Calm, cold, steady, restrained, repressed——
The more frenetic the Arthur Ashe Stadium became, the calmer Djokovic and Gawain became. Even their hearts and breathing slowly slowed down and cooled down.
The murderous aura spreads.
Previously, it was Gawain who saved the match point, and now it is Djokovic who saved the match point. Moreover, this is a tiebreak, so the fun has obviously just begun.
"6:6".
Every point that followed could be a match point, but it could also be the moment to end the game, with both players teetering on the tightrope.
The tip of the knife dances wildly! Now, it depends on who can fight to the end at the critical moment.
As of now? It's too close to decide, but Djokovic has a slight advantage because the next point will still be Djokovic's serve.
In the previous point, Djokovic's entire layout and execution were crisp, clear and straightforward, a state that was not even shown in the first set.
So, what about this point?
call.
Arthur Ashe Stadium was very, very quiet. Unlike the noise just now, it was too quiet now. Even the wind had stopped.
Area 1.
Djokovic started bouncing the ball again, endlessly and relentlessly. The sound of the tennis ball hitting the ground made the air gradually tense.
All is quiet——
Then.
Outside corner!
This time, Djokovic also knew that the same tactic could not be used twice, so he changed his tactics again and served the ball with a strong topspin outside corner.
After landing, it jumped high and was pulled out with a strong side spin.
Obviously, this is an open conspiracy.
Even if Gao Wen accurately predicted, Djokovic's serve could still restrain Gao Wen. From the serve, the world No. 1 began to make his plans.
This time, Gao Wen's mentality and state were slightly different. It was no longer a match point, but he was back to the same starting line, and all the brief distractions disappeared.
Palm, clench, adjust, and clench again, holding the racket tightly.
The impact of the crazy wave and the fierce concentration collided with each other, the mind and state both reached the best, and the conditioned reflex was activated.
With a push of the foot, the step was already taken forward.
A big step forward.
His body flew into the air, and even though he was in a passive position, he still rushed forward to grab the ball, not to receive the serve, but to make up for the disadvantage.
Forehand, quick swing, push and sweep.
There is no fancy moves or techniques, just follow the swing trajectory and movement direction straight, and push the tennis ball back firmly and steadily.
Return along the same route.
Go back to where you came from.
So, the tennis ball returned to Djokovic's feet, and it was a wall-like return. Maybe the landing point was still a little off, not deep enough, but the effect was achieved. Djokovic moved his body to the side in a panic, but did not have time to find his footing, and he had to hit the ball with his forehand.
Doggy ball?
No.
For the second point in a row, Djokovic broke his usual tactical routine and hit a forehand shot while his feet were squeezed.
Not only did he use the opponent's force to counterattack, but he also used the force quickly, and actually hit him with a flat blow, hitting him head-on.
This was nothing like the Djokovic-Cowan match, not even in the first set, but more like the Federer-Cowan semifinal.
A powerful clash of rhythm, power and speed occurs, and often the layout of the first three beats can make the difference.
The same is true now.
Djokovic not only changes the way he hits the ball, but also changes the direction of his shots.
This shot is a diagonal line.
Repeat the return shot.
Gao Wen was caught off guard again because of the outside corner serve. Gao Wen's feet were pulled out of the singles line. Naturally, his first reaction was to return to defend the backhand gap. As a result, Djokovic chose to repeat the line with fast play, so Gao Wen stopped and turned quickly, started again and pulled back.
Passive is still passive after all, and the passivity of the receiver cannot be changed.
So, cutting?
At this year's US Open, Gao Wen's forehand slice played an important role and often changed the situation.
However! There is none.
Like Djokovic, Gao Wen also took risks in his return, hitting the forehand straight and head-on, launching an attack for the second consecutive shot.
"Power vs. Power".
Although Gawain's center of gravity was unstable and his force was not solid while moving, his shot was firm and decisive enough. With a forehand sweep, the tennis ball went straight into Djokovic's backhand.
Unfortunately, in pursuit of speed and connection, the line control was slightly poor, and the angle was not completely torn apart, falling into the middle of the court on Djokovic's backhand side.
Djokovic arrived in two long strides and attacked for the third time in a row without hesitation, hitting an "inside-out" diagonal backhand with both hands.
Bullet! Pierce! Beautiful!
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
You can tell at first glance that Djokovic's backhand was what he was waiting for. His shot was decisive and daring, and not only solid but also violent.
There was a cry of surprise at the scene——
I was almost about to applaud and cheer.
But the sound got stuck in his throat, because the audience noticed that Djokovic was waiting in the backhand position early to return the ball, and so was Gao Wen.
Gao Wen had anticipated Djokovic's backhand diagonal shot, and he didn't even need to speed up deliberately, as his steps were already in place.
"Backhand vs. backhand".
"Power vs. Power".
Gawain was not to be outdone, and he hit the ball solidly and forcefully with both hands. The clean and crisp sound of the hammer hitting the ball seemed to be about to explode the tennis ball. The instantaneous burst of power came at him like a mushroom cloud, layer by layer, directly cutting off all the trivial sounds in the arena.
He paused for a moment, as if a heavy punch had hit his chest solidly.
This round is a little different.
The first is strength, the second is focus, and the third is calculation.
Whether it is Djokovic or Gao Wen, they are all trying hard and trying to break the game, but at the same time, they can predict the opponent's means of breaking the game, prepare in advance, and launch counterattacks on the spot. The collision of strength and strength will produce more sparks, and every shot is so solid and violent.
Not giving an inch!
Tit for tat!
Now, all layouts and traps are no longer valid. Both players must recalculate and re-layout during the round, and the game enters a new stage.
Djokovic braked, raised his backhand with both hands, and rushed forward without hesitation, flicking his wrist to increase the speed of the racket head.
Seeing this, Gao Wen immediately realized Djokovic's purpose, and he crossed the court on his feet, sprinting towards the forehand position.
Then--
Backhand, straight line.
Gawain prepared to predict again, but the quality of Djokovic's shot was so outstanding. It was not only powerful but also precise, and it landed accurately in the bottom line triangle of Gawain's forehand position.
Blind spot.
Straight and deep, heavy and tricky.
This is the real killer shot. Like a sniper, Djokovic aims at this landing point to complete a ten-ring hit.
Overt conspiracy!
Even if Gawain made an accurate prediction, the impact of the ball was still strong enough, which forced Gawain to improve his condition.
panic?
No, not at all. Not only that, but the adrenaline is detonating in an endless stream.
Calm. Steady. Chilling. Trembling.
He took a breath, but before he could exhale, Gawain had already galloped over, his forehand drawn like a sword, and he met the enemy head-on, not wanting to be outdone.
In the storm, he stood firm, full of murderous intent.