Federer's footsteps were just about to start moving to the left, he stopped and turned suddenly, and subconsciously moved to the right, but he was pulled by gravity.
With a sudden movement, his footsteps were nailed to the spot.
Then, he watched helplessly as the tennis ball slipped into his forehand gap.
In fact, the distance is not far away, it is just two steps, but it is so close yet so far away, so far out of reach that we can only watch the ball and sigh.
His eyes were fixed on the landing point of Gao Wen's return shot, and he subconsciously looked back at the linesman behind him——
within the bounds.
The linesman's gestures were firm, his eyes were clear, and he was confident in his decisions.
Federer knew he was right, because from the look of his eyes, he was also in bounds.
Federer didn't say anything more. He straightened his knees, stood up straight, and walked to the side of the court. He needed to use the time to wipe his sweat and collect his thoughts.
boom!
It was only now, after a complete delay, that the O2 Stadium reacted, raised its arms and shouted, and the mighty cheers and screams swept the entire venue.
Tense, exciting, violent.
Sure enough, the match between Gao Wen and Federer lived up to expectations, ushering in the first climax at the beginning. From the layout to the game to the sudden change and finally subversion, the ups and downs of the collision were all concentrated in a short round of two and three beats, which instantly detonated and made the heart beat.
It is almost impossible to bear such energy.
Then, the break point appeared——
Federer's performance was still outstanding, but Gawain's on-the-spot response was even better.
This is the peak showdown that people are looking forward to seeing.
I still remember that last year at the O2 Arena, Djokovic and Federer met in the final. The audience had high expectations and enthusiasm, ready to feast their eyes on a peak duel. However, they did not expect that Federer had to choose before the match due to injury.
Retiring from the competition is disappointing.
That regret, a whole year later, is still hard to let go of.
It is precisely because of this that on the eve of this year's final, the most discussed topic is the hope that the players will be healthy and not be affected by injuries, and then look forward to dedicating a top-level competition to make up for the excitement missed last year.
Now... it lives up to expectations.
It was only the third game, and Gao Wen, who had once again completely transformed himself in the second half of the season and completed a qualitative change, took the lead, seizing the opportunity with his changeable strategies and decisive execution.
Then, Federer needs to face a break point test.
At this time, looking at the forehand error at "30:15", I can understand more deeply:
In a battle between masters, there is indeed no room for mistakes. A slight deviation in details may become a stage for the opponent to show off his skills, and this gap is enough to become the key to overturning the balance of the game.
"30:40".
Federer's first test.
But looking at it from another perspective, Gawain has an advantage by grasping one detail. In turn, Federer can do the same, and he also has this ability.
Now, it depends on Federer's response.
So, does Federer need to change his strategy?
Federer disagrees.
In Federer's view, there is no problem with this serve, tactics and strategy. Such confrontation and tug-of-war were expected before the game. Although Gawain made some adjustments and attempts, and they worked, Federer should not be involved.
Walking on the nose, he needs to stick to himself.
He believes in himself.
Second District.
outer corner.
"Out of bounds!"
Federer tried to open up the angle and fully mobilize Gawain. Even though Gawain successfully touched the ball, his steps were completely pulled out.
Unfortunately, it's slightly off the edge.
A layman watches the excitement, an expert watches the door.
At this point, you should look at the details——
Federer's serve has some fluctuations. Although there have only been two service games so far, Federer's first-server scoring rate is very good and the overall performance is stable; but in this game, Gao Wen received the serve in advance, forming a kind of
Without invisible pressure, the situation will change subtly.
Previously, Federer's serve was still excellent; however, when it came to the break point, Federer's first serve was a little tight.
From here we can see that pressure exists objectively.
Perhaps, Federer fans may be unconvinced. Why does the world champion need to be nervous?
Don’t forget, this is the O2 Arena, a venue where Federer has written countless glorious legends; moreover, after coming to London this year, Federer has remained undefeated, defeating Djokovic and Nadal in straight scores.
Action proves your status.
Federer has the confidence to face any player. How could he be nervous because of Gawain?
But the reality is that Gawain is an opponent that any player needs to be wary of, including Federer.
Federer raised his head and glanced at Gawain. Gawain was highly focused and not distracted at all. He knew that his strategy should be exposed——
On the first serve, Federer was preparing to serve and sneak into the net.
Of course, Federer has not forgotten how he lost the first point of this game, but this does not mean that Federer will shrink back, he will still stick to his tactics; it’s just that now, as soon as he goes out of bounds, the strategy is seen through, which means that the second serve
A new layout is required.
Pa. Pa.
That is, during the short gap between shooting the ball, Federer has already completed adjustments and re-imagined.
Second serve.
outer corner.
Surprisingly, it's still the outer corner.
It's the same outside corner, but the entire serving strategy is completely different.
When serving the outside corner, Federer chose the standard outside corner, landing on the sideline of the service area, tearing the angle apart, and relying on speed to suppress it.
On the outside corner of the second serve, Federer took the angle back a bit and landed in the small triangle where the sideline of the service area and the bottom line meet, relying on topspin to suppress it.
In other words, the first shot uses the horizontal space, and the second shot uses the vertical space; not to mention the differences in speed, power, and rotation.
Moreover, the key point is that Federer grasped Gawain's position——
Gao Wen's position is still forward, right near the bottom line.
The second serve hit the ground with a strong spin and rebounded, then rose high. When it came to the baseline, the hitting point was diagonally above the head. Not to mention exerting force, even the swing was completely restrained.
Federer aimed at Gauvin's position and created a serve that was awkward no matter how he hit the ball.
This is Federer's ability, not only showing his control and layout, but also showing his tennis wisdom.
then.
Or, Gawain retreats and loses his positional advantage.
Or, Gao Wen cuts and gives up the strategy of rushing to serve.
Federer really didn't leave Gawain with many options, but this is the advantage of the server. As long as the serve is good enough, it can limit the opponent.
Gawain, choose the latter.
It is precisely this moment that witnesses Gawain's ability to become the fifth giant.
Because he knew that Federer would definitely change his strategy and improve his condition at the break point, any changes were not unexpected and he always remained calm.
Cutting?
no problem.
Not only did Gawain not retreat, but he also stepped forward slightly. At the high point diagonally above his head, he completed a series of cuts from top to bottom, controlled the parabola, and pushed towards Federer's stance——
Precisely, it is Federer's serving position, or even more accurately, it is the position of Federer's feet.
Cut deep and turn.
The tennis ball fluttered and swayed, like a dead leaf shivering in the autumn rain and cold wind. It was about to float out of the baseline, but when it was about to go out of bounds, it quickly fell and landed on the baseline.