The more special moments like this, the more you need to focus, go all out, and devote yourself to the game without reservation. This is the respect and tribute to the God of War and the opponent, and to complete the game with dignity.
Gao Wen believes that Nadal does not need sympathy or let off steam, because Nadal has not given up the fight yet, and they will continue to strive for victory in a fair and equitable way in competitive sports.
really--
On the break point, Nadal refused to surrender.
Mutual exchange.
Stalemate. Not going down.
In this minute, both Gawain and Nadal have mobilized their full state, and the back-and-forth baseline confrontation covers the entire court, from forehand to forehand, from forehand to backhand, and from backhand to forehand, a comprehensive confrontation
.
Nadal once cut a small ball and moved Gao Wen to the front of the net, but due to Gao Wen's handling of the ball, he returned to the baseline. The two players' offensive and defensive transitions were suffocating. High-quality offense and high-quality defense were tit for tat.
until--
Gao Wen seized an opportunity that was not an opportunity and suppressed Nadal's forehand with two consecutive shots, forcing the quality of Nadal's forehand to decline.
Then.
For the third consecutive shot, Gao Wen adjusted his steps, grabbed an ascending point, turned sideways forehand, launched an all-out attack, and hit the ball with a skateboard style to open up the angle.
Forehand!
Still a forehand!
ah!
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!
Gao Wen unleashed his full force, and his violent forehand attack unreasonably broke the rhythm and balance, and directly penetrated Nadal's forehand defense——
Win, score.
In the third game of the fourth set, there was a back-and-forth stalemate for twelve minutes, which ended with Gawain breaking serve.
Nadal is almost out of gas.
This game also became the final turning point. Carrying the momentum of breaking serve in this game, Gao Wen accelerated all the way and widened the gap in one go.
Nadal has indeed been unable to keep up. Not to mention the further decline in the quality of his forehand shots, the rate of defensive moves has also dropped significantly.
You can see the difference between the two players by browsing the post-match technical statistics.
Throughout the game, there was a clear gap between the two players in terms of winning points. Gauvin scored a total of 51 winning points, while Nadal only scored a pitiful 18. This set of data can be said to be a microcosm of the entire game.
Among them, Nadal's signature weapon, the forehand, only scored four winning points.
Of course, Gawain's excellent backhand performance is undoubtedly an important key reason, which restricted Nadal's forehand. However, it can still be seen that Nadal's forehand is in poor condition.
The fourth set is not over yet, but... the situation is over.
After breaking serve in the third game, Gao Wen was in full swing and Nadal was in an overall downturn.
From physical problems to forehand conditions to defensive returns, the quality of the entire game has faced significant fluctuations. Although Nadal still has not given up, he is still fighting, still fighting, and playing every point conscientiously. Still trying back and forth.
Catch the game, but it's difficult.
"5:1".
Following the third game, Gao Wen launched another attack in the fifth game, saving three game points and then cashing in on the third break point, breaking serve for the second time.
Immediately after holding serve again, Gao Wen was already far ahead in the fourth set.
Nadal still didn't give up, let alone surrender. He prepared step by step, with a meticulous attitude just like the first game.
Amid the cheers of the entire audience, Nadal saved a break point and match point and secured serve. Philippe Chatier was in a state of excitement.
"5:2".
I never thought that just a guaranteed serve could be so wonderful and exciting, and the audience inside and outside the stadium went crazy.
The pressure came to Gawain's side.
Next, Gao Wen played steadily and steadily in his own serve to win the game, once again showing his big heart, and quickly gained a foothold and entered the game.
"40:0".
Three consecutive match points.
Nadal was not moved at all, he concentrated on the game and played every point conscientiously. Then, Nadal scored——
Forehand, diagonal, crossing, and whip-swinging forehand at the extreme position saved the ball, but he scored the fourth winning point in the whole game from the forehand position.
boom!
The audience threw their minds directly into the blazing fire, and the whole place went wild.
"Bah! Rafa!"
"Bah! Rafa!"
The cheers were overwhelming, and it was as if you could feel the lava surging under your feet.
Amid the cheers from the audience, Nadal once again launched a desperate counterattack——
"40:15".
Nadal began to break the routine from the moment he received the serve, destroying Gawain's layout. The two players started a close-quarters battle at the bottom line.
Eight beats.
Fourteen beats.
His lungs were burning and exploding, and his whole brain was roaring and buzzing.
Twenty-two beats.
Thirty-four shots.
From technical to physical collision, it finally evolved into a mental battle. Both players had entered an anaerobic state and relied purely on instinct to hit the ball, but they were still trying to contain their opponents in a flash of lightning.
Forty-one shots.
Push the ground and brake.
Take off, leap.
Forehand, whip the whip with all your strength, relying on the wrist wrap to push out a straight shot——
Return the ball.
Coming from Gawain, aim a sudden attack behind Nadal who just left.
This was not an offensive opportunity at all. It was obvious that Gao Wen's steps were not in place, but Gao Wen still gritted his teeth and burned the small universe to complete the shot. It was not only sudden but also resolute, completely breaking Nadal's prediction.
Nadal paused, braked suddenly, and prepared to turn around and save the ball.
However, his legs no longer had the strength to push off the ground, so he finally relied on willpower to turn around, take off, and throw his body away.
...Touch the ball, success.
Unfortunately, he was unable to swing the racket, and the racket directly hit the tennis ball, causing a car accident, and then the tennis ball flew high towards the audience stands.
After the 42nd shot, I was unable to return to the court.
The game is over.
"4:6", "7:5", "6:4", "6:2".
Gawain finally cashed in on the third match point, reversing the victory and becoming the second player after Soderling to defeat Nadal at Roland Garros, ending Nadal's quest for six consecutive French Open titles, and
Nadal’s winning streak at Roland Garros was set at thirty-nine games.
It's over, it's all over.
In this way, the ultra-long tug-of-war in the 41-shot round ended with Gao Wen finding a breakthrough from Nadal's forehand position, bringing an end to a game that carried countless expectations and meanings.
Tragic, tragic, and passionate.
When Nadal tried his best to hit the ball in the end but failed to turn the tide and sent the tennis ball flying, the Philippe-Chatier Stadium did not cheer or celebrate, but fell into a brief silence and shock.
They, witnessing such a battle at the scene, need a little time to digest and settle——
Perhaps, judging from the score, Nadal lost the fourth set very miserably, but the audience who watched the whole game knew that even if he was exhausted and in poor condition, Nadal still fought hard until the last moment. The actual situation was far from the score.
It looks so relaxed and freehand.
In the end, the whole match lasted three hours and forty minutes. Nadal had indeed exhausted his last bit of energy. It could be said that he had run out of gas. He had no regrets on this court and in this city.
They should applaud Gawain's victory, but they should also take off their hats for Nadal's hard work.
The whole place was completely silent, only the heart was beating, feeling the surge of emotions with a slight trembling.