Chapter 1648: Subtle and tense
"6:6", the tiebreak is coming, the outcome of the fourth set must be decided by a tiebreak.
Everything is possible.
It was a stalemate, a very, very stalemate. There was a subtle sense of tension in the air, just like hot water that was about to reach boiling point but had not yet boiled, hovering near the critical point. The excitement and restlessness that was about to move carried a sense of danger, igniting the adrenaline in the blood.
Then--
Gao Wen was the first to complete a mini break.
The audience remembers that Gao Wen saved two consecutive match points in the twelfth game, but they should not forget that Gao Wen got a break point in the eleventh game.
In other words, while Murray was sprinting towards the finish line of victory, Gawain had also been improving his condition, keeping up with his pace in all aspects from tactics to confrontation; after winning four points in a row and completing an incredible serve, Gawain continued his hot touch and demonstrated his serve receiving ability.
No less impressive!
The commentators were amazed at Murray's high level of performance in receiving and serving in this game, which put great pressure on Gawain's serve; but don't forget that Gawain also attacked Murray without giving in, starting with receiving and serving, so that Murray's serve also faced many challenges.
Then, in the tie-break, Gao Wen took advantage of the victory and completed the mini break first, taking the lead in the tie-break.
Could it be that... the deciding set is coming?
However, Murray objected.
“Ahhhh!”
Murray finally roared out, and after a straight backhand shot forced Gawain to return the ball into the audience stands, he completed a mini break and brought the score of the tiebreak back to a tie. The emotions that had been suppressed again and again finally found an outlet, and at the same time ignited the passion of the home audience, causing a sensation in the entire stadium.
In the past ten minutes, it was obvious that Murray was not satisfied with his performance.
In fact, rather than saying that Murray performed poorly, it is better to say that Gao Wen performed better; but Murray has a different opinion. He believes that he failed to bring enough pressure to Gao Wen, so that Gao Wen could let go and find room to play again, and the whole situation was reversed. He was dissatisfied with himself.
Objectively speaking, Murray's idea is correct.
Tennis is a game of confrontation and competition. If a player cannot create enough impact to suppress the opponent, the opponent will fall into his own rhythm. In essence, tennis is a game of suppression and counterattack. The opponent's excellent performance is also the reason for his poor performance.
Of course, the clash between outstanding players and even better players, and the confrontation between the strong and the stronger, such situations often occur in tennis matches.
However, Murray is very strict with himself, even to the point of being harsh. Moreover, as one of the Big Four, he has enough confidence in himself. In addition, he has also reviewed and replayed the match after losing in Melbourne, so he is even more confident when they meet again. There are also some key points that cannot be ignored:
All England Club.
Murray, playing at home, demands more of himself than anything else. Naturally, his dissatisfaction with himself is also the most serious and intense.
Even now—
After breaking Gawain's mini serve, the score came to "3:3". The two players needed to exchange courts, and Murray kept muttering to himself.
The irritability and dissatisfaction emanating from his body are proof of Murray's strict demands on himself.
But if anyone thinks that this means Murray's mentality is unbalanced and he may perform poorly next, then they don't understand Murray at all.
Cursing, muttering, and venting emotions are precisely how Murray maintains his concentration in the game and sounds the alarm to improve his condition.
In this regard, Murray and Djokovic are the same. They need such moments and such catharsis to ensure that they can focus on the game.
In the tiebreak, Murray still expected to win, and win the fourth set and the entire game. He didn't want to enter the deciding set.
So, Murray is reminding himself that the fourth set is coming to an end and he needs to be at his best.
"3:3".
The next point was still from Gao Wen's serve.
Area 1, outer corner.
Very suddenly, Gowan chose to hit a slow serve, slowing it down to 117 mph (189 km/h), aiming for an outside corner.
This tactic has become a very important part of Gao Wen's tactics this season, and it can often play an important role as a surprise soldier.
In the tiebreak, Gawain tried to improve his first serve success rate and limit Murray's serve to a certain extent, so he kept changing his tactical combination. This time he chose to serve with less power.
However, this was not the right choice.
Firstly, Murray has studied Gawain's games in depth and is mentally prepared for the reduced-power serve, especially in the tense moments of crucial scores.
Secondly, Murray's forehand, with an open stance, hits the ball a little later, and while it lacks offensive pressure, its ability to hold on is excellent.
In the outer corner of the first zone, it was Murray's forehand that was suppressed.
Murray's open stance actually bought him time to adjust. In addition, he was mentally prepared. Facing Gawain's reduced-power serve, he did not rush to score. Finally, he found a suitable position to shoot. With a forehand shot, he aimed the tennis ball directly at Gawain's forehand sideline and hammered it over.
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Gao Wen, a little embarrassed.
The only thing to be thankful for is that Murray did not exert much force, so the impact of speed and power was limited, but the whole rhythm of the strokes was very tight. He made full use of the brief empty space when Gawain did not have time to recover after finishing his serve, and used rhythm and bounce to put Gawain in an unfavorable situation.
He took a step and moved sideways, but there was no time to move further and adjust his steps. He barely managed to throw with his forehand and hooked the ball with his wrist.
Then——
Damn it!
Before he finished hitting the ball, Gawain saw from the corner of his eye that Murray had reached the net.
On the game point of the twelfth game, Gao Wen forced his way to the net to break the balance of the confrontation; now, Murray used the same method to return the favor, and the quick connection of receiving the serve in one shot caught the loophole in Gao Wen's tactical layout to launch a counterattack, and then went to the net.
Murray's habit of staying at the baseline doesn't mean he won't go to the net. In fact, on the grass, how to use the net to change one's rhythm is a course that every player needs to take; and Murray's performance has always been good.
Seeing Murray's continuous pressure on his field of vision, Gawain's alarm bells were already ringing.
Subconsciously, Gao Wen made up for the defense in the backhand position.
Everything happened too fast. There was no time to think, or even to observe. After all, Murray was in front of the net, and his return ball lacked impact and pressure, and the quality of the ball was not good enough. This also meant that Murray was completely in the initiative. He had fallen into an absolutely passive position and could only trust his intuition.
Yes, it's intuition.
His intuition told him to defend the backhand, so Gao Wen rushed to the backhand position without any hesitation or pause.
Tap tap.
Tap tap.
He moved and observed at the same time, his eyes were fixed on Murray. As soon as his feet passed the midpoint of the baseline, he could see Murray stepping forward to kill.
With a leap and a dive, Murray smashed the ball hard in front of the net. The tennis ball fell towards the center of the court like a fireball, and a rolling wave of air hit his face.
(End of this chapter)