In the third set, Nadal, who was the first to pass the peak of his physical strength, showed an upward trend in condition and feel. Correspondingly, Gawain, who was in a crisis of extreme physical strength, had a certain degree of fluctuation in his entire hitting state, which also reversed the situation of the game.
.
but!
Gawain, who was in a difficult situation, once again showed his tenacity and tenacity in the game. He dared to fight and fight hard, and actually managed to find a glimmer of hope amidst the rut.
In a tug-of-war of 25 shots, Gao Wen used a backhand close to the bottom line to suppress the deep area, forcing Nadal to return the ball to the net with a forehand, completing the reverse break, and then the score of the third set returned to
With the balance of power, the hot atmosphere at Rod Laver Arena has also reached a new climax.
Still young after all!
In the player's box, Peart stood up with clenched fists in a rare moment, cheering for Gao Wen with bulging veins, and at the same time applauding them for their sweat and hard work during the offseason!
At the critical moment, at a low point in physical fitness, Gawain still gritted his teeth.
Next——
Nadal breaks serve again.
Gawain broke again.
Back and forth, the score remained even and the balance was never broken.
At this time, it can be clearly noticed that the physical strength of both players is not as strong as in the previous two sets, the quality of serving has declined to varying degrees, and the control of their own serving games has also declined. Therefore, breaking serve is much easier than in the previous two sets.
, the intensity of the entire confrontation also plummeted.
In terms of the intensity of the confrontation and the beauty of the shots, it is definitely not as good as the first two sets; but in terms of the anxiety and suspense of the game, the third set is the real highlight.
From "3:3" to "4:4" and then to "5:5", the score was stalemate all the way. Among them, Gao Wen broke Nadal's serve to win the set, continuing the suspense——
Nadal was not able to see the count.
Then, the two players finally found their footing, regained their concentration, and secured serve one after another at the end of the set, and the game returned to normal track.
"6:6".
The much-anticipated tiebreaker is here.
Compared with the anxious but one-sided situation in the first two sets, the third set requires plot and plot, reversal and reversal, suspense and suspense, and climax and climax!
Neutral fans are satisfied, Australian and Spanish fans are satisfied, including Chinese fans... Although they are not that satisfied, they are more than dissatisfied.
Rounding it all off and counting everything, this means that all fans are satisfied. This is the matchup they are looking forward to.
In the tie-break, Nadal took the lead in taking the lead. He caught Gawain's forehand return shot and controlled it too short, and continuously used his backhand to launch a fast-paced attack:
Different from the forehand, Nadal's backhand can often hit a typical hard ground shot, which is flat and fast. He cleverly uses the rising point to change the rhythm. Especially in Flushing, you can often see Nadal's backhand winning points.
, just like this time.
Each beat is faster than the last, and each beat is tighter than the last.
After the third shot, he pulled out a small angle with his backhand, pinned Gao Wen in place, and won the winning point. He was the first to break Gao Wen's mini-serve point, and then defended one of his own service points.
"2:4".
With a break advantage, Nadal took the lead and changed venues.
However, Gao Wen was not affected. He immediately regained his footing after the exchange of venues. Facing Nadal's serve, he grabbed a second serve, created enough advantage, and caught one of Nadal's with a forehand straight shot.
In the gap, he can break the serve point in a blink of an eye to prevent the score from widening.
Immediately afterwards, Gao Wen saved his two service points, "5:4"——
"oh".
Rod Laver Arena let out a sigh of regret. At this moment, I could no longer control my emotions, and my true feelings were revealed.
Then, Nadal also took the lead to save his first service point, "5:5"——
"ah!"
Almost all the spectators at Rod Laver Arena stood up, raised their arms and cheered, and the vast sea of people filled every corner of their sight.
The air was burning, and almost the whole place was suffocating.
Starting from the middle of the third set, you come and I go back and forth, criss-crossing each other, exchanging the lead, and the audience follows the roller coaster. The back and forth between heaven and hell is testing everyone's heart.
The boiling blood seems to burst at any moment.
Shh!
It's not a boo, but a voice that proactively reminds quiet because Nadal is ready to serve. As long as he can successfully win, Nadal will be the first to see the count.
Of course, if Gao Wen can break this point, it will be a match point.
Although the two sides are still in balance now, showing a delicate balance, the direction of the next point can slightly shift the balance point.
Nadal, who has the right to serve, undoubtedly has a slight advantage.
Australian and Spanish fans obviously do not want their noise to disrupt Nadal's rhythm, while neutral fans eagerly hope that Nadal can win the third set. Only in this way can the game continue and they can continue to enjoy this game on the center court.
A wonderful showdown.
So, "Shh!"
Everyone fell silent spontaneously, and the entire Rod Laver Arena fell into a brief stagnation, and even the breeze stopped.
Hold your breath and stare.
Pah. Pah.
The sound of Nadal hitting the ball echoed in Rod Laver Arena. Then, he raised his head and glanced at Gao Wen to make sure that Gao Wen was ready. He lowered his head again, shot the ball twice, and he was ready to serve.
Prepare.
Kick the ground!
Swing!
Snapped.
J.
Once served, it didn’t pass the net.
"oh!"
The whole audience wailed and couldn't believe their eyes. At such a critical moment, Nadal's first serve failed again. His condition tonight was indeed unsatisfactory.
However, this is Melbourne Park, which never seems friendly enough to Nadal.
"Shh!"
Once again, the fans spontaneously became quiet, waiting for Nadal's second serve. No one wanted to disrupt Nadal's rhythm.
This is area one.
It is not the second area that Nadal is best at, but just because it is the first area, we cannot ignore Nadal's layout ability, especially the second serve.
First zone, second serve.
Nadal chose... the outside corner.
Outside corner!
The speed is only 153 kilometers per hour, which is equivalent to the second serve of female players. However, Nadal and Djokovic often send such second serves. It is not that they have no power, but that they deliberately adjust the rotation and landing point.
, increase the threat of the second serve through lines and angles.
Just like this serve.
The landing point is very shallow, in the front half of the teeing area; it is also a large outside angle, coupled with external spin.
After the serve landed, it jumped out with a "pop", high and high, and the strong rotation carried the tennis ball out towards the doubles line.
Gawain has been pulled out of the field. Not to mention whether he can catch it, even if he catches it, he can no longer be seen on the field.
However, Gawain did not give up.
Take three long strides in a row, fully extend your body, use your forehand at a high point diagonally above your shoulder, and chop everything from top to bottom.
Cutting return of serve.
Gao Wen knows that cutting has no effect on Nadal. In the entire tour, probably no one can match Nadal's understanding of spin. Cutting is basically equivalent to giving away food.
However, Gao Wen has no choice now. He must use cutting to complete the return of the ball, and at the same time slow down the pace to buy himself time to return to defense and strive for a chance of survival.
Even if the chance is slim, slim is better than no chance.