In Grand Slam semi-finals and finals, Djokovic has tried this tactic against different players, including the other Big Three.
The big score is "2:1" leading. If you encounter physical difficulties, you will let go in the fourth set and lose to your opponent by a wide margin, and then use your strength in the final set to win in the end.
From the past to the present, Djokovic has not been a passionate and impulsive player. He will not fight from the first point to the last point like Nadal -
Of course, players like Nadal are rare in the entire tour.
Djokovic is better at calculating, measuring, and playing games. Like a skilled chess player, he will never hesitate to give up a game.
It is precisely because of this that on their way to the Grand Slam championship, both Federer and Nadal had a record of seven "3:0" games without losing a set, but Djokovic did not, not even once.
.
Is it because Djokovic's strength has not reached such a high level?
Absolutely not.
But Djokovic thinks there is no such need.
Of course, "letting go" also requires skills.
On the one hand, you cannot let your opponent win too easily, you must continue to wear down your opponent, otherwise you may not be able to successfully gain the upper hand in the final set.
On the other hand, you cannot give up the victory casually, you must give it a simple try. If the opponent fluctuates and Djokovic has a chance to win the fourth set, then he will never show mercy.
Therefore, in the fourth set of Djokovic's game, losing by "1:6" and "2:6" are common, but "0:6" defeat is very rare.
Not to mention, in the semi-finals of this year's Australian Open against Wawrinka, they lost a "4:6" in the fourth set, and then gave away a donut in the final set. This is the most direct example.
In other words, even if he lost the fourth set, Djokovic still firmly took the initiative. Moreover, this was not the first time he faced such a situation, and he knew how to deal with it.
Especially when facing an opponent who is so powerful and powerful now, Djokovic clearly knows how to dismantle his opponent's momentum——
Compared with the best-of-three sets of the Paris Masters, the best-of-five sets of the Grand Slam gives Djokovic more room for adjustment, and he is more confident.
Therefore, the fourth set was a little surprising, but if you think about it carefully, it should be unexpected and reasonable. It may not meet the expectations of Australian fans and Serbian fans, but it is good news for neutral fans.
There are two turning points in total.
first.
In the second game, which was Gao Wen's first serve, Djokovic took the lead in holding his first serve and immediately launched a continuous attack.
The competition in this game was very fierce. Gao Wen missed a game point and saved three break points. It took a full eight minutes. In the end, Gao Wen successfully maintained serve.
Djokovic was a little annoyed and discouraged, so he dropped his racket directly. Immediately afterwards, there were fluctuations in his serve, and he sent two consecutive break points. Although he saved one, he still suffered a break in the second one.
From this point on, it can be seen that Djokovic should have reached his second physical peak and tried to grit his teeth and persist, but still failed to hold on.
First, Djokovic failed to break serve, and then suffered a break, which also caused Djokovic to fall behind early in the first half of the fourth set.
In sharp contrast, Gao Wen was in a continuous recovery state, and his feel curve soared, which also laid the foundation for Djokovic's tactics in the fourth set.
the second time.
In the fifth game, when Djokovic was serving and the score was at "0:30", Djokovic suffered a suspected thigh cramp.
The rhythm of the game was disrupted for a time. Because the game was in progress, according to the rules, Djokovic could not receive treatment. He had to wait until the end of the game before he could use the medical timeout.
Djokovic did not give up, but dragged his thigh and continued to fight.
But the confusion lies in——
There seems to be no problem with his movement, and he still performs well in saving balls back and forth; and during the short sweat-wiping time after each minute, he squats down, stands up, stretches, and massages his thigh muscles, and his expression looks painful.
It was unbearable and it seemed like I might quit the competition at any time.
Such confusion also interfered with Gawain's batting.
Back and forth, Djokovic saved a total of seven break points. Each time he seemed to be standing on the edge of the cliff, teetering on the edge of the cliff, but he was always able to come back to life; but Djokovic himself also missed two game points.
, did not seize the opportunity to complete the guaranteed hair.
This round of entanglement lasted for a full thirteen minutes.
In the end, Gao Wen succeeded in breaking Djokovic's serve and continued to expand the score advantage. In the fourth set, he already had two break points.
The reason why this is also a turning point is not because of Djokovic's cramps, but because of Djokovic's judgment on the situation in the fourth set.
During the break between games, Djokovic didn't even apply for a medical timeout. He just massaged himself a little, and the cramp seemed to be no longer a serious problem.
However, in this game, Djokovic was still trying hard. If he kept serve, he could try again in the fourth set. Unfortunately, he was broken, which also meant that the momentum in the fourth set was over.
Djokovic took advantage of the situation and set his sights on the final set.
Obviously, the host fans do not want to see such a situation.
They cheered for Djokovic at the top of their lungs, and once again made a lot of noise when Gao Wen served to win the game, trying to disrupt Gao Wen's rhythm.
However--
With little success.
After all, they still failed to stop Gawain.
"6:2".
Gao Wen once again used the "love-game" to win the serve and win the fourth set.
The momentum is overwhelming!
Unstoppable!
If the third set was still a last-minute effort, then the fourth set completely reversed the situation. Gao Wen was strong all the way, maintaining the lead from beginning to end, and did not even give the host fans a chance to boo. A gust of wind swept through the clouds.
The game has been brought to a deciding set.
Zhang Sheng didn't realize that his voice was trembling. Now, he finally understood how Zhan Jun and Hu Litao felt in Flushing last year.
"Friends in the audience, friends in the audience!"
"The men's singles final of the 2015 Australian Open is about to enter the final set. It is indeed a decisive battle at the top of the Forbidden City. This Huashan sword fight has also entered the most tense and exciting final set."
"It is worth noting that in the 100-year history of the Australian Open, no male player has been able to complete the feat of letting two chase three in the final stage."
"not a single one."
"Of course, no player in men's professional tennis can win back-to-back titles immediately after winning his first Grand Slam trophy."
"This also means that now Gao Wen is challenging the historical record. He is adjusting the shackles of men's professional tennis for more than half a century and creating a new history; and standing on the opposite side of the net is the world's number one Djokovic.
"
"Now, the game has reached the most critical moment, and the two players are back on the same starting line."