The commentator from the Eurosport TV station next door stood up again and gave him a standing ovation, completely ignoring the chair that was overturned to the ground by his actions.
At the same time, the entire Rod Laver Arena also burst into excitement, paying tribute to the two players with the hottest and wildest applause and cheers.
In this quarter-finals, the two players used their actual actions to interpret the most beautiful and touching charm of competitive sports, and no one can refuse it.
Not only the two players on the court have released everything without reservation, but also every spectator and fan watching the game at this moment——
In the seats at Rod Laver Arena, in front of the big screen at Melbourne Park, every corner of the world is connected through the TV screen.
Everyone, all vented their emotions heartily, with their hearts pounding against their chests and their blood boiling and burning, surging with powerful vitality.
Involuntarily, Zhang Sheng's heart also surged. Although he tried his best to control himself and continue his work, the sighs still surged in his chest.
"Wonderful!"
“It’s really wonderful!”
"Gawain played so beautifully, so tenaciously, so firmly and so wonderfully in this round!"
"Nineteen minutes and forty-seven seconds, a game that lasted nearly 20 minutes, experienced fourteen deuces. Finally, Gao Wen seized the opportunity at the sixth game point and secured serve."
"Compared with the analysis of purely technical aspects, I think the most outstanding aspect of Gao Wen's performance is his belief in victory."
"Facing Nadal, Gawain is fully prepared. He knows what he is about to face. At the same time, he still firmly believes that he can win."
"Not only firm, but decisive."
"The entire offensive mood was fully mobilized. He dared to lay out and take shots. He followed up without hesitation every time an opportunity arose. His tough hitting style showed great vitality in the opening stage, which indeed created a series of troubles for Nadal.
And it was successfully realized as a lead in the score.”
"However, Gawain is facing Nadal. No matter he wins or loses, he will fight to the last point. Nadal's fighting will can never be underestimated."
"Obviously, the game has just begun, and Nadal should find a way to counterattack next."
"Judging from the current situation in the three games, Nadal is still slow today, and his condition needs further adjustment. The line of forehand attack has not been opened, and the efficiency of forehand attack is relatively low. The suppression effect on Gao Wen's backhand position is obviously low.
As expected, the next step will be to see Nadal’s adjustments.”
As Zhang Sheng said, the game has just begun.
The reason why Nadal is known as the "God of War" is that he has witnessed the Spanish player's tenacity and unyielding time and time again in game after game.
Everything is possible.
But at the same time, Zhang Sheng is not the only commentator who sees Nadal's hidden dangers:
The condition is indeed not at its best yet.
Nadal's forehand did not bring enough impact and pressure to Gauvin, and the placement and line control were lacking. This is also one of the important reasons why Gauvin's entire offense can be activated, because tennis is originally about playing against both sides.
Gambling is a sport where one trades off the other.
The key is, is this a short-term slow-heat, or is it a sustained poor state?
Before this year's Australian Open, everyone was concerned about Nadal's condition. After a long injury and surgery, it always takes time to adjust and adapt to returning to the court. The exit in the first game in Doha made people see hidden worries, including Nadal himself.
Admit it, he could lose at any time.
After the opening of the Australian Open, Nadal's state did have obvious ups and downs.
In the second round, he faced American player Tim-Smyczek. The 112th-ranked player in the world passed the qualifying test and entered the main draw.
Born in 1987, he has only won two games at Melbourne Park in his career, including defeating an Australian wild card player in the first round this year; if all four Grand Slams are added up, it will only be in the main draw.
Only five wins, two from the Australian Open and three from the US Open.
From all aspects, this is an opponent who lacks impact.
However, Nadal fought hard for five sets and narrowly passed the final set with a score of "7:5", almost causing the biggest upset of the third match day——
By the way, that game was also Rod Laver's night game.
In addition, Nadal's promotion road has always lacked severe tests. Only his straight-set defeat of Anderson in the fourth round was a highlight.
It is precisely because of this that when the dust settled on the top eight lineups, people's attention was focused on the duel of "Gawain VS Nadal".
On the one hand, this is a game where the new generation challenges the Big Four. It has indeed been the focus from last year to this year. It has also become the biggest highlight of this year’s Australian Open quarter-finals.
On the other hand, this is also the touchstone of Nadal's true competitive status at this year's Australian Open. People can see whether Nadal is in a state to compete for the championship.
Judging from the actual progress of the game, Nadal... is indeed far from his best.
"3:0".
The opening score is only part of it, and more are scattered among the many details of the baseline hitting confrontation between the two:
Forehand.
It has been said more than once before that Nadal's forehand is Nadal's strongest weapon, and it is also the cornerstone of the entire tactical system; but after many encounters, Djokovic found a breakthrough in Nadal's forehand.
While Nadal's backhand is stable and solid, his forehand is prone to instability.
In Nadal's game, there are a series of tactics that are all classic:
For example, the diagonal line of back step and sideways forehand is inside-out.
For example, serve from the outside corner of the second zone with a straight forehand.
For example, the outside-in of a forehand hook in a defensive position.
Etc., etc.
It can be seen that for Nadal, the forehand shot is not only used to set up suppression, but also to make the final decision.
When Nadal is in good condition, his forehand hits are fast, heavy and spinning. At the same time, he can control the landing point by relying on rotation. He often aims to hit the corners. Therefore, even if his forehand is hit, he always adds strong topspin.
, it is not just an ordinary flat shot, it can also gradually establish an advantage through placement and rotation.
But when Nadal is not in good condition, his forehand shots are often inaccurate, shots aimed at the corners are always easy to go out of bounds, and his hand control is slightly lacking.
So, at this time, in order to ensure that his game can proceed smoothly, Nadal can only add insurance to his forehand, control the landing point and line more conservatively, and even further increase the top spin.
But the key is that Nadal's forehand inherently has strong topspin and bounces very high after landing. This also means giving the opponent more defensive opportunities and room for adjustment——
Once the landing point is not deep enough or deflected enough to form effective suppression, the impact of Nadal's forehand will also decrease.
This also means that not only the final shot is weakened, but also the pressure and restrictions during the round are weakened.
These links, one after another, are intertwined and have a profound impact on Nadal's game in every aspect.
