The tug of war, the stalemate, the sparks flying——
This is the best word to describe Court 2 at this moment, not only because of the 33-shot round just now, but also because the game situation is completely entangled with each other.
First, Istomin got the match point in Gawain's serve, and was only one point away from the biggest upset since the start of Wimbledon in 2015; then Gawain got the break point in Istomin's serve, and he ran all over the court, passively defended, and gave it his all to show the audience the style of a Grand Slam champion.
The whole audience was boiling.
"What an amazing way to get that break point!"
In the commentary booth, there was shock and admiration. Just one simple sentence was enough to deeply feel the storm in one's mind, making one's scalp tingle and one's whole body tremble.
Amid wave after wave of adrenaline, the commentators had to maintain their last bit of calm and continue their commentary in the midst of the storm.
"The next point will be Istomin's real test!"
"This break point was only the fourth one that Gao Wen had in the whole match. The previous three came from one in the first set and two in the third set. Istomin successfully saved all three break points and still maintained a record of serving for the match so far."
"But this break point was different from any of the previous ones, even from the match point in the previous game."
"Three minutes ago, he had match point and was ready to end the match, but in the blink of an eye, he had to save a break point to continue the third set. Such ups and downs, such twists and turns, such turbulent waves, all crowded together, posed a severe challenge to his mental and state stability."
"For Istomin, whether he can continue his outstanding performance despite the fluctuations in mentality and the stalemate in the game is the key to victory."
Obviously, Gawain understands this, and Istomin also understands this, but precisely because they understand the importance of this point, the subtle change in mentality will be the most severe test for the players.
The spectators at Court No. 2 also understood this. After the thunderous applause and cheers, they fell silent again, concentrating and staring with bated breath.
"30:40".
Before serving, Istomin could be clearly seen taking a deep breath and looking up at Gawain, seemingly trying to keep his mind calm.
Then, throw the ball——
The tennis ball, shining into the sunlight, can clearly be seen with the golden powder swept into the mustard yellow light and shadow. It seems to just melt into the splendor, but it also seems to be dyed green bit by bit, blending into the court that is slowly spreading out in front of you, and finally turning into an arrow across the court.
Here we come!
One shot, successfully entered the zone, but from the state of the first shot, we can see some clues:
Istomin's mind must have been in a turmoil, and he was unable to sort out his thoughts.
He was not sure whether he should choose to fight hard or be conservative, whether he should increase the threat of the first serve or reduce the risk to ensure that the first serve entered the zone to create pressure, and whether he should attack quickly after the first serve or should fight back. The entire tactical routine was vague.
At critical moments, having no ideas is dangerous, but having too many ideas is also dangerous.
As a result, Istomin's first serve successfully entered the zone. However, the effect of the serve was ambiguous and the tactical intention was unclear.
The speed is 180 kilometers per hour, which is average, neither fast nor slow.
The landing point was between the inside corner and close to the body, neither awkward nor causing any damage. It failed to open up the angle, nor was it able to squeeze Gao Wen's swing space.
It's not that I'm a loser, just... mediocre.
As a result, Gawain was caught off guard.
This time, Gawain did not predict the outcome, but instead followed Istomin's serve reflexively. As soon as his eyes caught the inner corner of the tennis ball, he rushed out and drew the racket with his forehand early, ready to receive the serve. His highly concentrated attention allowed Gawain to react immediately.
However, after taking a step forward, he realized that Istomin's serve was not at a wide angle. The serve was neither close nor at the inside corner, which was really awkward, so that his movement seemed redundant. In the end, he collided head-on, accidentally creating a squeezing effect and compressing the space.
...Is this an accidental achievement?
However, Gao Wen remained focused throughout, and his subsequent reaction speed was very fast. Although he had no time to brake due to the forward inertia of his feet, his upper body immediately leaned back to create distance, and he continued to swing the racket along the trajectory with his forehand, his body stretched as if a bow and arrow, and he attacked with his forehand.
A touch, a push—
The forehand racket hit the tennis ball head-on, following the direction of the body's forward movement. Without time to swing the racket, it hit directly in a diagonal direction and rushed out.
Use the opponent’s force to counter attack!
Because Gawain's entire body was already in the air, he had no way to actively exert force, and in the end he could only push back the force of Istomin's serve.
The quality of the return ball is neither good nor bad, lacking a little control, but the landing point of the return ball is slightly beyond expectations. Although the angle is not pulled away, the landing point is deep enough.
...Chance? In a split second, Gawain had already sensed the change in the situation. From Istomin's serve to his own return, the situation changed rapidly.
tread.
Gawain adjusted his steps and focused on Istomin's movements, with a vague guess in his mind.
Step, step.
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Gawain's center of gravity had shifted slightly, and then he saw Istomin's hitting action, and his guess was confirmed, and he moved immediately to follow -
Istomin's mind was indeed full of thoughts, so he couldn't sort out his tactics:
Facing Gao Wen's return serve, the landing point was a little deeper, but not that deep. There was still about one and a half steps of space from the baseline. With some suppression and impact, it was far from enough. If Istomin was willing, he still had room for counterattack and continued to realize his serve advantage.
However, Istomin did not think it through, and hitting the ball was just a subconscious action. He used both hands to backhand and hit the simplest, easiest and most thought-free diagonal line, and then hit the tennis ball back again. The rhythm, speed and power were all standard. It was a very typical transition ball.
Perhaps, the only thing worth praising is the line control.
Although it was a transition ball, Istomin still slightly opened the angle and sent the return ball to Gawain's backhand. There was still a long space from the big triangle at the bottom line, which could accommodate two balloon men, but it was enough to mobilize Gawain.
Across the court, Gawain was indeed moving—
Move left, move left. Move left! The whole step was very light and very determined, and it was in place in the blink of an eye.
However, it did not stop and continued to move left.
Wait, could it be...
Sideways forehand?
Istomin: !!! Everything happened too fast. Before Istomin could react, Gawain, who had predicted and prepared early, had already completed the transfer in a series of dazzling cross-steps, forcibly transferring from the backhand position to the forehand position through movement, and then -
Sideways forehand.
He pushed off the ground, leaped into the air, and flew, his white clothes fluttering, like a dashing swordsman, with his sword unsheathed and punching hard.
Ah, ah! Ahhhh…
The energy rises steadily, and the blow is fatal.
In a straight line, in a deep area, with a sudden force without warning, the balance was broken forcefully, and the tennis ball fell into the dead corner like a meteor, causing a huge wave.
Forehand, score, break point converted!