The whole place was silent, footsteps rubbed against the red clay, rackets hit tennis balls, sweat slid down the temples, the sound of electricity flowing through the body surged in the gentle breeze, and in a trance, one had forgotten to breathe and feel the heartbeat.
Then--
"ah!"
Nadal did an extended split, caught a forehand shot, circled his head and tried his best to increase the rotation and angle, and barely managed to return a diagonal shot.
However, Gawain's footsteps have already entered the stadium.
Cross the baseline, cut into the midfield, grab the point with both hands and attack with all your strength.
straight line.
whipped.
Tennis, got into the gap of Nadal's backhand, and ended the point neatly.
People seem to have finally discovered that Nadal is also made of flesh and blood. It turns out that Nadal can also be tired, exhausted, and overwhelmed. It turns out that Nadal's body has its limits after all. After all, the former God of War also has a limit.
I slowed down because I was scarred.
no respond.
Nadal did not give up. Nadal was still fighting, striving and burning. The firm belief in his bones was still shining, but his body was protesting.
But at this time, Nadal bent down, stopped, and stayed in place, without moving, in the middle of the match.
Time slowed down slightly around Nadal.
Bah, bah, bah.
Gawain shouted loudly.
It is precisely because of this that Nadal rarely discusses his injuries on and off the court and refuses to use injuries as an excuse.
This scene made the hearts of the entire audience briefly stop beating.
Despite this, Gawain still came to Nadal and asked in a low voice.
Is this a good thing?
They should be happy, right?
But at this moment, when I witnessed this scene with my own eyes, no one cheered.
Very, very rarely, Nadal couldn't keep up with his footwork.
More than one or two commentators, and more than 10 or 20 professionals in the industry have questioned that Nadal's playing style is too desperate and too rough. Such a physically consuming game destroys the stereotypes of tennis and is completely inconsistent with Federer's elegance.
Instead, "Is he really prepared to keep playing like this?"
The wind is still blowing, but time seems to have stopped.
Nadal put his arm around Gao Wen's shoulders, patted Gao Wen's chest gently, said again that he was fine, apologized for delaying the game, and encouraged Gao Wen to go back and let them continue the game.
That has become a belief, shining brightly because of the soul of Rafael Nadal, who together with Federer completely changed the sport of tennis.
In the fourth set, Nadal took the lead in serving, and both players successfully held serve. However, Gao Wen then found an opportunity in Nadal's second service game and continued to exert pressure. This game was swinging on the wire rope.
Because Gao Wen knows that Nadal is a person who is very good at enduring pain. For most of his career, he gritted his teeth and endured the pain to compete. He himself said that he was used to the pain and even had it.
It became a part of his body, and he couldn't even remember the time when his body was completely pain-free.
Gawain gave Nadal a hug, then turned and walked back to his own half.
The whole court was buzzing with excitement, break point, another break point, the fifth in this game.
Is this definitely a good thing?
So tragic and tragic.
Nadal, I'm tired.
"Rafa."
If the pain wasn't extreme, Nadal would never show it.
One is elegant and the other is rough, one is light and the other is tough, one is agile and the other is heavy, just like the song of ice and fire.
After barely standing still, Nadal used the racket to support his body, which was very rare, with his hands folded on the handle, and his upper body completely bent down, like a heavy ear of rice.
People have predicted that Nadal's career may not last long. In three to five years at most, Nadal will be overwhelmed by his playing style and be eliminated, never to be seen again.
Seeing this scene, Gao Wen did not celebrate the score, but quickly stepped forward to the net and looked at Nadal worriedly.
There was no sound in the audience.
In this game, Nadal saved four break points, but he was still unable to see the game point and could not get out of the predicament. Just as the quality of his return dropped slightly, Gawain seized the opportunity, and the fifth break point appeared again.
As an opponent, as a friend, and as an ordinary fan who likes Nadal, Gao Wen's heart curled up and he couldn't help but show concern.
The world of competitive sports is so cruel. People can only see the smile of the winner, and rarely see the sweat, blood and tears behind the victory. Those pains, struggles and sufferings build up the glory of victory bit by bit. But
No one should erase those who fought hard, those who persisted, and those who fought because of failure.
"Rafa!"
Could it be that the extreme physical strength has appeared again?
In Nadal's curved back, they saw the unyielding will and tenacious belief, as well as the desire to win and high morale, but in the end he had to stop temporarily due to the protest of his body, that scarred back
What is condensed above is the perseverance to challenge the limits and challenge oneself.
Nadal is an honest man. He never bothers to use injuries to make excuses for his failures, nor does he bother to use injuries to discredit his opponents' victories. He is always upright and aboveboard, facing victory and defeat calmly, and those injuries...
He knows this is the price of his choice.
Slowly, slowly, people began to believe that Nadal was a man of steel, a god of war who was infused with tenacity and tenacity, and forged with passion and struggle. He would never give up, fight to the end, and never get tired.
Bean-sized beads of sweat fell off one by one, and the whole person looked like he was fished out of the water. He was panting like a cow, and his side face showed a trace of painful struggle.
Gao Wen was very worried, bypassed the net and walked straight towards Nadal.
"Bah! Rafa!"
In the early days of his career, Nadal's bullish image left a deep impression on fans. His speed, speed, and ability to run fast, covering every corner of the court, have surpassed Nadal's forehand and become his trademark.
However, five years have passed, and ten years have passed, and the young man chasing the wind is still running on the field, and has proved with practical actions that all the judgments and criticisms of the experts are wrong, and the God of War is still fighting.
After the forehand hit, he tried to push off the ground a second time to continue defending his backhand, but as a result, his feet did not touch the ground and he almost fell down.
Perhaps those commentators and professionals have been slapped in the face time and time again. They also hope to prove that they are right and that their predictions are wise. They have waited and waited, and only now have they finally confirmed that despite the five-year delay,
Their judgment on Nadal was correct after all.
He called out again, and then you could see Nadal standing up straight, with a face full of pain, barely smiling towards Gawain, and raising his racket to signal.
until now.
"Bah! Rafa!"
Applause, thunder.
Cheers, all around.
It's for Nadal, it's for Gawain, and it's also for this game. The audience is looking forward to a perfect conclusion to this exciting showdown.
The Philippe-Chatier Stadium was once again filled with excitement, cheering for Nadal.