At this moment, what is being tested is ability and courage——
Djokovic has entered the killing mode, but Gawain has also entered the war god state.
Both players were clearly aware that although their physical strength and energy fluctuated, the quality of their return shots inevitably fluctuated; but the intensity of the game went up a level, from bargaining to competition, from entanglement to outbreak. In addition to the score, it was also a clash of wills.
As a result, the competition showed the quality of a giant.
It was tight, tense, exciting and wonderful.
After "30:30", if anyone thought that one point could overturn the situation, then they obviously did not really realize the power of the word "giant". When they were in the real crisis moment, the game was completely different.
Game point. Deuce.
Break point. Deuce.
Break point. Deuce.
Game point. Deuce.
Game point. Deuce.
Then, the game point again.
The game was tied five times, with Djokovic missing three game points and Gawain missing two break points. There were winning points and unforced errors. Among them, Gawain's volley error at the net on the second break point was very fatal. Djokovic survived and the hearts of the whole audience stopped beating.
It was a very simple and easy volley, but Gao Wen controlled the racket too hard and it went directly into the net, missing the best opportunity.
However, this is tennis, which is ever-changing, and even the giants cannot guarantee perfection at all times; but Gawain turned around and used practical actions to prove why he is called the fifth giant.
After that simple mistake, Gawain did not lose focus. Even when Djokovic was in high spirits, he still kept the score close and dragged on the game.
This is not——
Ah! Ah! Gawain finally roared, his face flushed, veins bulging, and he clenched his fists to release amazing energy. In the test of the 26-shot round, Gawain's forehand diagonal shot forced Djokovic to return the ball out of bounds, saving the fourth game point and returning to a tie.
The sixth split.
This round has been going on for fourteen minutes and time is still passing. Both players have consumed a lot of physical strength. The last twenty-six-shot round mobilized all their energy and completely ignited the O2 Stadium.
After finishing this point, both players used the time to wipe the sweat off their face to adjust their breathing. Now it depends on who can complete the adjustment in a short time and stay focused. In this regard, both Gawain and Djokovic are masters, and now the two masters are pushing each other to their limits.
Snap. Snap. Snap.
Djokovic's number of bounces increased significantly, but the O2 Arena was very quiet and polite, without interrupting the rhythm, holding his breath and remaining patient.
Then--
The stalemate came again.
Although Djokovic's serve did not speed up and seemed quite standard, Gawain did not find any gaps and did not rush to attack directly. Instead, he created a stalemate by controlling the line and landing point.
From the previous game to this one, Djokovic has been sticking to his four-square ball tactics, pushing the risk of attack to Gao Wen, and showing his prediction, ball-poking and defensive abilities without reservation.
And Gawain did not rush into it. He also cleverly formed a counterbalance by controlling the line and landing point in the dilemma of physical fluctuations, and ensured the quality of his own shots to avoid giving Djokovic any chances.
It was a back and forth ball, a completely square ball. The two players were very alert in their defense. They kept moving back and forth between the two sidelines of the baseline. Their light and agile footsteps ensured a stalemate in the ball round without any loopholes.
Of course, the temptations continued.
Gao tried to suppress the opponent with two consecutive forehand diagonal shots, but all of them were hit back by Djokovic with high-quality returns.
Djokovic tried a combination of a diagonal shot and a straight shot on his backhand, ready to go to the net, but Gawain's return was tight and strong enough, leaving him no chance.
The two players went back and forth, and the stalemate continued. In a blink of an eye, the stalemate lasted for sixteen beats again. Both players entered the anaerobic state. They had just engaged in a tug-of-war in the previous point. Now that the tug-of-war was carried out continuously, the consumption naturally increased exponentially. Every shot had to burst out with a roar of combined force. It was not necessarily an exertion of force, but a confrontation to ensure the quality of the shot.
Then.
Djokovic seized his chance again.
To be precise, it's not an opportunity.
Gawain's backhand diagonal shot intentionally did not have an angle, but was pulled back to the middle. However, the diagonal shot on the left side of the middle was trying to lure Djokovic to return a diagonal line. After all, the space for changing the backhand into a straight line was too narrow when standing on the left half of the court. However, Gawain's return ball did not land deep enough, just half a step of space, and Djokovic got the ball.
With both hands, he used a small turn to hit the ball backhand, aiming at Gao Wen's forehand sideline and shot.
There is no space in a straight line, but Djokovic doesn't care. When he gets the chance, he wraps the tennis ball and hits the ball. Without exerting force to control the position, he tears the angle, breaks the frame of the square ball, and opens up the space on the left and right of the horizontal axis of the court.
Suddenly, the wind picked up.
Gao Wen started very quickly. In fact, the two players were constantly entangled and competing in the stalemate round. Every return shot was setting traps and trying to break the routine, so he was not surprised by Djokovic's start, because he was always on guard deep in his heart and started at the first time.
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With a light center of gravity and nimble steps, Gawain rode his horse to the scene just in time.
Moreover, there is no rush and there is time to observe.
Perhaps the only problem is that Djokovic's shots are light, powerless, and fall quickly, leaving limited space for Gawain to hit the ball with force.
How to choose the return line is a problem.
Gao Wen glanced at Djokovic's position-
Diagonal? No, Djokovic's footsteps have already returned to the defense, whether it is a diagonal or straight line, including small balls, he can fully cover it, unless Gawain forcibly exerts force and speeds up to break the balance, but now is not the best time.
So, how to choose?
Although it was difficult, Gao Wen was very determined to act.
Forehand, straight, topspin.
Gao Wen knew that Djokovic could cover the entire court, so he did not make any changes on the line, but instead used rotation and placement to create a bottleneck.
The forehand is aimed straight at the blind spot of the big triangle at the bottom line to pull out a strong topspin. This is a typical Nadal shot, but Gao Wen is already very skilled at it.
Djokovic rushed over as soon as possible. He consciously took a half step back, but he could still feel the obvious impact of the topspin. The hitting point was above his shoulder, but he was not panicked.
The fundamental reason why Djokovic can compete head-on with Nadal is his two-handed backhand. His backhand is not afraid of Nadal's strong topspin and he can always hit it back directly, putting Nadal in trouble.
The same is true at this time.
Although the hitting point was awkward, Djokovic's two-handed backhand was firm, and he also pulled a topspin and hit the ball with force.
Bang! The ball was hit firmly and powerfully, and along the diagonal line, the mustard yellow light turned into a meteor, and hit the empty space on Gawain's backhand.
Djokovic, come on.