Djokovic also chose a surprise attack with a small ball, copying and pasting Gawain's performance on the first break point, and returning the favor in his own way.
Djokovic cut a backslash with his backhand and flew towards Gawain's right front court. The thrilling arc made the whole audience feel excited.
Kick!
Gao Wen accurately predicted the backslash shot and was preparing to move towards his forehand position; but he did not anticipate the choice of the ball and paused slightly.
However, the difference between the situation of Gao Wen and Djokovic is that even if he did not predict it, Gao Wen was not surprised and was mentally prepared in advance, because he knew that this was the case when facing the Big Four, and his tactical routines were always the same.
They are all changing, and once you change, they may also change immediately.
Moreover, it should be noted that Djokovic's net play times tonight are much higher than Gao Wen's. Under Becker's training, Djokovic's net skills and pre-net awareness are slowly changing.
And it was slowly polished through actual competition, and eventually evolved into a weapon at critical moments.
Therefore, Gawain's reaction was very swift.
With a kick of his left calf, the whole person rushed out directly. Following the inertia of moving on the right side, he changed the route slightly and rushed forward along the diagonal line.
Squeak!
Gawain went online.
Miso miso miso!
Djokovic also went online.
The reaction of both players was very timely and fast, and they immediately caught up with each other, and then you can see the two figures hitting the net at the same time.
The difference is that Gao Wen is trying to save the ball, while Djokovic is trying to block the follow-up.
Gao Wen noticed Djokovic's figure immediately.
If it is a group of young players born after 1990 who have superb baseline strength but weak awareness in front of the net, their follow-up connections are often unable to keep up.
But not the Big Four.
After choosing to release small balls, their subsequent tactics were also formed in their minds. They all knew whether to choose to stick to the bottom line or choose to block the ball.
Obviously, Djokovic watched the match between Gauvin and Murray, and was deeply impressed by his delicate touch at the net. Therefore, Djokovic went directly to the net without hesitation and got close to him.
The net was further blocked, and the two players immediately entered hand-to-hand mode——
It can be seen from this detail that what Becker did to Djokovic and Sampras did to Gawain had a direct impact on their tactical systems.
At the beginning of the year in Doha, the two players participated in a doubles match to polish their net skills.
The last time they met in doubles, Gao Wen teamed up with Nadal to win completely, so what about this time in the singles arena?
Gawain's peripheral vision was judging Djokovic's position.
Although Djokovic is not a giant and lacks advantages in physical blockade, his stretchability and softness are particularly good, coupled with excellent prediction, so his coverage in front of the net is also very important.
Because Djokovic calculated beforehand, he was more calm in his steps on the net, so he even entered the state earlier than Gao Wen, gently tiptoeing in preparation for the next shot to block the shot, and his muscles were tight but still flexible.
It can be seen that the strong confidence radiates from the inside out——
This is also a kind of psychological pressure.
what to do?
How should Gawain choose?
Tap tap tap.
Gao Wen's main focus is still on the tennis ball. This time, Djokovic's control of the small ball is a bit lacking. The line and landing point are good, but the unloading force is not completely discharged, so the rebound of the tennis ball after landing is particularly high.
, obviously Gao Wen’s rotation and Djokovic’s rotation were superimposed.
This also means that Gawain has enough height to complete the shot.
Forehand!
Sweep!
At the moment of taking action, Gawain's wrist adjusted slightly. It was not a soft package, but a straight impact——
Just like baseball.
In fact, this is a fake move. On the surface, it seems that Gao Wen is preparing to replay the ball, but in fact, Gao Wen is hitting a deep zone return ball.
So, what's the difference?
The difference lies in Djokovic's response.
Originally, Djokovic's wrist had softened and he was ready to handle the delicate ball in front of the net and return a more difficult ball.
As a result, Gao Wen's return hit the ball directly, so that Djokovic had no time to adjust and reflexively reached out to block the shot on his right side.
boom!
Djokovic still blocked Gawain's shot accurately, but his control of the return was completely out of control, and the tennis ball actually rose.
The next second.
Gawain immediately jumped out horizontally, crossing the ball like a carp leaping over the dragon's door. At this time, there was no room for a two-handed backhand, and the one-handed backhand was at the high point of the tennis ball's flight.
A light touch.
The softness and delicacy of the wrist are undoubtedly revealed.
Then, the tennis ball flew back——
slash.
Djokovic kicked the ground hard and threw his body out the second time, trying to complete the interception.
But, it's a little worse.
Just a little bit.
The tennis ball broke through Djokovic's blockade, fell inbound, and bounced out.
"40:40".
"ah!"
Gawain, finally released, looked up to the sky and roared.
"Ahhh!"
After suppressing it for too long, Gawain finally couldn't control it anymore and roared heartily.
boom!
All the Chinese fans and neutral fans in the audience finally could no longer control themselves, and collectively raised their arms and shouted, with screams and roars exploding directly in their ears.
"nice shot!"
Zhang Sheng felt that his heart was about to stop beating.
"Good shot, good shot! The two players battled wits and showed courage and courage in this point."
"Djokovic tried to copy Gawain's small ball tactics and break the balance, but we can see Gawain's handling."
"He anticipated Djokovic's interception at the net, so he changed his hitting method at the moment before taking action, from a small ball in the shallow area to a long ball in the deep area. This also destroyed Djokovic's attack.
The interception finally created an opportunity for his next interception and saved the third break point."
"incredible!"
"We must know that Gawain is only nineteen years old this year. This wisdom and calmness, this experience and wisdom are indeed impressive."
"Even facing Djokovic, Gao Wen still showed an incredible top level."
"At this point, Djokovic lost a little control of his emotions and yelled at the players' box."
Djokovic is indeed dissatisfied, very, very dissatisfied——
To yourself.
After experiencing a painful reversal in the Paris Masters, which directly led to two consecutive defeats against Gao Wen, this is a painful memory for Djokovic.
Therefore, last year in London and this year in Melbourne, Djokovic's attention was raised to the highest level to ensure that he would not be careless and miss Jingzhou.
but!
At the critical moment, Gao Wen saved three break points in a row with a solid and brave, bold and delicate performance. This was not wonderful for Djokovic.
This is the case in any competitive sport. In a top-level matchup, if you miss an opportunity, you will be punished.
"ah!"
Djokovic also roared out. Even if he has two sets in hand, he must not take it lightly.