Gao Xinyu was eliminated after a disappointing performance; Trevisan defended Sinner, stating that those who criticize him probably have never touched a racket.

Focusing on the Prague tennis tournament, Chinese player Gao Xinyu was swept away by her opponent and suffered a heavy defeat; off the court, former French Open semifinalist Trevisan defended Sinner, denouncing those who criticize him.

In the first round of the WTA 250 Prague event, Gao Xinyu faced a stern test against the local fifth seed, Buzkova. Throughout the match, Gao Xinyu was largely on the defensive, ultimately losing with a score of 0-6, 2-6 and failing to advance. The victorious Czech player will face the winner of the match between Tomova and Stefanini in the next round.

This match exposed many technical difficulties for Gao Xinyu. Her counter-attacking style struggled against the equally balanced Buzkova, putting Gao in a dilemma: Buzkova's more mature counter-attacking system cut off Gao Xinyu's usual avenues for counterplay, while in the second set, Gao was forced to take the initiative but found herself hindered by a lack of power, unable to penetrate her opponent's defense, resulting in a crushing defeat.

Throughout the match, Gao Xinyu's first serve win rate was only 47%, and her second serve scoring rate plummeted to 36%, far below her season average. With no advantage from the baseline and unimpressive serving performance, the cameras captured Gao Xinyu's bitter smiles multiple times during the match, highlighting the difficulties in her tactical adjustments. The entire match lasted just 68 minutes, and Gao Xinyu failed to earn any break points.

For Gao Xinyu, the early-season United Cup team competition showcased her potential to many fans, but she subsequently entered a "slump." Fortunately, thanks to her recent stable performance in ITF Challenger events, her world ranking has risen to a career-high of 146; this season, she has achieved a record of 32 wins and 15 losses, with a hard court win rate of 68%, showing increasing stability and proving that Chinese tennis has more than just Zheng Qinwen.

"This type of technical confrontation is a stepping stone for growth," analyzed a seasoned fan. "When the counter-attacking style fails, it’s essential to develop more versatile offensive techniques. Buzkova's defensive system is worth studying for young players."

Turning to off-court dynamics, former French Open semifinalist and former world No. 18 Trevisan recently gave a sharp rebuttal to criticisms of Sinner's boring playing style in an exclusive interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.

This senior player, who shares the Italian Tennis Federation with Sinner, interpreted the tennis artistry of the world No. 1 with a professional perspective: "Every time you see him play clean and precise tennis, you can't help but cheer for him. Watching Sinner play is simply a visual delight. Some of his backhands along the sidelines are artworks that defy the laws of physics. Those who criticize his playing style probably haven't even touched a racket."

Trevisan's comments sparked heated discussions among fans: some believe that Sinner's shot selections are primarily based on meticulous line calculations, contrasting sharply with the traditional approach that purely pursues power, testing fans' acceptance of new ideas to some extent.

However, some fans pointed out that the abundance of criticism directed at Sinner is largely related to his previous "doping scandal," combined with his silent demeanor on the court, making his matches seem dull and boring. Yet history often repeats itself; similar debates occurred during the era of Sampras (technical player) and Agassi (power player), but the criticism of Sinner may have multiple underlying reasons.

As Sinner proves his technical prowess with a season win rate of 87.3% and four consecutive Grand Slam finals across seasons, Trevisan's remarks might simply aim to preserve the appreciation for technical aspects in the sport. Perhaps our commentary on Sinner should not be clouded by excessive emotions or complex moral entanglements; only by breaking free from these can tennis become truly tennis.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Lu Xiaotian)