This time, Federer took some time between points, wiping his sweat and organizing his thoughts.
The situations in the previous game and this one were almost mirror images. It was not that the serving side performed poorly, but that the receiving side changed its offensive mode. Not only was the layout precise, but the execution was in place. Instead, it seized the impact of the strong wind and low temperature at night on the serving and reversed the passivity of the receiving side.
——In the deciding set between Nadal and Fognini, the two players only managed to keep one serve game in total. This is a very intuitive statistic.
But the game in front of him was different, and Federer's confidence in serving was also different, so Federer also realized that he needed to change.
Then, turn around, return to your position, and continue the game.
Zone 1, with cut outer corners.
The serve was traveling at only 173 kilometers per hour and lost force very suddenly, but it landed accurately, hitting the shallow edge of the serving area and shooting out.
This is purely a ball of strength.
Even though Gawain had predicted and prepared, his steps still had to be pulled out of the singles line, and even to the doubles line; and the hitting point was very uncomfortable, as his forehand had to be shot above the shoulder, making it difficult to exert force, so Gawain could only use his forehand to hit a super topspin return ball.
Gao Wen hoped to suppress Federer through rotation and landing, preventing Federer from attacking, but this time, Federer didn't even wait for the tennis ball to land.
Go to the net and volley.
With one volley, Federer headed back Gawain's return.
Straight line, into the gap.
Gao Wen's footsteps were still near the doubles line on the other side of the court and he had no chance at all.
"30:40".
Arthur Ashe Stadium was in a frenzy.
Judging from the number of rounds, there were not many rounds in which the two players had multiple shots, and they were often fighting for the first three shots. However, the back-and-forth contest and game were extremely rich, and the tit-for-tat offensive collision was absolutely sparking, and the audience could not contain their emotions.
Blood boiling!
"ah!"
Federer clenched his fist again to celebrate, secretly encouraging himself——
The game continues.
Federer is counting on Gawain, but in fact, Gawain is also counting on Federer.
Throughout the tour, everyone knows Federer's serving ability. Perhaps in terms of serving strength alone, Federer is still not as good as big guns like Karlovic and Isner, but Federer is the player who is best at combining his serve with subsequent tactics and increasing the threat of his serve.
Judging from the previous few rounds, Federer's serving strategy today still focuses on Gawain's forehand.
Of course, Federer is not such a paranoid person, it is impossible for him to aim at Gawain's forehand; but there should be distribution at the tactical level.
So, on the second break point, continue with the forehand? Or sneak attack with the backhand?
If it is the current batch of young players, they will often continue to choose forehand, because their forehand serve is in good condition and the serve effect is also good, just like the previous point, even if it was accurately predicted by Gao Wen, as long as the serve quality is excellent, they can still take the initiative.
But Federer is different.
In a tennis match, one cannot just focus on the present but needs to look at the overall situation, especially in a Grand Slam best-of-five set match.
They need to be laid out for the follow-up.
If it were Gao Wen, he would sneak attack with his backhand at this time, breaking the opponent's judgment and guesswork, making it difficult for the opponent to figure out his tactics at key points; at the same time, it would also enrich his serving routines and avoid serving errors due to poor feel when he really needs to change the serving line later.
It is still early in the competition, and the most taboo thing is to be restrained.
So what does Federer think?
District 2.
Gawain stared at the other side of the court with clear and focused eyes, his heels raised to keep his body's center of gravity light, his knees as if they were stuffed with springs.
Stand on tiptoe, swing, and then start——
Backhand. Outside corner.
Accurate prediction.
Gao Wen's body moved instantly, and he rushed forward with both hands.
However, Federer's serve also has hidden traps. The speed is not increased to the maximum, but it has a slight side spin and continues to go outward after landing.
From Gawain's start, it can be judged that he tried to steal the credit. His body was pulled out, and he attacked with his backhand immediately. However, he found that the position of the hitting point was further out than he had imagined. However, now that the racket swing had moved forward, he was in a dilemma of no turning back.
Both players are experts at gambling and calculating, setting traps for each other.
Now, Gawain had no time to hesitate and no room to regret. The only thing he could do was to pull the racket head inward as much as possible and tear the angle of the diagonal line -
Slash.
The reason is very simple, the hitting point is too late, there is no time and space to make a straight line, and because the racket is not retracted in time, the tennis ball will fly directly out of the sideline; so the diagonal line is the only option, but Gawain knows that Federer's footsteps are waiting at the diagonal line, and he may even look for an opportunity to attack sideways with his forehand.
In response, Gawain needs to tear the diagonal line as wide as possible to increase the risk of Federer's sideways forehand and give himself a chance to counterattack.
Ugh! Gao Wen's whole body was pushed out, and his hands suddenly pulled back and hooked, and the whole swing force was delivered quickly and steadily.
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Then, he paused, stopped suddenly, and turned sharply, pulling his body weight back and moving horizontally to the right again. He stared at Federer on the other side of the court.
really!
Sideways forehand.
Federer moved in small steps, his body already moving to the side, but he did not expect that the diagonal angle of Gawain's return was slightly higher than expected, so that Federer was also in a dilemma of having to shoot the arrow on the string. He could only continue to move to the left, further moving his body to the side.
So, diagonal? Straight line? From serving to receiving and then to the second shot of attack, "Game 1.0", "Game 2.0", "Game 3.0", the confrontation between Gawain and Federer was completely tense, and every shot was calculated and laid out, traps were set one after another, and the brain was working frantically.
Everything happens in an instant.
Federer noticed Gawain's sideways movement from the corner of his eye. At the same time, his feet were forcibly pulled out and his body was completely turned sideways. If he forced to go in a straight line, the entire forehand position would be completely left open. Moreover, the straight hitting line was shorter and not suitable for exerting force.
then--
Slash.
A sideways forehand diagonal "inside-out" shot that penetrated the entire court.
As soon as he hit the ball, Federer's heart suddenly contracted: he had been fooled.
Gawain kicked with his right leg and pulled his body back effortlessly. It was obvious that the action of defending to the forehand position was just a smokescreen, and his attention was completely focused on the backhand position. As a result, Federer's return ball fell into the trap.
Federer: Oops.
As soon as he paused, his body quickly moved towards the forehand position. The entire court was almost completely cleared, and any route was open.
Tap tap tap.
Tap, tap, tap! On the break point, Federer did not skimp on his energy and ran as fast as he could, his eyes fixed on Gawain. Then he could see Gawain's footsteps were steady and solid, his two-handed backhand was set up like a turret, and he even took a half step forward.
A step forward.
Seize the rising point and take action.
Swing the racket, touch the ball, hit the ball.
Sweep.
Slash!
It was a diagonal line! Federer tried to brake suddenly, but it was too late.
A ray of light penetrated the entire court, passed through Federer's backhand, and landed to score.