In the seventh game of the fourth set, Gao Wen created opportunities and seized them, breaking the serve first and leading 4:3. The next game was Gao Wen's serve.
After successfully breaking the serve in the last game, Gao Wen did not celebrate wildly because he knew that Istomin would definitely launch a full-scale counterattack in the next game.
In the seventh game, Gawain took advantage of the moment when Istomin was not fully tense and was trying to catch his breath to break the balance, but the situation was different now. Istomin sensed the crisis and was standing on the edge of the cliff, so he would inevitably launch a counterattack. Gawain had to hold his serve to realize the break advantage.
Moreover, although Istomin has not yet passed his physical limit, Gawain also needs to allocate his own energy reasonably, as there is a deciding set to come. Therefore, in the next service game after breaking the serve, Gawain needs to be more focused and cautious, and also needs to pay attention to the allocation of his physical energy.
Everything, everything is as expected——
"30:30".
At this point, we can once again see how accurate and comprehensive Gao Wen's judgment of the entire game situation is.
In the eighth game, in Gao Wen's own serving game, Istomin really gave his all, the quality of his shots improved to a higher level, and the round became noticeably more intense.
Istomin released the energy that he had just accumulated in the previous game, "after being caught off guard and not having time to play well and being broken and falling into a passive position", without reservation in this game. His vigorous momentum seemed to have returned to the superb state of the first two sets.
In a trance, even his physical strength seemed to have completely disappeared. Although Gawain had been alert and prepared, he still encountered a fierce attack.
However, Gawain knew that this was just an illusion, like a mirage.
Istomin is burning his potential and giving it a try.
If Istomin succeeds in this round, the match will return to a balance, not to mention the deciding set. Istomin, with his momentum rising, may gain the upper hand again, and the situation in the fourth set must be re-evaluated and rearranged.
If Gawain withstands the onslaught and further improves his form, then again and again, the overdraft after Istomin’s full burnout will completely destroy his game.
The next few points were not match points, but they were better than match points.
Gao Wen was also full of fighting spirit and enthusiasm. Maybe Istomin had regained the momentum of the first two sets, but he was no longer in the same state as in the first two sets.
We will know who will win after we have a fight.
"30:30".
Area 1.
Outside corner, 199 km/h.
One shot and successfully entered the zone.
Gao Wen improved the quality of his serve, and his concentration and commitment in crucial moments improved across the board.
However, Istomin predicted accurately, took a big step sideways, ran out, and swung his forehand with all his strength using the inertia of centrifugal force.
Use the opponent’s force to counter attack!
Istomin actually hit back Gawain's powerful attack, with speed, power, and angle all upgraded, and he came back like a rocket.
As a result, Gao Wen, who had the advantage in serving, fell into a passive position because his feet were not able to get into position quickly. In the end, he could only rely on the strength of his upper body. He did not choose to cut, but instead used the topspin and lifting method to counterattack with his forehand, and hit the tennis ball back head-on again.
"Forehand vs. Forehand"! From Istomin to Gawain, the whole stroke rhythm is getting faster and faster, and the swinging action is getting shorter and shorter. You can clearly feel the increase in speed. This is typical grass court tennis, fast against fast, and fast against fast. In the end, it depends on who can break the rhythm and control the rhythm and the situation.
If it were Federer, he would have used cutting to change the rhythm at this time, not because his forehand could not hold on, but because he needed to firmly control the rhythm here, break the balance of the situation through different hitting techniques, and adjust the speed according to his own needs. This is a true master.
As for Gao Wen, he is still learning. He has a wealth of theoretical knowledge, but lacks practical experience.
As for Istomin, he did not have such wisdom.
Forehand?
Forehand!
Istomin was completely unaware that the entire rhythm had been completely accelerated, or rather, he realized it but did not dare to break it easily.
As a result, Istomin's forehand hit the opponent head-on for the second time in a row, with a posture comparable to hitting a wall, further increasing the force and speeding up the frontal attack.
——slash.
Because of the suppression of rhythm, the swing speed has reached the limit, and there is no way to further increase the racket head speed, so it is naturally impossible to change the line.
As you can imagine, Istomin hit the ball diagonally again and continued to send the tennis ball back to Gawain's forehand position.
On the other side of the court, Gawain had already predicted Istomin's return, moved his feet in advance, waited on the line early, and took a step forward, entered the baseline, grabbed a small half-step space, used physical pressure to grab the rising point of the ball, and used his body weight to create a wall-hitting effect.
When the tennis ball flies over, it not only has to face a wall, but this wall is also continuously pressing forward. The accumulation and collision of layers of force, accompanied by the whipping of Gao Wen's forehand tape, all condense on the tennis ball and explode. A clear sound of hitting the ball can be heard on Court No. 2.
Bang! There was a loud noise, and it almost made people suspect that Gao Wen was about to explode the tennis ball.
The tennis ball was compressed to the extreme, and flew diagonally again and again, like a flash of lightning, rushing towards Istomin with the force of thunder.
The overall quality of this ball, from its power to its speed, from its landing point to its line, was rare not only in the first two sets, but even in the third set.
It can be clearly felt that Gao Wen's ball quality is improving step by step. As he becomes more familiar with the ball, the quality of his shots is also comprehensively improved.
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Istomin could feel the pressure coming at him even when he was standing there. His muscles tensed up before the tennis ball even reached him. Although it was still a diagonal shot and Istomin's steps were accurate, the pressure of hitting the ball was another matter.
and!
Just as Istomin was about to hit the ball, he noticed a figure in his peripheral vision, stepping forward, pressing forward, and quietly covering the front of the net -
Follow the ball to the net!
In the powerful collision between forehands, Gao Wen had no chance to turn passive into active, but he still accurately found a gap in the collision between the tit-for-tat, caught Istomin's return inertia routine to continue to put pressure on him, and followed the ball to the net and came to the front of the net again.
Damn it!
In a flash, Istomin quickly scanned the field: a straight line with empty space.
This was a gap that Gao Wen deliberately left. He stood in the middle and diagonal positions to block the return line, but the straight line side was not covered.
The problem is that the incoming ball is heavier and faster than the previous shot, leaving no room for changing the line.
But there is no time to hesitate.
Istomin could only grit his teeth, take a gamble, and charge forward with his forehand, aiming at the gap in the straight line.
Push off the ground and step forward.
Swing the racket and swing your arms.
Speed up and attack!
"ah!"
Everything happened so fast. Istomin had no time to hesitate. He attacked with his forehand, aiming at the only gap and choosing to break the net in a straight line.
For a second, there was still hope, but just a second, and the flight trajectory of the tennis ball was out of control.
Off track.
Out of bounds.