After two consecutive rounds of confrontation, amid the stalemate and collision, without warning, Djokovic quickly switched his steps and made a sideways forehand slash.
This was a very sudden and unexpected shot. Not to mention the 30 shots after the stalemate, Jokovic did not often use this shot even in the first three shots because he was very confident in his backhand.
It suddenly appeared at this time and broke expectations.
Djokovic showed his belief and determination, and finally found his most comfortable and confident position after a long period of stalemate and layout.
Then, take action.
The angle was torn apart instantly.
Gawain was a little surprised but not embarrassed. He made two big strides and quickly made adjustments.
Although the steps are in place, the awkward thing about this racket is that the tail force of the tennis ball continues to break diagonally upwards towards his left shoulder. If the racket head is not retracted fast enough, it will not be able to catch the tennis ball at all.
Moreover, this is already the second half of a long tug-of-war. Both players have entered an anaerobic state. The burning of their lungs and exploding muscles make control even more difficult.
The golden sunlight that filled the sky was like a sea of fire.
So, how does Gawain return the ball?
slash.
Gao Wen did not force the straight line because he knew that this time Djokovic had the upper hand and his racket head speed might not be able to sweep the tennis ball into the straight line, so the diagonal line was a better choice.
But Gawain was not prepared to step into Djokovic's layout so simply.
The diagonal line was indeed a diagonal line, just as Djokovic wanted; at the same time, Gao Wen chose a light shot, relying on the control of his wrist and racket surface to further tear the tennis line apart.
Shallow area.
outer corner.
The diagonal angle is further expanded.
Both players' footsteps must enter the baseline and leave the doubles line before they can complete the shot. They finally entered the corners of the court that are not usually used.
Huh!
The whole audience exclaimed.
The wind was strong, and the golden sunshine enveloped the two players, like golden gods of war.
Djokovic quickly adjusted his steps, and Gao Wen's return was expected but exceeded expectations. He guessed that Gao Wen might not take the risk of choosing a straight line, but he should pull back the diagonal angle and target the midfield to launch an attack.
.
However, Gawain did not.
Diagonal lines, tearing off angles, continuous use of space, pushing each other to the extreme.
Djokovic's steps paused slightly, and he quickly pulled his center of gravity back, flying up with his Hot Wheels feet, fully stretching his body, and a roar broke out from deep in his dantian——
Backhand with both hands without hesitation, push forward and send forward.
straight line!
Split a path in Huashan in the narrow space between the referee's chair and the net, and penetrate the court along the gap, just like a sniper pulling the trigger.
Amid the chaos and collision, Djokovic boldly and riskyly yet logically chose a route, aiming at Gawain's completely open positive gap to launch an attack.
Of course, adventure is required.
Whoosh.
The tennis ball disappeared from everyone's sight, not because of the increase in speed, but because of the physical obstruction of the referee's chair and the net, making it difficult to see clearly.
Involuntarily, he opened his eyes wide and tried his best to see clearly——
A flash of mustard-yellow light penetrated the tight cover and rushed out.
Amidst the exclamations and astonishment, the forehand that was aimed at Gawain fell rapidly from the dead center, like a shooting star, and the uproar was surging.
So, in or out of bounds?
Tap tap tap!
Gawain was running wildly across the field, his footsteps turning into a ball of light and shadow, as if he could see the mighty wind blowing all the way.
Whether it is Gawain or Djokovic, they have made full use of the space on the court. This also means that the gap on the other side is completely open and may become a breakthrough for the opponent at any time, so it naturally needs to be protected.
Therefore, it can be seen from the movement trend that both people focus on protecting their forehands.
Now, Gawain broke the rules and chose to return the ball, and Djokovic took advantage of the trend to hit the straight gap. Gawain started quickly and moved quickly, and the acceleration completely surged.
The speed has been increased to the extreme.
Whoosh.
The strong wind roared above the eardrums, and the entire stadium space was completely visible.
Close.
Closer.
Approach at full speed.
Then, with a kick of his left leg, his body moved forward and he did the splits, Gawain was already gliding on the sapphire blue court like a surfer.
The forehand led to the racket, and he pulled and pulled it. He quickly glanced at the other side of the court from the corner of his eyes. Without any hesitation or hesitation, he swung the racket and released it.
Hit?
No, cutting.
straight line.
Again! Again, a straight line!
Unlike Djokovic, Gauvin continuously suppressed the backhand. In this long round, from suppressing the forehand to resisting the backhand, Gauvin changed his strategy very firmly, firmly restricting Djokovic's backhand.
Huh!
The entire audience was shocked.
Djokovic was shocked.
It was completely unexpected. Gawain's tactics and execution broke the rules and created a line in the tit-for-tat collision of powerful forces.
As always, it's true at Melbourne Park and it's true tonight.
Djokovic's footsteps were moving towards the forehand, and he took it for granted that Gawain would choose to attack the forehand on a diagonal. His body stepped up along the diagonal, preparing to volley in front of the net, continue to press, and realize the winning points.
result!
One shot of cutting, but like a miracle, the situation of the confrontation was reversed.
Uh-huh.
Djokovic's right leg suddenly stopped and turned, and the surging force backfired, making him groan and pull his body back with long strides. Although the distance was not far away and he was barely in place, the confusion in his center of gravity gave him room to hit the ball.
Was thrown into the dryer.
ah!
Sole of foot, bounce ball.
Gao Wen's cutting was very smart. He did not widen the angle or aim at a blind spot. Instead, he slightly pulled back the angle, moved closer to the direction of Djokovic's movement, and relied on strong underspin to make a shot that flew over the net and plummeted.
Finally, the tennis ball fell at Djokovic's feet. Djokovic's body was completely pinned together and could not stretch. Djokovic relied on his body's flexibility to twist like a twist, with his hands behind his back.
Hit a bounce ball next to your feet to complete the emergency response.
However, control is out of the question.
The tennis ball rises high, high and shallow.
Oops!
Djokovic immediately sounded the alarm, stopped and started again for the second time in a row. The center of gravity of the left and right rampage fell into chaos like a bouncy ball, and he adjusted in small steps to return to the center of the court and quickly returned to defense.
But, passive, very, very passive.
Djokovic watched Gao Wen's steps make a dizzying adjustment. He immediately cut to the baseline and took a quick step forward. In the blink of an eye, he was in the midfield and close to the tennis ball. He even had time to adjust and observe.
Backhand, lead the shot, and set it up directly.
So, what line and which direction?
Djokovic saw that Gao Wen's batting action paused obviously before taking the shot. In the air, the eyes of the two people collided with each other——
They are suspicious of each other, calculating against each other, and restricting each other.
The atmosphere is deadlocked.
Although the description is very long, in fact it was just a flash of lightning, and then Gawain had already taken the lead.
He had to take action, otherwise, the hitting point would be missed.