Gao Wen knew that he would be under great pressure in this game, and Djokovic would definitely improve his condition to put pressure on him; but one of the difficulties facing the giant players was:
Even if you are mentally prepared and foresee the future, some problems are still before you and you need to face them. Moreover, the situation is different every time you confront them, so you can't stick to the old ways.
Since New York, Gawain and Djokovic have faced each other three more times, in Beijing, Shanghai, and Paris. The situation was different each time they met; but what is certain is that those matches all became fuel for Djokovic and evolved into the driving force in London today.
Sure enough, the counterattack came right away.
Quietly, Djokovic's shot control has become more precise, detailed and purposeful, and he has completed the shot layout in a way that remains unchanged in the face of ever-changing situations.
Four-square ball.
That is, the back and forth moving route and hitting line form a square, which is also what Djokovic is best at, because it can bring out his control of the ball to the fullest.
But when it comes to details, Djokovic has different ideas.
He did not open the angle, but controlled it in the square area in the middle of the court. It felt as if the tennis court had shrunk by one third, and the back and forth hitting line and moving range had also shrunk by one third.
The focus is on control, which is more about containment than layout.
The reason is not complicated.
Keywords: physical fitness and energy.
Whether it is Gavin or Djokovic, although they are not at the peak of their physical strength now, after experiencing the high-quality and high-intensity collisions in the first six games, it is inevitable that there will be some decline. This is also an important reason why Djokovic's serve was broken. Similarly, Gavin will face the same dilemma next.
But it's fair to both of them.
What's more, Gawain is young and energetic. If Djokovic and Gawain go head-to-head and burn themselves out, even if they succeed in breaking, what should they do next? Control, contain, and restrict, this is Djokovic's strategy.
From Gao Wen's perspective, if he is prepared to open up the angle to launch an attack, he needs to take more risks, especially when his physical strength and energy fluctuate. A strong attack will consume more energy and result in more mistakes, which may put him in a passive position.
From Djokovic's perspective, whether attacking or defending, his return line is very clear, which is framed in a square area. This allows him to save energy, free up his hands to control the rhythm and then seek breakthroughs, creating opportunities to turn defense into offense.
Not only mature, but also wise.
This is also a tactic that was presented after combining Djokovic's own strengths and progress during this period, and was gradually improved to the current version.
Facts have also proved that Djokovic is outstanding.
If someone thinks that Djokovic is vulnerable just because Gawain is far ahead in wins over Djokovic, that is truly stupid. Just look at the wins between the Big Four and you will know that winning streaks or losing streaks do not mean anything because they will continue to grow and transform.
This is the fundamental reason why the Big Four have been able to dominate the professional tennis world for more than a decade.
The same is true today.
Precisely because his opponent is Gawain, the only player this year who can compete with Djokovic and maintain his peak form, Djokovic has studied Gawain more thoroughly and comprehensively, and has taken each encounter more seriously, with high morale and strong will, unlike any other opponent.
Even temporarily surpassing Federer and Nadal.
Djokovic showed the demeanor of a giant——
In a round that lasted for a full 24 shots, which was also the longest round since the start of today's match, Djokovic won with his signature forehand diagonal "inside-out" winning point. His slightly unstable forehand withstood the pressure at the critical moment and won a wonderful round.
And, save a game point.
"40:40".
Equal share, equal share again.
After the first six games without a tie, the game ended in a tie for the second consecutive time, and the end of the first set suddenly became tense and exciting.
In fact, Gao Wen's performance was already very good. Facing the improved state of Djokovic, he remained focused and was the first to get the game point. But in this point, we have to admit that Djokovic's forehand withstood the test under continuous pressure, and the last shot was indeed beautiful and deserved applause and encouragement.
Gao Wen was not stingy either, slapping the racket face with his left palm to cheer for Djokovic.
Then--
One shot, outside corner.
Gao Wen's serve completely opened up the angle, with a flat serve at a speed of 198 kilometers per hour. He changed his tactics without warning and used a combination of outside angle and flat serve to open up the situation.
In a passive position, Djokovic took a big step and leaped up, using the momentum of movement to swing his body out and hit a fierce forehand shot.
Like a slap in the face.
In the absence of support from the body and feet, he relies entirely on the swing of his forearms to gain leverage and impact back with unparalleled force.
The serve is fast and the return is fast too.
The serve was flat, and the return was also flat.
Djokovic inadvertently demonstrated his unparalleled baseline hitting ability again. Instead of poking the ball, he cleverly wrapped it and pushed it back.
In a flash, the tennis ball was pushed to the middle.
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It was still the central square area, not a diagonal line nor a straight line, and it did not tear the angle apart, but instead aimed at Gawain's position and swung forcefully.
Bang.
The sound of the ball hitting the ground is crisp and clear.
Before Gao Wen had time to recover from his serve, he felt the tennis ball coming towards him with a fierce and powerful heat wave.
Although his body was not ready, his mind was ready. Gao Wen knew that this was Djokovic's ability and he had the shot.
The key is when and how to appear.
At this moment? Unexpected, and not unexpected.
Gawain knew that he didn't have time to move away, so he simply didn't step back. He just took a half step back with his left leg to make a small space, stretched both hands to his feet, prepared to hit the rebound ball, tried to use a strong topspin to slow down the rhythm, and at the same time watched Djokovic out of the corner of his eye to see if he was ready to go to the net.
Then——
Tennis is here.
Press the line accurately on the bottom line.
Here is a little-known piece of knowledge:
The boundary lines of a hard court, including the baseline and sidelines, are not painted, but a piece of tape made of a special material that can be glued on and removed.
Because of this, just like on clay and grass, when a tennis ball hits the sideline, there is a certain chance that irregular bounces will occur. Although it is not so obvious or exaggerated, irregular bounces do exist, and occasionally there will be obvious deviations.
Of course, overall, the probability is much lower than that of clay and grass, so much so that many people don’t even know about it, including the players.
In front of him, Djokovic's return ball hit the baseline and bounced irregularly, lower and flatter, further squeezing Gawain's remaining swing space, so that the entire hitting point and swing trajectory all deviated from track.
Before Gao Wen could react, the tennis ball had already drawn a full parabola and flew towards the audience stands.
"40:AD".
…That’s it?