Generally speaking, being in a difficult situation often means being passive, and being passive means being helpless, and hasty and embarrassing responses are the common norm.
However, from the previous point to this point, Gawain in the dilemma gave different answers. It was not just about taking risks, but also wisdom and courage can be seen in the choices that broke the rules, which instantly overturned the situation.
This temperament that changes from passive to active truly shows the demeanor of a king.
The audience watched helplessly as Gawain teetered, barely managing to complete the shot, but relied on his personal ability to push the tennis ball into the gap in Wawrinka's court, disrupting Wawrinka's follow-up plan.
Sluggish, stunned, excited!
This this!
Wawrinka was a little panicked and hurried from the right side of the court to the left. Although his heart was beating wildly and he was panicking, his brain was extremely clear and he shot a backhand diagonal without hesitation, tearing the line open.
boom--
Power, not completely closed, but the angle is open.
In the back-and-forth confrontation, Wawrinka also showed his fighting spirit, making full use of the horizontal space on the court with a diagonal "inside-out" shot, turning the situation around again in an instant.
But...really?
Gawain, appears.
Appearing like a ghost from the other end of the court to this end of the court.
The footwork is still a little lacking, and the center of gravity is constantly shaking and swinging. It is difficult to grasp during the bumps and sprints, and the accuracy of the shot is inevitably affected. In addition, Wawrinka's hitting directly pulls Gawain out of the singles line, and the entire hitting
The difficulty will go up a notch again.
Tread! Tread, tap, tap!
Gao Wen did not use small steps, but took long strides. He pushed his body forward with continuous long strides, started the shot early with his backhand with both hands, and stretched his posture.
Wawrinka's pupils suddenly contracted——
Not good.
However, Wawrinka had just started to move, and Gawain had already hit the ball.
Kick off the ground, soar into the air, leap up, and spread your wings to fly. Relying on these movements to grab a proper hitting point, you can hit with a backhand with both hands without hesitation.
Swing the racket, speed up, exert force.
The racket head speed instantly increases to a new level.
Backhand, straight line.
An arrow to the heart!
Gawain soared into the air, his feet performing a scissor-kick action in the air, flying in the air like a moonwalk, and his graceful and hard-hitting shots were crisp and clean. He raised the knife and dropped it, directly ending the round.
Winning point, plus one more.
"30:30".
--stay!
It was so unexpected and so wonderful that the O2 Stadium couldn't keep up with the rhythm. My brain temporarily stopped and went blank with no thoughts.
After two consecutive points, with Wawrinka's serve having a clear advantage, Gawain chose to give it a try to reverse the situation, and ended the battle within three beats. His excellent touch and perfect execution pushed the game to a new level.
Wow!
When I finally reacted, I was filled with admiration and exclamation.
Wawrinka stood there and glanced at the straight landing point of Gawain's backhand. He felt helpless and bitter. His knees felt weak for a while and he almost squatted down.
Are these two points due to Wawrinka not playing well?
No.
Wawrinka has played very well, but Gawain's response is really unanswerable, just like Wawrinka who was in a super state in the past three games.
Now, Wawrinka can finally understand how Gawain felt just now——
While going around and around, Wawrinka was really confused and found it difficult to keep up with Gawain's rhythm.
Not only the rhythm in terms of speed, but also the rhythm in terms of tactical layout, shot selection, etc. Such Gao Wen is really difficult to deal with.
The meeting with Roland Garros was different.
So, what’s next?
Head-to-head!
Wawrinka's memory is not that bad. What happened in the third game of the first set is still vivid in his mind. He held three consecutive game points but lost five points in a row and suffered a break. The same situation should not happen twice in the same game.
At least, that's what Wawrinka did his best to avoid.
Wawrinka also ignites blood and improves status.
ACE!
Wawrinka responded in the strongest and most straightforward way.
This point is only safe when Gawain cannot touch the ball; and Wawrinka did exactly that, finding the serve in time.
"40:30".
The balance has regained some balance.
However, here is a detail -
In the second set, there was no retreat for Wawrinka. He had to go all out and not allow any mistakes. This pressure was always there.
For Gawain, this game and this set can be lost. He focuses on the overall layout and can start trying without pressure.
Just like the two winning points that Gao Wen just scored, he was the one who dared to break the balance and break the deadlock, and his shot selection was different.
As a result, the situation became stalemate.
Wawrinka missed three game points and saved a break point crisis, but was never able to win the game. Then, with a forehand out of bounds, after four deuces, Wawrinka got a second break point.
The situation is very, very tense.
Gawain immediately realized that his strategy worked, because Wawrinka began to make mistakes, which also meant that the fiery touch of the super god state slowly faded——
Even if he can't break serve in this game, it doesn't matter. As long as Gao Wen continues his strategy and enters the tie-break or the third set, he will be able to gain the upper hand.
This also keeps Gawain's mind relaxed.
On the second break point, Gao Wen once again showed his courage.
Second District.
Wawrinka sneaked into the outside corner, and this time, he accurately caught Gao Wen, forcing Gao Wen to barely block the shot, and the advantage was immediately established.
Wawrinka completed the offensive connection without hesitation, shot a forehand diagonal, and directly hit the killer, aiming at Gawain's backhand hammer.
Gawain's pace adjustment was indeed not able to keep up, and the swing space in the backhand position was seriously insufficient, but Gawain did not panic -
Anyway, it can always be cut.
In fact, Gawain did choose to cut, but this time, it was not spin back, but spin up.
That is to say, lob.
Wawrinka:???
O2 Arena:???
What exactly is this strategy?
The entire audience was stunned, and even the commentary booth was dumbfounded, completely unable to understand Gawain's batting choice.
Passive is passive, but I don’t know how passive it is to the point where it is necessary to hit the ball high. Why didn’t Gao Wen choose to cut backspin? Wasn’t the previous effect good?
What is going on in Gawain's head?
The tennis ball rose high, and in the eyes of the audience filled with question marks, it crossed the court, along the diagonal line, and flew towards the deep area of Wawrinka's backhand baseline.
Wawrinka also couldn't understand Gawain's tactical intention, but for him, lobbing meant that he had enough time to think and he could adjust slowly; unfortunately, one shot after another was like a storm.
Continuous attacks were forced to slow down the pace.
However, Wawrinka didn't mind.
Continuously adjusting in small steps, Wawrinka arrived early, staring at the tennis ball intently, and his backhand was ready.
etc--
No way?
Gawain's lofted ball carried strong topspin and hit the dead center accurately. This also meant that Wawrinka had to step back to make room to find the hitting point, and he shot a one-handed backhand diagonally above his shoulder.
It’s really difficult to generate power when hitting the ball from a position, so, is this Gawain’s plan?