At Rod Laver Arena, some spectators were organizing the situation and calling on everyone to keep quiet, but it was not because of Gawain, but because Djokovic wanted to break serve.
Buzz buzz.
There was still a surge in the air, but Gao Wen always remained calm and unmoved. He had already stood in the second area and was ready to serve.
Gawain knows that he may lose this game and Djokovic may win the final victory. This is a fact, not just a probability.
However, Gawain also knows that if Djokovic wants this victory, he must fight to the end because he will not surrender.
Absolutely! No!
His battle is far from over.
The more difficult it is, the more dangerous it is. On the contrary, the more focused and high-spirited you are. After passing the extreme test of physical strength, your heartbeat and breathing have returned to normal. Your attention is completely focused on the next point, and you don't think about victory and victory for the time being.
When you fail, don't think about the championship, just focus on the game.
Pah. Pah.
It can be heard from the sound of hitting the ball that Gawain's mentality is very stable and there is no fluctuation at all.
Second District.
One shot, inner corner.
Deep area.
Gao Wen chose a very tricky landing point, pressing the ball on the bottom line of the service area and pressing the ball; the speed was not fast, but the top spin was very fierce.
Djokovic was a little surprised. His forehand shot was squeezed a little and he barely managed to hit it. However, at the critical moment, he still showed his unparalleled serve-returning touch and actually controlled the arc of the return ball.
.
The entire audience watched as Djokovic's return ball flew back unsteadily and successfully hit the bottom line.
Huh!
A cry of exclamation!
The quality of Djokovic's return service is indeed very good. Even though the quality of Gao Wen's first serve is already good, he still cannot suppress it.
To a large extent, this is also a link that Djokovic attaches great importance to today. He continued to put pressure on Gaowen through his return service, which caused Gaowen's serve to have problems again. He had already given away eight points in the first two sets.
I made a double mistake and seemed to be back in Doha overnight.
For male players, if they cannot establish an advantage through serving, the game will indeed be very difficult.
Especially facing Djokovic, who is known as the "world's best bottom line player" today, losing the advantage of attacking in the first three shots would be even more of a disaster.
Bottom line!
Deep zone!
And, backhand!
Djokovic's return was in the middle, but he slightly suppressed his backhand. It was obvious that he was bullying Gao Wen's poor backhand condition today and suppressed him continuously.
Rub rub rub!
The harsh sound of the soles of the shoes rubbing against the court was very obvious. You could immediately see Gao Wen's continuous footstep adjustments. He did not choose to step back, but slightly moved to the right to adjust enough for his backhand swing.
space, then——
Kick the ground!
Turn around!
Swing!
Push!
Gawain's backhand shot was still very firm, without any hesitation and without any wavering——
In fact, Gao Wen had long realized that his backhand felt bad.
It is related to the weather, physical fitness, competition environment, etc., and most importantly, it is also related to the opponent. Every link is closely related.
But the problem is that the backhand is an important part of his fight against Djokovic. If he retreats like he did against Nadal at the Imperial Open last year, then Djokovic and Nadal will be able to catch Gao Wen easily.
Even if you have shortcomings, you don't even need to give 100% of your strength to take control of the game.
This is their ability, but also their experience.
Therefore, from the first set to the second set, Gao Wen has been adjusting. Even at the risk of making mistakes, he must unswervingly implement the tactics.
Just look at the two backhand line-changing errors at the critical moment of the tie-break in the second set.
Even if he loses the game in the end, he will try all possible methods and burn all his energy to fight until the last moment.
Slowly, slowly, Gao Wen did regain some touch. Although it was still unstable, in the third set, he was no longer passive.
At this time, the same is true.
Concentrated, undistracted, and unswerving, the entire batting movement is smooth and fluid, and the flexible steps make enough space for the swinging movement, and the swing is released in one go.
boom!
Tennis ball, push back quickly.
Flat hit!
slash!
Dead spot!
Gao Wen showed the boldness of a skilled professional. When faced with the break point, he did not hold back with his backhand and directly aimed at the blind corner of the baseline triangle to launch an attack.
"ah!"
Djokovic was also a little surprised. He expected Gawain's diagonal return, but he didn't expect the speed and placement, and his steps were slightly off.
However, for Djokovic, this return of the ball was still not a problem. He showed his soft physical fitness, successfully grabbed the hitting point with a long stride, and blocked the shot with both hands.
Iconic shot!
pocket!
One of the most iconic movements of Djokovic's baseline hitting is the "duck ball". Whether it is a forehand or a backhand, all of them can be circled.
Relying on his unparalleled hitting talent, Djokovic is like an iron wall, able to deflect any shot, even when facing Nadal's super topspin, so watching Djokovic's game,
A common picture is:
He ran back and forth on the baseline, and then kept turning all the shots back until the opponent's hand softened. Either the opponent made a mistake and scored points; or there was a gap in the opponent's footwork, and he seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack.
This shot is Djokovic's special skill, and it is also the unique skill that establishes him as the first baseline player.
At this time, Djokovic once again hit Gawain's short, flat and sharp shot.
Whoosh!
When returning the ball, the speed of the ball was not very fast, but it was flat and light. It seemed to be swaying, but in fact, it returned to the gap on the left side of Gaowen's court along a diagonal in an instant.
From the moment he served, Gao Wen's footsteps were always in the midfield, and was suppressed to the right by Djokovic's hitting, so that the left half was basically idle.
Djokovic ripped the diagonal angle apart and found the gap easily.
Although the force is a bit light, the angle and landing point still make full use of the field, forcing Gawain to move quickly laterally.
Gawain, on the move.
Djokovic, too, is on the move.
Because Djokovic also knows that this return shot can cause some trouble, but the winning point is impossible. He needs to defend Gawain's next shot.
as expected!
Gawain's light steps were in place in the blink of an eye, and his backhand with both hands was raised high again, like a fort, aiming at Djokovic's half.
Straight line? Diagonal line? Middle road?
Djokovic moved twice toward his forehand position, but after a false shot, he immediately returned to his backhand position——
the reason is simple.
Gao Wen's backhand status fluctuated significantly. From the end of the second set to the beginning of the third set, the line changed three times and all went out of bounds.
Therefore, Djokovic needs to guard against Gawain's backhand straight line, but he does not need to be too nervous. He can focus more on defending his backhand diagonal line.
Look, when faced with the Big Four, once their lines are unable to open up, they can immediately press their tactics closer and closer, making it impossible to breathe.
One comes, one goes.
Everything happened in a flash, and then Gawain hit the ball——