The score of the game is “3:3”.
Sub-score: “0:30”.
In an unexpected moment, Gawain upsets the balance without warning, and it is obvious that Istomin was killed by surprise.
Every cell in Istomin's body was sounding an alarm. He looked across the field in astonishment and surprise, glaring at Gawain fiercely. He was unable to recover for a long time, and for a moment he couldn't tell what emotion he was feeling. He was just shocked and numb, with his chest heaving violently.
Finally, Istomin withdrew his gaze and regained his sanity, because he knew that the situation at this moment was more dangerous than the beginning of the fourth set.
The next point, he needs to think seriously -
Zone 1.
Before serving, Istomin looked at Gao Wen cautiously to judge his position, fearing that Gao Wen would repeat his previous serve receiving strategy.
However, everything was calm.
Istomin paused to adjust himself, and when he served the ball, he could clearly feel that the racket head speed had increased!
One shot, inside corner.
Speed: 190 kilometers per hour.
Speeding up and being fully alert, Istomin also increased his attention due to the sense of urgency of the crisis, and the threat of a single shot also increased.
And, entered the zone.
However, on the other side of the court, Gao Wen's reaction speed was very fast and timely. He accurately predicted Istomin's serving route choice in one step.
Inside corner, backhand—
The entire tactical intention is very clear. The first reaction in a crisis situation is to seek benefits and avoid harm. This is everyone's instinct, especially during the game, when the brain cannot calm down and look at the overall situation. Istomin will inevitably fall into the rut of routine. The tactical layout is very clear.
Firstly, in order to prevent Gao Wen from entering the baseline again to receive the serve, he needs to create an angle and increase his speed. This is the most intuitive way.
Secondly, in order to improve one's first serve success rate, it also increases the threat of the serve.
Therefore, there was no suspense in choosing to suppress Gao Wen's backhand, which performed relatively poorly in this game. It can be said that this is an instinct. Even top players find it difficult to remain calm every time. Occasionally they fall into a rut and are bound by themselves. No one is an exception.
This was exactly the tactical intention of Gawain's sudden attack in this round. He needed to disrupt Istomin's pattern and balance, and then seize the upper hand.
——Here it comes! Push off the ground, start, and attack with your backhand.
But we have to admit that despite Gawain's foresight and preparation, Istomin's serve quality still brought a good impact, squeezing Gawain's swing.
Facing a serve on the grass, Gao Wen had insufficient space for backhand swing. In the end, he had no way to exert force and could only use the force to push the ball forward. Following the direction of his body's movement, he pushed and rubbed the racket forward, relying entirely on the wrapping of his wrist to quickly rub the tennis ball back.
This is a clear side spin.
The tennis ball was not heavy, but it was fast and light enough to fly over the net and along the reverse diagonal direction towards Istomin's forehand gap.
Istomin was highly focused and returned to his position immediately after serving. He also anticipated the return route of Gawain.
Because this is the strategy of serving, to limit Gawain's swing space and not give him the opportunity to hit the ball diagonally, so that he can move into the forehand position and wait.
Big stride, leap... in place! From serving to attacking, Istomin also showed his concentration. Don't forget that in this game, he is the one leading the score.
Push off the ground, swing the racket...and shoot.
Istomin's forehand attack was very resolute. He swung the racket head at full speed and hammered in a straight line, aiming for a precise big triangle at the baseline of Gao Wen's backhand.
The connection is fast, the rhythm is fast, and the landing point is accurate. The only regret is the lack of power, but it doesn’t seem to be that important on a grass court.
Take one step and support yourself with your right leg.
Push off and use your calves to exert force.
In a blink of an eye, Istomin had controlled his body, stopped and turned quickly, started again, and after completing the forehand attack, he quickly returned to the backhand position.
Not only because the entire left side of the court was cleared, but also because Gawain's backhand was not in good condition today and several attempts at backhand straight line were unsuccessful, at this time Istomin hammered Gawain's backhand again, so there was no need to worry about Gawain's straight back ball, and he could directly defend the diagonal gap.
Tap, tap, tap!
Istomin's steps were very firm and he returned to his position in a flash.
Then, Istomin could see that Gawain's steps were already in place. His light and agile steps showed no sign of fatigue at all, and he was in place in the first possible moment.
However, Gawain did not slow down or brake, but continued to rush forward with a cross step, and set up his backhand with both hands early, as if he was carrying a rocket launcher.
etc!
Istomin had a bad feeling, but before he could make a careful judgment and analysis, he saw Gawain's two-handed backhand shot cleanly and neatly -
Swing, swing, and retract the racket.
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"ah!"
Along with the release of the roar, strength and sweat bloomed under the sun, and the racket was quickly retracted and continued to be retracted diagonally above the right shoulder.
Damn it!
This was the only thought in Istomin's mind, but it was too late. After an emergency brake, his feet were nailed to the spot, and he watched the tennis ball go into the straight space behind him.
Backhand straight line is Gawain's killer move. Although he performed poorly throughout the game, he still showed the courage of a Grand Slam champion and delivered a powerful punch at the critical moment.
In fact, the angle and depth are not pursued to the extreme. There is still some space from the bottom line triangle. It is more about pursuing the line. At this time, we can see Gao Wen's cleverness. Even when he is in poor condition, he can still open up the situation through line combination.
The tennis ball, like a meteor, fell to the ground with a long tail.
Score.
"ah!"
Roar, release! Istomin looked in the direction of the voice, and then he saw those eyes, deep and bright, flashing with a dangerous bloodthirsty aura that locked onto his every move. The overwhelming momentum just kept coming down on him, and he almost couldn't breathe.
Bold, decisive, resolute and sober.
In the past two minutes of the game, Gao Wen truly showed the style of a top player. He seized an opportunity that was not an opportunity, opened up a possibility, and completely reversed the situation of the whole game. The championship temperament radiating from the inside out easily ignited the entire stadium.
"0:40".
Court No. 2 was boiling with excitement.
Just when everyone was on the verge of fainting again, Gawain broke the deadlock with a series of heavy punches, and then the entire audience went crazy.
Huff, huff…
Istomin's chest rose and fell rapidly, he felt annoyed and angry. In this point, he was the one who planned it, but in the end he was completely at a disadvantage.
Damn! Istomin couldn't help it after all. The ball boy had already thrown the tennis ball to him, but he didn't even bother to choose. He caught the tennis ball and threw it back without even looking at it. He "resisted" all the tennis balls in the hands of the ball boys on both sides of the court, and his turbulent emotions calmed down a little.
Crisis, serious crisis.
Next, Istomin had to face three consecutive break points, and the outcome of the fourth set was at stake.