.
boom!
Three shots of forehand, skateboarding flat shot, Nadal took a step up and directly entered the baseline, caught a gap, took action without hesitation, and changed the spin.
Murray was caught off guard. His body was fully extended, but he failed to touch the ball and watched helplessly as the tennis ball jumped out.
The winning point is obtained!
--"Wonderful!"
Gawain was the first to cheer for Nadal.
Almost at the same time, there was a burst of cheers in my ears, and the sound tracks overlapped.
"yeah!"
Turning their heads, Gawain and Wawrinka's eyes collided in the air, both of them smiled, and a burst of noise came from the TV screen.
"ah!"
Nadal clenched his fists, roared like a lion, and cashed in on the break point in a strong and sharp manner, breaking serve for the first time in the match.
The O2 Arena was filled with exclamations and the whole place was in an uproar.
The familiar "Spanish bull" is indeed back. Not only is he defensive, his offense is equally outstanding and wonderful, and his transition between offense and defense is smooth and smooth——
This also means that the intensity of competition in the Ilye-Nastase group may have to reach another level?