If Gawain knew how Johnson felt at this moment, he would definitely say "too much praise, too much praise". His current ability level is far from reaching such a high level.
The overall trend of this game is always changing, not because Gao Wen's strength has been able to easily suppress Johnson, so the game can be played freely and easily; but because he has been experimenting, practicing, trying and groping, and most importantly, he
Still learning and still growing:
Before our eyes, there is a whole new world.
Obviously, reaching the Grand Slam championship is an unimaginable honor, but that is not all. There are still many, many things to learn on the road to professional tennis.
You can get a glimpse of it from the score.
After breaking Johnson's serve and taking a "2:3" lead, Gao Wen did not open up the gap with all his strength, and the game did not appear one-sided.
Johnson's performance was remarkable, and the most important thing was his stability. Although he was constantly forced out of his comfort zone by Gawain and it was very uncomfortable to hit the ball, he still gritted his teeth and withstood the test.
At the same time, Johnson also tried to create some waves in Gawain's service game and reverse the situation. Several times of unrestrained fighting really made Gawain break into a cold sweat.
then.
Gao Wen saved two break points, and Johnson also saved four break points. The two players showed an evenly matched and unyielding confrontation, continuing the momentum of each other's service. In the end, Gao Wen relied on that one in the set.
Break advantage, next set first:
"4:6".
After successfully holding serve and winning the first set, Gawain did not celebrate. Obviously, his advantage was not big, and Johnson did not seem to show signs of collapse, which meant that the second set was still a promising one.
In Enter the Dragon, he needs to concentrate and consider subsequent tactics.
When he returned to the players' dugout, Gawain noticed Johnson's expression of confusion and inquiry. He kept looking at himself up and down. His eyes looked like...as if he was studying "One Hundred Thousand Whys", his pupils
It seems that the question mark can be clearly seen in it.
Gawain didn't know why, so he took the initiative to look over.
Johnson said nothing, looked away, turned around and muttered "Why" in a low voice, his words so vague that it was impossible to distinguish.
Gawain was also dumbfounded, and a question mark popped up. The live camera seemed to have noticed the small exchange between Gawain and Johnson, and immediately focused on Gawain with a close-up.
Gawain stared at the camera with wide eyes and an innocent face.
The audience could immediately see Gawain's expression on the big screen, which caused a burst of low laughter, and the tense atmosphere was relieved a lot.
The second set of the game started soon.
In the opening stage, the two players were still very tight. In fact, Gao Wen still found some opportunities and got three break points, but he missed all of them. One of the points was that Johansson performed really well, and there is nothing to say;
However, on the other two break points, Gao Wen was dissatisfied with his performance.
Strictly speaking, the performance at the break point is the key point. At this moment, the best condition and feel can be seen.
In the later stages of his career, Federer was nicknamed the "King of Missed Points" by fans because his performance at break points often dropped, and he was unable to improve his condition at critical moments according to his own needs. Sometimes he even missed more than 20 breaks in a game.
The result was a loss of victory, which was absolutely impossible to see when Federer was at his peak.
It can be said that the performance of key points on break points is to a large extent the best reflection of current strength. After all, among the players who truly enter the world's top ranks, the top ten, and the top twenty, the suspense of victory or defeat often depends on the decision.
Due to the performance of key points in each set, the difference between victory and defeat is often just one or two points.
From the end of the first set to the beginning of the second set, Gao Wen has missed seven break points. From here, it can be seen that he is still far away from his best form at the US Open - of course, John
Sen's performance is also very good; but it is also true that Gao Wen's own condition needs to be improved and adjusted.
However, at the real critical moment, Gawain still showed his current strength.
In the second set, Johansen was still the first to serve, so after the "4:4" draw, Johansen's serve was next. As long as he could successfully hold serve, all the pressure would be pushed to Gao Wen, because Gao Wen needed to face
A serve that must be saved on the edge of the cliff.
However, it was in this game that Gawain launched a powerful attack, took the lead to improve his condition, broke the deadlock, and seized the opportunity of Johnson's slightly conservative hitting. The quality and rhythm of the entire batting were comprehensively improved, and in the blink of an eye, he had achieved "15"
:40" lead and got two consecutive break points.
Moreover, at the first break point, Gao Wen took the risk to attack from the moment of receiving the serve——
This is also a tactic that was rarely used before.
Although Gao Wen often rushed to receive the serve at the US Open, after entering the Asian season, because his touch was mediocre, he tended to be much more conservative when receiving the serve; he only occasionally used it as a surprise method to fight for a shot. The point is not
To score points is to intimidate the opponent.
The same is true this time. The return of serve at this break point is mainly to prepare for the next break point.
It was precisely because of his relaxed mentality that the quality of the final attack was good. Johansen's backhand was pressed close to his feet. Johansen's footwork just finished serving did not have time to fully return to position. His backhand subconsciously pushed and blocked the shot. The quality of the attack was
Generally, this also gives Gao Wen the opportunity to enter the baseline and connect the attack.
Johnson immediately realized that the situation was not good. His first reaction was to hold the racket tightly with both hands and continue to jump on the spot, keeping his center of gravity active and light. His body had already moved slightly towards the backhand position and began to defend, but he did not act rashly and watched intently.
Gawain.
Gao Wen stepped inside the baseline, moved slightly out of the way, and was ready to attack with a backhand with both hands.
The air in the whole place was tense, and people held their breath involuntarily.
Johnson's whole body was already on alert, and his muscles were so tense that they were about to explode.
However, Gao Wen lifted it up heavily, put it down gently, and at the moment of releasing the ball with his backhand, he changed from drawing the ball to cutting the ball, and actually released a small ball in front of the net.
Actually!
Johansen didn't expect it at all. During the lateral movement of his feet, he quickly circled the corner and rushed towards the net. He had already reached the extreme speed in a flash, but the start was still too late after all, and moving was not his strong point in the first place.
, I ran at full speed but still couldn't catch up.
He watched the tennis ball jump twice, three times, and four times in front of his eyes...
Johnson looked up at the sky with a depressed face, and then secretly glanced at Gawain out of the corner of his eye.
Gawain raised his chin slightly, watched the flying trajectory of the tennis ball, and curled his lips slightly, as if he was dissatisfied with the quality of the ball. If it weren't for Johnson's insufficient mobility, the ball would have been placed too long this time. Change it.
Nadal can catch up with him directly and beat him to death with one slap.
Johnson seemed to be aware of Gawain's dissatisfaction, and his chest couldn't help but suffocate: