Chapter 1153: Battle of wits and courage
Sideways and forehand.
Djokovic, sideways.
From this one action, we can tell that Djokovic is determined to win and is coming with great momentum.
Firstly, Djokovic has a balanced forehand and backhand, so he does not need to rely too much on one side and can hit the ball with either hand.
Secondly, Djokovic's forehand is not explosive enough. There is indeed a difference in the quality and tail power of the ball when he hits the forehand sideways, but the difference is not that big.
So, Djokovic rarely uses a sideways forehand, which is in stark contrast to Nadal. However, rarely does not mean never.
Once Djokovic chooses to turn sideways for his forehand, it means that he abandons the strategy of defensive counterattack and starts to actively attack. Without absolute certainty, he will not turn sideways easily; because everyone knows that once he turns sideways, the space on the forehand court will be completely open.
From the outside corner serve to the sideways forehand, everything was planned; and everything went according to plan.
Facing the match point, Djokovic was very bold and decisive, adopting a completely different tactical combination, which was different from all the tactics in today's game.
He changed his inherent tactical style, took the initiative, and firmly grasped the initiative, because Djokovic knew that he had to keep his two serve points: there was no way out.
At this moment, we can see the demeanor of giants. Even when facing match point, they dare to make attempts, make changes, take risks, and break the balance on the field.
Gawain, very embarrassed.
He was extremely passive in receiving the serve from the first shot, without any choice or expectation, and the effect and quality of his return were lackluster.
The return ball that flew to Djokovic's court was a half-court ball with a slight topspin, but the topspin was not strong enough, which gave Djokovic an easy height to hit the ball. In addition, the control of the landing point and line was not as expected, slightly deviating from the axis of the middle area.
Therefore, Djokovic's attack was very easy, almost like a natural shot, just like a return shot in a practice match.
If it were normal times, Djokovic might be a little more conservative and continue to roll with the ball, and he would always be able to gain the upper hand.
But facing the match point, Gao Wen clearly knew that Djokovic would definitely attack and further break the balance between offense and defense. This was beyond doubt. The only thing that needed to be discussed was,
What line? Straight line? Diagonal line? Middle line?
Because Gawain was in an absolutely passive position, the entire court was basically a sieve, and Djokovic could do whatever he wanted and hit the ball anywhere he wanted.
The point is that Djokovic chose to hit a forehand sideways, so a backhand should be a high probability event...? There was no time to hesitate, everything happened in a flash.
then--
Small steps, continuous small steps, Gao Wen maintained a defensive posture, moved two steps slightly towards his forehand position, but did not leave. The moment he saw Djokovic's hitting action, he kicked with his right leg, and his body moved to the left by inertia.
A big step forward!
One step is enough. The body is in place smoothly and the racket is led early with both hands for backhand. This action saves time for swinging the racket.
Tennis, here it comes! Backslash! Djokovic really chose the sideways forehand backslash!
The landing point will just fall near the large triangle of the baseline, but there is no pursuit of the extreme angle; at the same time, it is accurately pressed on the baseline to further compress the swing space.
It seemed familiar, and the same trick was used again, exactly the same as the serve in this point, which also meant that Gao Wen needed to face such a ball for two consecutive shots.
The pressure is heavy.
However, this time Gao Wen's preparation was obviously more thorough than receiving the serve.
His steps were firmly planted, like a towering tree, firmly rooted.
He hit the backhand and took the initiative to move forward. Facing Djokovic's sideways forehand attack, he not only did not retreat, but also confronted it head-on.
"Power vs. Strength"! Strictly speaking, Djokovic's forehand does lack a little explosive power. Even if it is a sideways forehand, and the inertia and body strength are superimposed, the quality of the return ball has not changed. It is mainly based on speed, and the power is slightly lacking.
Of course, this is relative.
But for Gao Wen, this "relatively speaking" is enough. He uses the little time of moving ahead and leading the racket ahead to flick his wrist.
Speed up the head! "Ah!"
Gawain's two-handed backhand was squeezed, Djokovic's return was indeed deep enough, and at the same time, Gawain refused to retreat, so he was naturally squeezed.
The power from deep in the Dantian burst out!
Swing the racket forcefully, hit head-on, speed up the racket head, change the line skillfully, and then——
The tennis ball has already flown back, changing from a diagonal line to a straight line.
Moreover, Gao Wen did not pursue the ultimate landing point. He continued the style of the second set with straight return and consciously controlled the return line in the middle area.
However, the controls are somewhat lacking this time around.
The main reason is that the body is squeezed, so that the final racket retraction action is not so timely, and the return ball line and flight arc are slightly affected.
Djokovic moved quickly, with full concentration and focus.
In the second set, Djokovic faced such a return, and his forehand diagonal attack went directly out of bounds, handing over the victory.
This time, it was almost the same route and landing point, and even the situation was similar.
However, Djokovic will not make the same mistake twice.
Soaring into the air like a roc spreading its wings, facing Gao Wen's topspin ball, Djokovic sprinted and jumped, grabbed a hitting point, and smashed it diagonally from top to bottom.
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Forehand crosscourt!
The sword is unsheathed!
"ah!"
Djokovic's roar from deep within his dantian also erupted, burning all the energy in his body.
pity……
Still lacking a little bit of strength.
Originally, strength was not Djokovic's strong point; at the same time, he had just gone through a 44-beat round and his breathing had not been fully adjusted. If he maintained a constant speed, there would be no problem, but if he changed speed or increased the speed, the sequelae would immediately become obvious.
Djokovic tried to use his full strength to penetrate Gawain's baseline defense with a forehand diagonal shot, but the power and speed were far from expectations.
Gawain rushed sideways with light steps and was already waiting there in a flash, without any hurry.
With his forehand, he set up his position early and waited for the ball in the large triangle area on the right baseline. He even had enough time to complete the control, and the disadvantage was eliminated.
Although Gao Wen did not necessarily have the advantage, the two sides were back to the same starting line.
So, was Gawain going to attack with his forehand? No.
Forehand, hit the ball lightly, without rushing to exert force, but calmly adding topspin, pulling out a strong topspin, aiming to impact the baseline.
As for the route, it is still a straight line, a point-to-point straight line, and the landing point is chosen in the central area on Djokovic's side, continuing the strategy of the second set.
Opportunity? Or a trap?
At this point, Djokovic had no choice but to move his feet continuously, raise his two-handed backhand, and force an attack at the high point of his shoulder.
Slash!
Make an effort!
Cross!
For the third consecutive shot, Djokovic launched an aggressive attack. He could sense Gawain's intention, but this time, he no longer followed the strategy of the second set.
When there is an opportunity, attack; if there is no opportunity, create one and seize the slightest opportunity to launch an attack.
Attack! Attack! Attack again!
(End of this chapter)