The deciding set: “0:3”.

Sub-score: “30:40”.

District 2.

Bend your knees, push off the ground, swing your racket——

Inner angle.

175 kilometers per hour.

It is obvious at this time that due to insufficient ground pushing force, Gao Wen's serve quality declined, which also became an important reason for him to lose three consecutive serve games.

However, at the other end of the court, facing the opportunity, Djokovic was not in a hurry to launch an attack. Instead, he sent the tennis ball back to Gao Wen's forehand position in the middle of the court with a forehand shot.

The seesaw is here again.

Djokovic was very patient and always controlled the rhythm through a combination of deep and shallow landings.

Gao Wen was equally patient, constantly creating confrontation through line combinations and rotation changes.

The round was not intense.

Neither player took the initiative to open up the angle, and the landing point of the return ball was always controlled in the middle of the court, that is, within a two-meter radius from the midpoint of the bottom line of the court. Even if the line was slightly changed to mobilize the opponent, the landing point would still not exceed the three-meter radius, and there would still be a large step of space away from the sideline.

Indeed, the duration of Gawain's physical peak was slightly longer than expected. Similarly, Djokovic was also facing a physical dilemma. After all, the deciding set was different from the previous four sets. How to reasonably allocate physical energy, how to allocate hitting lines, and how to adjust the layout tactics all require attention.

From diagonal lines against diagonal lines, to straight lines against straight lines, and then straight lines against diagonal lines—

Both players demonstrated top-notch ability to control the landing point and had very solid basic skills at the baseline, and they continued to make small-scale adjustments during the back-and-forth confrontation.

Five beats.

Ten beats.

Fifteen beats.

In a blink of an eye, it was another round of tug-of-war.

Then, Gao Wen clapped his hands and hit a straight backhand, redirecting the straight ball back to Djokovic's forehand position.

Djokovic came back and hit the ball with his forehand. It seemed like a simple move, but in fact he relied on the strength of his wrist to create an angle and made a sudden attack.

It cannot be considered a full-force attack, but it disrupted the rhythm in the stalemate, and the combination of angle and landing point created pressure.

Gao Wen could immediately sense the change in rhythm, but he still did not step back to defend, but took a big step sideways.

Body, stretch; forehand, open.

Relying on a forward movement of the upper body, he grabbed a rising point with his forehand, but he did not actively exert force himself, but just used the force to hit the ball.

Push gently and in a fast pace, straight line.

The return of the ball requires a lot of skill, and the tennis ball is pushed back in a straight line again, and the rhythm between shots is significantly improved.

The tennis ball quickly rushed towards Djokovic's backhand. Although Gawain did not open the angle, Djokovic's previous shot angle was fully utilized, so that his feet also quickly moved sideways to the left, and he could instantly feel the intensity of the confrontation quietly increased a little.

Obviously, this is just a prelude.

Djokovic did not continue to exert pressure, but instead pulled back, blocked the ball with both hands, and pushed it towards the middle.

Angle, pull it back.

Djokovic controlled the landing point of the return ball near the midpoint, circled it for a while, pushed the landing point deeper, did not rush to exert force, and returned to the see-saw mode.

He showed his edge slightly, but failed to find any opportunities, and retreated again in the blink of an eye. This was also the main theme from the second half of the fourth set to the first half of the fifth set. Djokovic played his baseline grinding skills to the extreme, never wasting energy easily, and quietly waiting for opportunities.

Step. Step.

Gao Wen took only two steps to get to the position smoothly and leisurely, opened his hands on the backhand, and made an early lead, which made the atmosphere more lively.

Could it be that Gawain was preparing to attack? Push, topspin, curl, flick—

The hitting action was understated, still without any force or speed, it was a standard hit, with no signs of surprise at all.

but!

The moment Gawain hit the ball, Djokovic started immediately. Although Gawain did not exert force and still maintained a way of controlling the landing point, this shot was clever. Gawain took the initiative to open up the angle, get rid of the entanglement in the middle of the court, aim at the sideline position, and launch an attack.

Slash.

Press line.

Within the boundaries.

The ball was returned so easily, without any warning at all. Djokovic's reaction speed was a little slow. When he rushed to the position, he realized his predicament. It was not dangerous, but he still needed to launch a counterattack. He made the choice to hit the ball in a flash.

Kick with left leg.

White crane spreads its wings.

Following the inertia of the movement, all the speed and power are detonated, and the transmission is completed with a turning movement, and then the backhand of both hands is suddenly exerted with force.

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Bang! In an instant, just this short instant, the entire rhythm, power, and speed exploded, and it was raised to more than one level. The crisp sound of hitting the ball reverberated in the silent space of Arthur Ashe Stadium, igniting passion in an instant, and the energy suppressed in the blood began to boil.

Middle lane!

It was actually in the middle! Djokovic's shot increased in speed and power, but instead of tearing the angle apart, it pulled back the line and returned to the middle.

This is Djokovic's strategy, to continue to throw the risk of attack to Gawain, because he knows that Gawain is still trapped in the embarrassment of extreme physical fitness, and it is easy to lose aim when actively exerting force; but if he shoots according to inertia while running at high speed, it is easier to use the force to launch a beautiful counterattack.

Therefore, Djokovic kept sending the tennis ball back to the middle, which meant that Gawain took the risk of attacking.

Even if Gawain scores on offense or even holds his serve, Djokovic doesn't need to be nervous because he has the advantage in the deciding set.

In other words, Djokovic is now fighting a war of attrition, trying to extend Gawain's physical limit as much as possible and compress Gawain's counterattack space as much as possible.

This return was a typical example. Although both players were not fully mobilized and did not fully exert their energy, the sparks of close combat were still very tense. From Gawain's active angle-breaking to Djokovic's return suppression, it can be seen that the two players have a surging undercurrent.

Moreover, Djokovic controls the landing point of his return ball, pressing deep in the middle and close to the baseline without pressing it. This means that he can squeeze Gao Wen's position through deep return balls without taking any risks, further creating difficulties for Gao Wen, which is very easy for Djokovic.

Whoosh, whoosh whoosh—

The tennis ball came towards Gawain, solid and heavy.

Gawain's lungs were burning and his knees were shaking, like a knife tip dancing wildly. Every shot was a severe test, but he could only grit his teeth.

He took small steps to adjust, moved half a step to the right to make room, and then he moved forward with both hands backhandedly without hesitation.

Push off the ground.

Straighten.

Although his knees were shaking, Gao Wen took a deep breath and straightened his knees, then pushed forward with both hands while turning his body.

A stroke.

One hit.

Exert force instantly.

Without warning, without preparation, and shockingly—

Gao Wen, exert your strength.

Not only is it about leveraging the force of the ball, but the forearm is also pushing forward to apply pressure, pushing the tennis ball out, and then you can see a mustard yellow glide.

Djokovic just accelerated.

Gao Wen then accelerated further, and the whole rhythm instantly increased by two levels, just like an F1 car, with the accelerator pedal pressed to the bottom, and the speed soared from zero to 300 kilometers per hour without any breathing time.