Gulbis took the lead to launch the attack with his backhand, and finally Gao Wen completed the scoring with his backhand. From the beginning to the end of the backhand, the two players really showed their confidence and determination in the backhand position. The duel in just a few shots seemed very simple and easy, but the attack
The game with counterattack sparked sparks.
The second break point was still the same.
Gulbis took the lead in attacking, and continued to exert pressure on his forehand and backhand. However, Gawain's excellent defense made Gulbis all in vain, and the two sides fell into a tug-of-war.
After going back and forth for ten beats, Gulbis once again launched an offensive with his backhand. As a result, Gawain predicted the correct line in advance, and a step up movement formed a quick connection with his backhand, and he used the force to hit the tennis ball back in a repeated line.
, the line and landing point are mediocre, but the speed and power are upgraded to a higher level.
Gulbis was not surprised.
He waited on the spot early, completed the lead-in with his backhand with both hands in advance, tried to change the line, and launched another attack with a tough attitude. However, Gao Wen's return speed exceeded expectations, so that Gulbis' backhand hit the point slightly later.
Some, gambling-style backhand straight lines failed to be pulled back into bounds.
Out of bounds.
Two consecutive break points were saved by Gao Wen.
It wasn't that Gulbis wasn't proactive enough, but that Gao Wen's tenacious defense brought huge pressure, and the balance of the confrontation between the two sides continued to swing.
In the first half of this service game, Gulbis took the initiative and got the break point; in the second half, Gao Wen regained the disadvantage and saved break points continuously, and after two draw tests, he successfully kept his own.
In the first service game, the whole scene changed subtly.
When his attention wandered for a moment, Gao Wen already broke and secured two more games, entering the first inter-game break with a "3:0" advantage.
At this time, Gulbis's "Grand Slam Syndrome" has quietly revealed its clues. The main problem still comes from:
Backhand.
The first is offense.
Gulbis's backhand attack often only has two shots. If the two shots continue to put pressure and cannot score points, then he will easily make mistakes. The entire attack is not smooth and continuous enough. The choice of line and landing point can be seen.
He lacks self-confidence and his turnover rate remains high.
Second is defense.
Gulbis's defense is not top-notch, but it has always been stable; however, in this game, the entire defensive success rate and success rate were not satisfactory, mainly because the entire prediction and start-up rhythm was slightly slower, making it difficult to maintain a high level.
With high intensity and efficiency, it is easier to defend and become more guilty the more you defend.
Once Gawain seizes the opportunity to launch a defensive counterattack, Gulbis will easily panic, especially when he can't keep track of the ball with his backhand——
It's like the third point of the eighth game of the first set.
Gulbis continued to launch powerful attacks, forehand diagonal, backhand straight line, backhand diagonal, three consecutive powerful attacks showing solid hitting ability; the lines and angles have been torn apart, although
He didn't pursue the ultimate in blind spots, but he also forced Gawain to run all over the field.
However, the connection between attack and attack is not close enough, which not only leaves Gawain with time to predict, but also leaves room to move in advance.
Three consecutive heavy shots, all of which were defended by Gao Wen.
Huh!
Amid the exclamations on the diamond court, Gulbis watched helplessly as the tennis ball returned to his half of the court again, adjusting in small steps to meet the backhand return ball in the center, and continued to use his backhand to complete the attack on the next shot, but this time
, it obviously lacks a bit of unstoppable vigor:
Backhand! Backslash! Repeat placement!
Gulbis's fourth attack tried to find a breakthrough on Gao Wen's forehand position, but the entire shot did not rotate and was directly caught by Gao Wen. The power of his legs on the ground was very solid, and he used the force of his forehand to hit the ball.
With a small slash, he shot out like a rocket.
Gulbis immediately started to defend, rushed out with staggering steps, and barely touched the tennis ball with his racket. However, it was still half a beat too late and failed to complete the shot. The tennis ball hit the racket frame and changed its flight.
Trajectory, rushing towards the stands like an anti-aircraft gun.
One shot!
With just one shot of defensive counterattack, Gao Wen completely reversed the entire situation, and then got three consecutive break points and set points opportunities in this game.
This is because Gao Wen got the chance to defend for three consecutive shots, and also because Gulbis's backhand attack at the last moment was a little slow, and he obviously failed to combine the force. Although it was not a mistake, Gulbis's backhand attack was not a mistake.
It’s not common in Sri Lanka’s games——
On the one hand, it is a lack of concentration, and on the other hand, it is a lack of confidence.
What Gao Wen is best at is seizing opportunities and loopholes. This has been the case since the NCAA era. He always has a unique keen sense of grasping the context of the game and the opponent's mentality. At this moment, he feels Gulbis's impatience and anxiety.
How could Gawain miss it so easily?
Compared with the first round, Gao Wen was more confident and calm because he knew that his offense did not need to be extreme to gain an advantage.
On the first break point and set point, just six rounds later, Gao Wen used a backhand shot from deep to force Gulbis to make a mistake in hitting the ball, easily winning the first place.
Plate victory.
In the opening and closing stages, Gao Wen broke Gulbis's serve in each game. In less than thirty-five minutes, "6:2", Gao Wen took the first set.
Gulbis, furious.
In the last point, it was not that Gawain played well. In fact, the last shot was not difficult. However, Gulbis's footwork adjustment obviously did not keep up with the rhythm, so that his position was squeezed and the trajectory of his swing was
There was also a deviation, and finally there was a bad mistake of missing the ball——
Moreover, it is still a backhand.
This is not common in Gulbis games.
Gulbis was very dissatisfied with his performance, yelling in Latvian that no one could understand, and almost smashed the racket on the spot, but he finally controlled it, and then angrily rushed to the players' dugout.
He knocked over all his water bottles like he was bowling and ignored him.
During the rest period of one hundred and twenty seconds, Gulbis spent one hundred seconds mumbling to himself, full of anger and not knowing how to vent it.
Entering the second set, Gulbis's state did not improve. Not only did it not, but it also continued to decline. I am not sure whether it was due to his mood or something else. Gulbis's mistakes increased significantly, and after each point,
They kept kneading and moving their shoulders.
The game was a bit fragmented because it was difficult to sustain the ball in the round. Often after two or three hits, Gulbis would make a mistake on his own, and the entire batting condition seemed to be declining.
Gao Wen tried his best to keep his concentration as much as possible to avoid being affected by the opponent's state, which would lead to a decline in his own touch, and to maintain concentration on the game.
After eight minutes, Gaowen had already taken a "3:0" lead.
From the second half of the first set to now, Gao Wen has won five games in a row, and the game has become one-sided.
Then, during a break between games, Gulbis requested an official medical timeout and ultimately retired due to a shoulder injury.
In this way, Gao Wen won another game without losing any blood and advanced to the third round.