This is how legends are formed. In the process of word of mouth, they are exaggerated, deviated, and decorated, and then expand several times:
In the offseason of 2013, UCLA held a "Friendly Invitational Tournament". In the official match, an unknown NCAA player defeated the Australian genius Kyrgios. Throughout the game, Kyrgios was completely suppressed.
, unable to fight back, even swallowed a duck egg.
Obviously, everything from the nature of the game to the game process to the game results has long been changed beyond recognition, leaving a deep imprint like an urban legend.
…
Billy Martin exhaled a long breath, but his brows were still tightly tangled together. Even if he raised his hand to relax his brows, they were tightly entwined with each other again within two seconds. The worry and anxiety in his heart still could not be calmed down.
When I got down, my mind was filled with questions.
Indeed, UCLA is still the favorite to win this year's NCAA Tennis Team Championship, and Thompson and Giron are both in the first tier.
However, the team competition competes on the overall strength of the entire team. No matter how good the first singles is, it can only complete one game. Compared with the ability of the top players, the level of the third to sixth singles is the most important.
Heavy.
That was the case against the University of Virginia in last year's championship game.
After a fierce battle, the Bruins originally led with a total score of "3:2" and were the first to usher in the championship point. As long as they could win one more game, they could reach the championship. However, in the last two games, the third singles and the fourth singles
They both lost, suffered a tragic comeback from their opponents, and watched the championship trophy slip through their fingertips.
Comprehensive strength is the most precious charm of a team championship.
Although the Bruins have a group of good players, the comprehensive strength of their competitors is not inferior either——
Needless to say, the old rival University of Southern California is still the number one favorite to win the championship. The University of Illinois, University of Oklahoma, University of Virginia, Ohio State University, etc. are also equally matched, and there are also eyeing dark horses waiting quietly.
, can never be taken lightly.
Now in the Bruins team, Thompson and Giron are indeed in good shape, but they are not without worries.
Thompson was still the sixth singles player in the team last year, and his record was mediocre. He lost a lot of key battles and his performance under heavy pressure was disappointing. This summer, he made an all-round improvement and was suddenly pushed to the front line.
With the important task of playing the first singles and the pressure of everyone's attention, whether he can continue his form in the autumn season is also a big question mark.
Jilong has been steadily improving in the three years since he joined the team. Last year he was third in singles and this year he was second in singles. It shows an upward curve in terms of talent and level. However, due to differences in physical conditions, Jilong has always struggled against powerful players.
It is quite difficult and consumes a lot of energy and physical strength. It is also a challenge to maintain good condition during the long season.
Outside of them, the third singles player Gage Brymer (gage-Brymer) and the fourth singles player McKenzie MacDonald all have typical teenage styles - ups and downs, sometimes playing crazy, and beating everyone.
It's no big deal; sometimes when the performance is sluggish, it's no surprise to lose to anyone.
Moreover, not only the ups and downs of the state throughout the season, but also the ups and downs within a game are very obvious.
Of course, this is a commonality among young players, and it is also a feature in youth competitions and NCAA competitions. However, as a head coach, Martin needs to consider the overall situation, how to fully mobilize the players' status, and how to reasonably arrange the number of matches - just like Tian Ji's horse racing.
This is very particular.
The problem is that the positions of the team's fifth and sixth singles are currently undecided, which may also affect the formation of the third and fourth singles. This is also the biggest headache for Martin.
Carew Sale, joseph-di-giulio, dennis-mkrtchian and Gao Wen.
The overall strength of these four players is between equals, and each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Martin has still not made a decision and remains open to competition.
On the one hand, we hope that players can maintain a positive and optimistic spirit and invest in training, form healthy competition, and inspire each other to be at their best.
On the other hand, there is indeed no best choice, and it takes time to observe slowly.
Purely from the perspective of physical talent, Gawain is undoubtedly the most outstanding, especially his ball feel and touch. Martin was very impressed, but unfortunately, his serve and forehand lacked aggressiveness, which is a problem for male tennis players.
Undoubtedly fatal.
Especially in the college arena, these young students are all lively and vigorous. Every time they return the ball, they round their arms and hammer with all their strength. The suppression of strength does not give the delicate touch much room to maneuver, which also forces Gao Wen to quickly hit the ball.
It is easy to fall into passive defense of running back and forth.
It is true that Gao Wen's mobility and defensive ability are top-notch for a 193 cm tall man, and he may not necessarily be inferior in round balls; but on the hard court, running back and forth to defend like this is actually very difficult.
It wears out the knees, and the effort and benefit from running are often not proportional.
Martin doesn't want Gawain's talent to be exhausted early in this way. He still needs more patience and waits for Gawain to grow slowly.
Some time ago, Martin naturally did not miss the rumor that "Gawain defeated Kyrgios".
But as a professional coach, Martin also knows that things are definitely not that exaggerated. At least the nature of the game and the final score are hugely different from the facts.
Kyrgios is not ranked high in the world, but his physical talent and batting ability are undoubted. He does have the potential to become the world's number one. With Gao Wen's current ability level, if he wants to be in a complete game
Defeating Kyrgios is almost an impossible task.
Later, Martin also learned about the details of the entire game. Through his professional eyes, Martin was able to see the key points at a glance.
Kyrgios's carelessness and negligence are very important prerequisites. At the same time, Gawain's wisdom and calmness when facing powerful enemies also left a deep impression on people.
The combination of serve, the route selection of the return, the way to deal with difficulties... These details can show Gawain's tennis wisdom. The score of "5:0" is a bit exaggerated and a bit lucky, but it is also Gawain's.
A manifestation of ability.
Since the winter training, within a short period of time, Gao Wen's investment and growth have really made Martin's eyes shine. He is also looking forward to Gao Wen's future growth——
This is also the most valuable trait of young people. Talent is a rare treasure, but not everyone can fully tap their own treasure. Now it seems that Gao Wen is tapping his potential step by step. Given time, Martin believes that Gao Wen will be able to fully tap into his own treasure.
Wen was able to defeat Kyrgios with dignity.
However, the spring season is just two months away, and the six singles seats are still undetermined, leaving them little time.