“30:40”, match point.

The whole place was filled with excitement. Even though no one spoke, one could still feel the excitement and nervousness surging, and the sound of hearts pounding against chests echoed in the air.

Then, Gawain served.

Area 2, outer corner.

It was still a classic tactical combination. Although Wawrinka's one-handed backhand had twice directly formed a return ace in the outer corner of the second zone today, demonstrating his confidence and touch; but at the critical moment, Gao Wen was still skilled and bold, and once again followed the classic routine to challenge Wawrinka's backhand position.

The tennis ball is spinning and flying.

Wawrinka, moved.

With one step and one outward rush, the whole body is thrown outward by inertia, using the weight of centrifugal force, emergency braking of the left leg and turning movements to complete the twisting and transmission of power. The one-handed backhand is delivered directly and firmly, and the attack is launched without hesitation.

But--

Oops!

From serving to receiving, everything happens in a matter of millimeters, all relying on instant reflexes. Sometimes, the reaction speed is too fast and you may miss the details.

This is just like taking an exam. If you glance over the questions quickly, you may read them incorrectly, which may lead to a deviation in the direction of your answer.

Obviously, Gao Wen had anticipated that Wawrinka was ready to give it a try.

Anyway, this was a break point in Gawain's serve, and there wouldn't be much loss if he missed it, but once he attacked and fought hard, the match point would be directly cashed in; coupled with Wawrinka's explosive confidence and hot hand, he had no reason to be conservative.

Therefore, Gao Wen seized on this mentality and deliberately chose to serve at the outside corner, but he was very particular about the landing point. He did not completely tear the angle apart, but pulled it back a little, in the vague and awkward area between close range and the outside corner. Then he took advantage of Wawrinka's lack of delicate footwork adjustment, destroyed Wawrinka's judgment of the swing space and swing distance, and disrupted the hitting point.

Details, it's all in the details.

Wawrinka had already shot, but when he was halfway through the turn, he realized that the distance between himself and the tennis ball was too close. If he had followed the original swing trajectory, he might have hit the tennis ball directly into the stands because the hitting point was too early and the swing was too large.

Surprise! At the critical moment, Wawrinka adjusted his posture slightly by instinctive reflex, curling up his shoulders and body to make some space to complete the swing. He also slightly retracted his backhand, which was originally prepared to exert full force, to avoid hitting the serve directly, but he still lacked some control.

The tennis ball flew back, not out of bounds, but clearly not landing high enough—

The middle area, slightly to the left of Gao Wen, is not deep enough or far enough.

The only thing to be thankful for is that it is relatively in the middle, so it is not easy for Gawain to open up the angle. Maybe Wawrinka still has a chance.

Wawrinka immediately adjusted his steps and prepared to defend.

But this time, Gao Wen had already completed the layout from the beginning of his serve, and his subsequent footwork adjustments were very clear and timely.

One step forward, one sideways, moving from the backhand position to the sideways forehand position, and coming to the baseline, relying on the inertia of the forward step to complete the downward pressure.

Push off the ground, turn sideways, and exert force.

"ah!"

--straight line.

——Blind spot.

The hand rose! The knife fell! It was sudden, violent, and precise enough. With a roar from Gawain, the tennis ball went into the blind spot of Wawrinka's forehand.

It landed, bounced, and stirred up a cloud of dust.

Wawrinka, no chance.

Boom!

The whole stadium erupted like a volcano. The Philippe Chatrier Stadium had gone completely crazy. One by one, they jumped and screamed like crazy, joining in the revelry.

"40:40".

Gawain once again showed his unparalleled courage, calmly and decisively saving the match point, without giving Wawrinka any chance to attack.

"The best defense is offense."

This statement is not necessarily 100% correct in competitive sports, and it still requires specific analysis of specific situations, but it is a wise saying at this moment.

Wawrinka was in super god form and really played like crazy. His attack was bold and aggressive, not only violent but also precise. His shots aimed at the corners were always able to go into bounds, making full use of the space on the court. It would be difficult to compete with him if he only relied on defense.

Facing such a Wawrinka, the best way to deal with it is to use offense instead of defense, forcing Wawrinka into a passive position and not giving him any offensive opportunities.

Of course, this tactic also requires caution. In the last game, Federer and Wawrinka launched a fierce offensive battle. Wawrinka relied on his unparalleled offensive touch to defeat Federer, whose offense was like mercury pouring out, in three straight sets. It can be seen from the side that Wawrinka is not afraid of attacking each other.

Layout, control, timing, and tactics are still the key——

No one should forget that in the first half of this year, Gawain defeated Djokovic three times by relying on his bold and sharp attacks at critical moments.

Just now, Gawain once again demonstrated his talent and ability on the offensive end. Maybe in terms of pure speed and strength, he cannot compare with Wawrinka, but tennis offense is more than just three tricks.

The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!

The Philippe Chatrier Stadium is crazy.

The same goes for the players’ lounge.

“Roar, roar, roar! Go, Gawain, go!”

"Wow, Gawain, like, a hundred likes."

"Awesome! I have to admit it!"

Murray looked up at the TV screen in the player lounge. The staff, other doubles players, young players, and coaching team members who were coming and going all paused their busy steps and looked at the TV screen involuntarily, attracted by the game.

Because the match point appears, it means that the game may end at any time, and the players of the next game also need to come to the entrance of the stadium to make final preparations.

Murray could not help but applaud Gawain. Gawain's performance in this point was perfect and impeccable.

"…What do you think?"

A voice called out from behind, Murray turned around and saw Djokovic's face. He was also putting his equipment bag aside and stopped in front of the TV screen.

Although Djokovic is currently on a seven-game winning streak against Murray and is about to start a life-and-death battle at Roland Garros, the two have grown up together since their teenage years and their friendship has been very solid over the years. Among the Big Four, the friendships between Federer and Nadal, and Djokovic and Murray are even more special.

Murray and Djokovic shook hands and hugged each other. "I think it's hard to say now. Gawain handled it very smartly."

Djokovic put his hands on his hips and looked at the calm Gao Wen on the screen. After saving the match point, he was ready to continue serving. "I think I saw the shadow of Rafa in Gao Wen."

It was a simple sentence, but it contained so much profound meaning. Murray's mouth curled up slightly, "I think that ball just now had some Roger's flavor."

After the words fell, neither of them continued talking, but continued to stare at the screen. Even they couldn't help but immerse themselves in the game. Precisely because they were top players, they understood the feeling at that moment even better. They were nervous and excited, with adrenaline gushing out.

The eyes of the whole world are on Philippe Chatrier.

Then, Gawain served the ball.

Push off the ground, swing the racket...outside corner!