Chapter 1809: Clean and tidy
Everything seems familiar.
From leading at "2:1" at the start, to falling behind by a large margin of "2:6" and "0:4", and losing nine games in a row, the game was completely one-sided.
Such a scene, such a situation, is so familiar. From Miami to New York, five months apart, it seems like I am watching the same game.
So, is this the end of the game? Is the "highest consumption" going to continue the good tradition?
...No way?
Zverev, the "genius" praised by the media, also has a high opinion of himself and secretly sees himself as the next world number one and the next tennis king.
The result? For ordinary audiences, they don't pay attention to tennis events all the time, so naturally they don't know how Zverev performs in other events. Their attention is all focused on the Grand Slams. Now seeing such a match at Arthur Ashe Stadium, it is really hard to hide the disappointment.
But, that shouldn’t be the case, right?
The so-called "highest consumption" sounds very exciting, but anyone who has any basic understanding of tennis knows that it is more like a joke.
Not to mention a talented young man like Zverev Jr., it is rare for players ranked in the top 300 in the world to fall into such a predicament.
Is Zverev really that vulnerable?
The answer is no.
Putting aside subjective likes and dislikes, objectively speaking, Zverev's talent and strength are real. Although he is not mature enough now, his ability is already there.
From the beginning, Gao Wen did not think that "highest consumption" could be replicated successfully; in this game, this has never been and will not be Gao Wen's goal.
The facts prove this.
Although he lost nine games in a row, Zverev still did not give up. His pride was fully aroused, and he burst out with incredible fighting spirit and faith. He kept fighting and fighting. Maybe most of the time he was hitting the ball back and forth at the baseline, but he never gave up and refused to surrender.
Zverev stumbled and struggled, gritting his teeth to maintain the game.
From the perspective of tactical layout, this is lacking in order, and is a pure return to the way of playing in adolescence; but from the perspective of tactical response, this is correct. First, stick to the game, then slowly find ways to respond, rely on tenacity to form confrontation, and avoid complete surrender.
Pop.
As Gawain's return ball went into the net, Zverev could no longer control himself. He clenched his fists, looked up to the sky and screamed passionately -
"1:4".
The serve was successfully held.
finally!
After the third game of the first set, Zverev finally held his serve again, not only ending his streak of losing nine games in a row, but also breaking the "highest consumption" curse.
It is of great significance.
This is also the first time that Zverev has won three games in a set in the three times the two players have met.
A breakthrough and also a feat.
It is indeed a little hard to believe. Over time, it even became a shackle like a demon in his heart, so much so that Zverev began to doubt himself. Even when he got the game point in his serve, he subconsciously became cautious, and his attempts to exert force often backfired.
Until now——
Zverev needed such a moment and such a catharsis. He roared angrily as if he had won the whole game.
Frustrated, depressed, confused, and distressed.
This was not only the case in this game, but also in all three times the two met. That mixed feeling was finally broken, as if he had been lurking under the water for a long time, and just when he was about to faint from lack of oxygen, he surfaced, and the fresh oxygen rushed into his chest like a rainstorm.
Carefree and comfortable.
Ah! Ah! Zverev unleashed his full power without reservation.
At this moment, the audience who had just turned on the TV and saw this scene probably thought that Zverev had won the game, but when they looked at the score board, question marks popped up one after another, which was difficult to understand.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was very respectful, with applause and cheers surging everywhere.
For neutral fans, their only wish is to watch more games and more exciting rounds. A one-sided game is really not worth the ticket price.
Therefore, they always unconditionally support the underdogs. Now that Zverev has finally stopped his streak of losing games, it can be considered good news.
On the other side of the court, Gawain remained unmoved.
After the return ball went into the net, Gao Wen looked down at his feet. He found that his knees were still not squatting enough, and the whole backhand swing was not sufficient, so he needed more attention.
Returning to the rest area, Gao Wen replenished his water and energy step by step, and his brain began to work at high speed.
Although Gao Wen has no interest in "highest consumption", it can be seen from Zverev's reaction that the label is indeed a shackle.
Now, Zverev has finally broken free from the shackles, which also means that his morale and state have been raised to a new level. Without the constraints of psychological pressure, his game state should reach a small peak, and his concentration and dedication will also be comprehensively improved.
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All this means that Zverev will be very dangerous and launch a full-scale counterattack next.
Gao Wen is well aware of Zverev's ability to maneuver at the baseline. If he wants to avoid being dragged into a whirlpool of groaning and entanglement by Zverev, he needs to improve his condition, curb Zverev's momentum in time, and win the second set as soon as possible.
——“40:30”.
Sure enough, back in the game, Zverev's unforced errors began to decrease, and the quality of his baseline returns was slowly improving, but Gawain still responded calmly.
On the first game point, the two players went through a 25-shot rally, and finally Gao Wen scored the winning point with his signature backhand straight return shot.
"1:5".
Despite the impact, Gao Wen still came out on top and once again demonstrated his control over the game.
——“40:40”.
Then, in Zverev's serve, Gawain, who was already far ahead in the set, unexpectedly launched an offensive.
Zverev, whose form has improved and is showing an upward trend, missed a game point but saved three break points and got entangled again.
However, at the critical moment, Gao Wen once again demonstrated his excellent layout and gaming ability at the baseline.
A sneak attack and a short ball moved Zverev to the front of the net, and at the same time, he used a two-handed backhand to break the net in a straight line and got the fourth break point.
The other time was a forehand diagonal "inside-out" attack combined with a net shot, ending the point with a high-pressure shot in front of the net, cashing in on the break point and set point.
Before this, Gao Wen had not been to the net many times in the entire game, but in this game, the confrontation at the net increased without warning, completely disrupting Zverev's prediction, and before the baseline tug-of-war became a stalemate, Gao Wen had already taken the lead to break the deadlock.
Make light of heavy tasks and take control of the whole situation.
Before Zverev could catch his breath, the balance of the game was broken again, pushing Zverev into the abyss.
"1:6".
Gao Wen won another game and took the lead with a score of 2:0.
(End of this chapter)