Chapter 1093: Youthful Vigor
"Ah!"
Gawain jumped up high, cheering, shouting, and howling to the sky, releasing all the excitement in his chest without reservation.
victory!
This year's Australian Open final was repeated in Indian Wells, and the ending was the same -
Victory belongs to Gao Wen! This also means that Gao Wen has won two consecutive victories against the world's number one again, achieving a double kill for the second time; and extending his record against the world's number one to four wins and one loss.
“Ahhhh!”
A kind of pure joy and happiness gushes out continuously, as if one can hear the sound of fireworks bursting on the eardrums.
Because of victory.
But it's not just because of the victory, but also because it was an arduous battle, fully mobilizing all his conditions and all his potential. This kind of game is why he likes tennis, likes games and likes competition. He can feel the boiling heat of adrenaline.
This victory also earned him a ticket to face Federer or Raonic. He looks forward to the opportunity to challenge his own limits again, truly display all his abilities without reservation at this stage, bravely face the bottleneck, and look forward to a battle.
The whole audience was in an uproar.
The game ended with the final scores of “6:3”, “4:6”, and “6:4”.
Gao Wen, advanced to the finals.
Obviously, for Djokovic, this defeat was more bitter than any other, even more bitter than the loss in Paris when he missed the match point.
In New York, it was a completely unprepared and unexpected situation, and Djokovic's own condition was also mediocre.
Paris, that was a mental fluctuation, an accident, and it was obvious that Djokovic still didn't get himself in the right position.
London won the game.
These are not excuses for his loss, but Djokovic's self-reflection. He has never given Gawain enough recognition and respect.
Because Gao Wen emerged, rose to fame and became famous so quickly, and he lacked sufficient time to gain insight and to settle down, his mentality was inevitably unbalanced.
Djokovic must admit that Gawain is outstanding and he needs to treat him as one of the top ten or even top five players in the world and adjust his mindset.
In Melbourne, both sides had chances in that match, and it all depended on on-the-spot performance at critical moments. Gawain did show the dominance and vigor of a young man in the final stage, completing the feat with a more outstanding, calmer and tougher attitude. Although Djokovic was not convinced, he had to accept it.
That is to say, compared with bitterness, Djokovic's other emotions and feelings prevailed in the results of the previous four encounters.
However, coming to Indian Wells, Djokovic believes that there should be no reason for the game. Losing is losing.
Of course, after the Australian Open, Djokovic has been adjusting his form. From Dubai to Indian Wells, his touch and form still need further adjustment; however, Djokovic believes this is not a reason, because fluctuations in form are an indispensable part of the game.
He is ready, both physically and mentally.
He has given his all and implemented all the tactics throughout the game.
There is no reason, no excuse, no escape, it was simply because my own play and performance were suppressed and I ended up losing the game.
The bitterness of such a defeat slowly spreads across the tip of the tongue.
Watching Gawain jumping high and pumping his fist to celebrate his victory across the court, Djokovic was very clear and deeply aware of one thing:
In the past, he always played the role of a challenger - strictly speaking, until now, he is still challenging Federer and Nadal.
Despite holding seven Grand Slam titles, despite being ranked No. 1 in the world for a long time, despite being evenly matched against Federer and Nadal...
However, in the eyes of fans, Federer and Nadal are still the two undisputed superstars, and are still the two mountains looming over Djokovic's head.
Djokovic needs to constantly challenge, impact and subvert. He needs to constantly prove himself and strive to open up a sky of his own.
This is unfair, indeed, it is indeed unfair, but Djokovic does not think there is anything wrong with the identity of a "challenger", neither shameful nor regretful.
On the contrary, this has always been Djokovic's motivation to keep moving forward and breaking through. He has goals, desires, and, of course, fighting spirit.
Over the years, there have been waves of challengers in men's tennis, but they have never been able to truly shake the position of the Big Four. Instead, they have become the cornerstone of building the Big Four era. This has also made Djokovic and Murray always look forward to catching up with Federer and Nadal.
Until now.
Djokovic is deeply aware that the challengers are catching up and he can no longer focus on catching up with Federer and Nadal.
Literally.
So young!
Once upon a time, Djokovic also played the role of a "young challenger". He was full of vigor and ambition, as if he could overturn the world with just his passion. He watched Federer and Nadal, aimed at the world's number one, fought and ran all the way, and forgot himself completely.
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In the blink of an eye, Djokovic suddenly realized that his identity as a "challenger" had been stripped away. The younger generation and even younger generations had risen up and were watching him, aiming at him, launching an all-out attack. Men's professional tennis is opening a new chapter and ushering in a different atmosphere.
There is a wolf in front and a tiger behind.
Now, as part of the "Big Four", Djokovic has become the target of the new generation of challengers, and both his mentality and position need to be adjusted.
The torrent of the times is surging forward, and the rumbling sound is already surrounding our ears.
The sense of reality was clearer than ever before, and it set fire to my stomach.
then--
Shaking hands after the game, Djokovic still showed his grace and sincerely congratulated Gao Wen on his victory.
After the game, Djokovic quickly packed his luggage, left the court in a sad mood without stopping. He needed some time.
A little time to calm down, a little time to digest, a little time to think.
From Djokovic's back, it can be seen that the significance of this game is comparable to that of Melbourne, or even slightly better.
Things really need to change.
The same is true for the media.
Although the media's feelings were slightly different from Djokovic's, the significance of this match once again pushed the new season one step further: firstly, Gawain defeated Djokovic twice for the second time, achieving a quadruple kill. This feat was unprecedented for the younger generation, and his strong performance easily made him stand out among the younger generation.
Secondly, with Gao Wen entering the Indian Wells final, it also means that the other semi-final -
If Raonic beats Federer? This will be the first time that the post-90s generation will meet in a Masters final, opening a new chapter. The youth storm is no longer a literal expectation, but a main theme that cannot be ignored in the 2015 season.
What if Federer beats Raonic? The topic of "Big Four vs. Challengers" is needless to say. More importantly, after Dubai, Gawain will challenge the Swiss king again, and no one wants to miss it.
(End of this chapter)