Chapter 1091 Australian Open Rematch
One comes, one goes.
"Forehand VS Forehand", a strong confrontation, neither of them gave an inch, but no one could find a breakthrough.
On the court.
Both Gawain and Djokovic are pushing themselves to the limit. Every shot is accompanied by a cry of strength, and the test of their energy and physical strength has reached the limit.
However, both players gritted their teeth and concentrated their attention. The confrontation between the game and the layout remained deadlocked, and no one was able to force a breakthrough.
You come, I go.
"Backhand vs. Backhand", changing lines, maneuvers, variations, exerting force, Gawaddy and Djokovic are battling wits and courage.
Calculation and counterattack.
In fact, it has been going on all the time. Every shot is calculated, and they are restraining each other and looking for opportunities to counterattack, but the long battle makes everything more difficult.
The game has been going on for exactly one hundred minutes. The physical strength and energy of the two players are no longer comparable to the beginning of the game, so their states are inevitably fluctuating.
Moreover, this point has been deadlocked for thirty-six beats. The long tug-of-war has put both players into an anaerobic state, and everything is challenging the limit.
Make an effort?
Both of them want to exert their strength, but the problem is that the risks involved in exerting their strength are getting higher and higher. At the same time, they both understand their opponent's ability to defend and counterattack. Once they take a risk, it means that the subsequent layout needs to keep up, otherwise they will easily fall into a passive position. Therefore, both of them are looking for better opportunities.
From forehand stalemate to backhand, from straight line to diagonal line and then to the middle, covering the entire court, the two players' figures were running long and fast, always changing and always confronting.
This one point shows that both players' baseline abilities have reached new heights. The outcome of the on-the-spot confrontation will depend on who can hold on.
Obviously, this "Australian Open final rematch" is crucial for both players.
Gao Wen hopes to continue his strong performance, not only to defeat Djokovic, but also to face Federer/Raonic again and find an opportunity to break through the bottleneck.
Djokovic, looking to avenge his Australian Open defeat, quietly found himself challenged by Gawain on all fronts in his game, and he needed this win to regain the upper hand.
Bite the bullet!
Burning fighting spirit!
Then, Gao Wen's return shot went shallow.
One shot.
Strictly speaking, it cannot be considered a mistake. In the fast-paced game, some deviations are inevitable in control and counterattack, confrontation and counterattack.
The key is that Djokovic seized the opportunity, very sharp and timely, and accelerated his lateral movement! He added a cross step, using this step to move his body sideways, with the upper body leaning back, and the forehand took the lead to exert force, and hit the diagonal line to tear open the angle.
Bang! Djokovic launched another attack. Although his speed and power were not fast, his skateboard-like shots instantly opened up the angle.
Confrontation, and back to the forehand.
However, Gawain was not panicked.
Because Djokovic's forehand shot does not have instantaneous explosive power, strictly speaking, among the Big Four, Djokovic's forehand is the "weakest".
It can be clearly seen that even when actively attacking, Djokovic does not rely mainly on strength and speed. Controlling the landing point and line is still the key.
As a result, he was caught by Gawain.
As Gao Wen moved sideways to the right, he took a big step, pulled his body out, and used his full strength following the inertia of his body rushing forward.
Huh! The force of pulling mountains and rivers was released instantly, and a forehand diagonal shot further tore the angle apart, and the speed, power, and angle were all combined.
In fact, this shot - whether it is a defensive counterattack or an active attack, this shot is precisely Gawain's killer move.
Just look at Wawrinka and you will know that when facing Djokovic, he needs to dare to take action and dare to exert his strength, and he cannot retreat even if he needs to take the risk of making mistakes.
Because Djokovic's defensive skills are unique in the world and he is indeed the best in today's tennis. If you want to break the balance, you must take the initiative to attack.
From New York to Paris to Melbourne, Gawain was able to defeat Djokovic three times, relying on this momentum. He dared to attack with both forehand and backhand. Sometimes, even if the opportunity was not so good, he had to be resolute and decisive to continuously create shock waves.
The same is true now.
In a passive situation, Gao Wen seized the opportunity and used Djokovic's tearing footwork to further widen the angle, while also increasing his strength and speed.
In a blink of an eye, Djokovic's feet were pulled out of the singles line by Gawain, showing his signature splits, looking a little embarrassed.
"ah!"
A shout erupted from deep within Djokovic's dantian once again, and his forehand swung and rolled quickly like a whip, with the iconic roll appearing again.
In an extremely passive state, Djokovic was able to bring the tennis ball back into the court and complete the shot with his unique touch. He could hold on for one more shot.
Still forehand, still diagonal.
And through his own winding tape, he creates continuous pressure and forces his opponent into trouble, which is also Djokovic's unique skill.
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The only regret was that the angle of the tape was not completely torn apart, but instead it came back slightly, giving Gao Wen time to adjust.
It seemed that Gawain had anticipated Djokovic's return. This curling shot was his signature return, and he continued to curl the ball at both ends of the baseline. So Gawain took a quick step forward.
Enter the baseline.
Take a step forward.
Go with the flow.
The entire step and hit the ball were done in one go, continuing the bravery and decisiveness of the previous shot. Even though his lungs were burning, he was still completely immersed in it.
The forehand follows the body's forward momentum, combining the body's strength and forward inertia, and pushes it out along Djokovic's return.
The wrist flicked lightly, without exerting any force, but wrapped softly, and then pushed in a straight line.
Change line!
In such an intense, tense and long round of ball, Gawain remained calm. At the critical moment, he did not rashly exert force, but completed the process in the most correct way. This rationality and intelligence is enough to amaze people again. This is tennis wisdom, a talent.
On the previous beat, exert force.
This shot, leverage the force.
The layout and control of the entire shot were clear, steady and majestic, and he continued to press forward step by step, pushing the pressure towards Djokovic again.
Straight line, deep area.
Most importantly, hit it lightly and with backspin.
Gawain's return was light and floating, seemingly without any power. Although it was not fast, it did not leave Djokovic much space to hit the ball.
Djokovic was very passive. He was the one who initiated the attack, but it turned out to be an opportunity for his opponent to take advantage of the situation and break the balance.
This situation is really too familiar. When facing Gawain, Djokovic has faced such a passive dilemma more than once.
In the previous shot, Djokovic was already in a passive position. He stopped and turned suddenly, and sprinted sideways at lightning speed, like a flash of lightning across the court.
With this ball, Gawain continued to increase the difficulty of Djokovic's shots, so much so that all the spectators in the center court held their breath.
So, how does Djokovic deal with it? (End of this chapter)