Kyrgios was the first to hit the ball hard, and then he stood still and prepared, using his best trick with a two-handed backhand. He relied on a small range to control his swing, and then relied on his muscles to control his opponent's swing.
Instant explosive power and soft hitting feel to complete line changes——
Backhand straight line!
hate!
Fast, accurate, ruthless and spicy!
In an instant, the tennis ball kept its top speed and flew quickly along the straight line on the right side. This shot is very, very important in Kyrgios' arsenal. It is often the weapon that breaks the deadlock when his backhand is in trouble.
but.
Tap tap tap.
Tap tap tap.
Gawain seemed to have anticipated Kyrgios's hitting. He moved very quickly laterally and was already from one end of the baseline to the other in the blink of an eye. His light and agile steps were not as easy as Kyrgios's but he could still see the remaining energy. Obviously
The rhythm was not disrupted by Kyrgios' straight shot.
Bend your knees! Kick off the ground! Start shooting!
Kyrgios had already seen Gawain's hitting action immediately, and his feet reflexively moved quickly and laterally in the direction of his forehand. He guessed that Gawain would use his forehand to hit the diagonal shot with great force.
Corner, but Kyrgios is not afraid. He really has not been afraid of anyone in the forehand duel.
Kick, kick, kick!
wait wait wait……
What?
When Kyrgios was moving quickly laterally, he suddenly discovered that Gawain did not hit the ball hard, but changed his grip again and cut a beat.
Small ball in front of the net.
It’s actually a small ball in front of the net again!
This time, Kyrgios' prediction was truly broken. The horizontal movement immediately turned into a diagonal vertical movement, and he sprinted with all his strength.
I can no longer see him looking at ease and leisurely.
After finally catching up to the net in a thrilling manner, I observed Gawain's position with his peripheral vision, and then saw Gawain standing in the midfield like a wooden stake, as if he didn't know how to hit the ball in the next shot.
Chance!
Although Kyrgios was a little embarrassed, his delicate touch was still very good. He gently rubbed his forehand forward, and then cut the tennis ball back with a short ball.
and!
Crossing the higher sides of the net, Kyrgios rubbed a straight line! Just like rubbing the ball in front of the net in a badminton match!
Huh!
There was a gasp of air from Arthur Ashe Stadium, obviously not expecting Kyrgios's unfashionable hitting style.
The point is, it actually succeeded!
Gawain should be difficult...ah! No! Gawain appears!
Tap tap tap.
Tap tap tap!
Gawain is obviously not a wooden stake, and his actions of standing still are simply an illusion. In fact, his bent knees are keeping his center of gravity active.
Kyrgios' action of replaying the ball caught Gawain off guard, but Gawain was well prepared and rushed forward immediately.
The tall and powerful man arrived in the blink of an eye, and then the two sides had switched positions. Now it was Kyrgios who had to seal the net.
Gawain stared at the tennis ball in his backhand position. He had already held the racket with both hands and glanced diagonally towards Kyrgios' backhand position.
Immediately afterwards, you can see Kyrgios quickly start lateral movement and rush towards his left side.
Almost at the same time, Gawain's hands were already shooting. He used the power of his wrists to gently and delicately pull and push forward. The forward leaning of his entire upper body was in place, fully pushing out the power and ensuring the entire hitting action.
The ground is complete, and the softness and delicacy of wrist control are undoubtedly revealed.
Then you can see the tennis ball flying high and hitting the trajectory, then flying back in a straight direction, jumping across the net like an elf, and landing gently on Kyrgios's forehand gap.
At this time, Kyrgios, whose center of gravity had moved laterally, was ultimately powerless and could only watch the tennis ball fall into his own court.
Tread. Tread. Tread. Tread. Tread.
boom!
The stadium was boiling, and the cheers that broke out in an instant swept across the entire stadium. There were whistles, screams, applause and roars. It seemed that after the brewing of the first set, the audience finally welcomed the game.
The first climax.
"pretty!"
"The feel, control, and thinking of this ball are so beautiful!"
"With Kyrgios taking the initiative, Gawain showed incredible patience. Both players were controlling the rhythm. Both players were calculating their opponents. When the rhythm of the game slowed down, it became even more tense. Then Kyrgios
Take the lead in speeding up, but don’t want to fall into Gawain’s trap.”
"pretty!"
"This is undoubtedly the most exciting round since the beginning of today! Gao Wen saved the break point with an incredible performance!"
In the studio, Zhan Jun could no longer control his emotions and explained impassionedly——
This break point is really important.
However, on the court, Gawain did not celebrate as wildly as usual.
However, Gawain stood up straight, glanced slightly forward at the landing point of his return shot, showed an expression of dissatisfaction, and shook his head slightly.
That look seemed to say, too bad, the quality of the ball in front of the net is not good, I need to practice more when I go back.
Then, Gawain touched his nose, glanced at Kyrgios who was diagonally opposite, and showed a very hypocritical, polite, and non-smiling smile. Without saying anything else, he turned around and walked towards the bottom line.
.
Kyrgios:…
Why does he feel as if he is being despised?
Looking at Gawain's unhurried back, Kyrgios just felt a burst of unknown fire rushing up his chest: Pretending to be cool is not afraid of being struck by lightning!
Gawain did it on purpose.
To deal with the temper of a child like Kyrgios, roaring and displaying momentum is actually not effective, because in Kyrgios's view, such behavior is too silly, and should be more unrestrained and entertaining, so not only can it not suppress Kyrgios,
Kyrgios, and will become a clown in the eyes of Kyrgios.
To deal with Kyrgios, you have to "pretend", and you must be better at pretending than Kyrgios. Only when he feels threatened can the balance of his mentality be broken.
Just like the charity exhibition match back then.
As for the tactical level, in fact, from the second half of the first set, Gawain had gradually adapted to Kyrgios' rhythm and impact.
Kyrgios is a player with a strong desire to perform. He is keen to appear particularly relaxed and to break the deadlock to make the round more interesting. Therefore, he often changes the way he bats inexplicably. The combination of fast and slow batting has no effect at all.
The rule is basically to hit wherever you think.
Therefore, simple calculation cannot control Kyrgios, and more changes are needed to make the round ball enter chaos——
This is exactly what Gawain is good at. Don't forget, Gawain has always been a player who plays with his head.
If Kyrgios continues his unreasonable hitting style throughout, then Gawain will actually be in trouble, because he has limited ways to break the power suppression. Unless Kyrgios himself fluctuates, Gawain will be very passive.
But apparently Kyrgios is not.
In the second half of the first set, Gawain never found a chance to break serve. Kyrgios's serving state was indeed excellent, but the second set was a new beginning.