Layout and game, suppression and counterattack——

Even on what seemed like the simplest of shots, the collision between Gawain and Djokovic was completely tight.

Although Djokovic did not choose to serve and volley this time, he did not expect Gawain to break the balance with an "unnecessary" forehand lob.

Originally, Djokovic's first shot after serving increased the tempo of the round; but in the blink of an eye, Gawain slowed down the tempo.

Across the net, Djokovic's footsteps were already in place at the first possible moment, but he had to wait patiently, adjusting his footwork while concentrating his attention, watching Gawain gain breathing space and return to his position, which also meant that Djokovic's serve layout was resolved.

The layout must start over.

In fact, Gao Wen's choice of timing for this high ball was not only unexpected, but also clever.

It seems passive, but not that passive, so Gao Wen can have more time and space to control the ball, draw a full parabola, and push the tennis ball to Djokovic's backhand baseline triangle in one fell swoop. After landing, it bounces high, creating difficulty for the next attack.

If it was Kei Nishikori or Fognini, they would step forward directly to grab the rising point after this shot. Apart from the fact that neither of them is a Popeye type of player, a backhand sweep would be enough to complete the quick connection, and the increase in rhythm and speed would add up to the quality of the return ball.

The threat factor is rising sharply.

However, this is not the case with Djokovic.

It's not that Djokovic doesn't know how to seize the rising point, but his playing style is not like that. He is often accustomed to retreating, not seizing the rising point, waiting for the tennis ball to reach the second fall after reaching the apex of the parabola, and then shooting. He would rather slow down the pace and focus on his own control.

Gao Wen, just seized on this characteristic and suddenly lobbed the ball high -

Control, very precise, accurate pressing, the strong topspin after landing is fully released, and it quickly rotates towards Djokovic's cheek.

Djokovic's footsteps were habitually forced to take a step back.

His pride and confidence are not shown through aggressive attacks, but through his unparalleled baseline ability. He does not mind retreating, nor will he be upset about losing his offensive position, because he knows that his baseline hitting ability will not be afraid of any opponent.

One step, just one step, to create space, and then you can see Djokovic's left leg retreating, and then moving forward again with a turning movement.

Turn. Step. Push.

Step back first and then move forward.

Even without the inertial force of the run-up, he still relies on small movements and the backing of the body to create a pushing effect, followed by a two-handed backhand attack.

Waiting for the tennis ball to fall a second time gave Djokovic enough time to adjust, and he hit the ball flatly with a two-handed backhand, sweeping it solidly and steadily.

Bang.

Clean, simple and efficient.

Backhand crosscourt, “inside-out” line, across the court.

Indeed, exerting force is not Djokovic's strong point. Gawain still calculated this shot. The excellent quality of the high ball left Djokovic helpless. It was basically a transition ball.

However, at this moment, Djokovic's attention is highly concentrated, the quality of his shots remains at a very high level, his brain keeps running at high speed, and his transition balls are also very sharp.

From backhand crosscourt to backhand crosscourt, the two players' returns basically remain on the same track, but with different emphases.

Gao Wen focuses on rotation and parabola to create restrictions by lobbed balls.

Djokovic focused on the placement and line, completing the move with flat shots.

This time, the ball landed in the shallow area on the left sideline of Gao Wen, just a small triangle from the bottom line of the starting area, and continued to rotate outwards after landing.

The angles are completely torn apart, and the space on the horizontal axis is utilized to the extreme.

He was not fast and not strong, which was completely within Gawain's coverage range, but the key point was that Gawain's footsteps were pulled directly outside the doubles line. When he finished hitting the ball, his entire body had disappeared from the singles area. The court was completely empty, the door was wide open, and there were targets everywhere.

Look, this is Djokovic.

If anyone thinks they can take advantage of Djokovic's weaknesses and bombard him, the outcome will definitely be a miserable loss.

So, how does Gawain respond?

Didn't Gawain expect this? No, of course he did. From the moment he chose to lob the ball, his attention was completely focused.

At the first moment, Gao Wen caught Djokovic's footwork adjustment and hitting action. His pupils shrank and his feet moved towards the backhand position.

He took two steps at a time and arrived there in the blink of an eye, staring at the tennis ball with burning eyes, and ready to hit the backhand with both hands, like a cannon.

Use your left leg to push, brake, and control your body.

The reaction force rises along the calves, knees, and waist, and with a turn, the backhand of both hands is fully and completely impacted forward.

Make an effort!

Unreservedly, wholeheartedly, exert all your strength.

The entire turning movement and the entire swinging movement were all pushed to the extreme. The racket did not stop swinging after hitting the ball, and continued to rush towards the back of the head. The power and speed, inertia and explosion were completely concentrated in an instant.

Then, release.

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Bang! A solid and powerful shot turned into a ball of fire, sweeping across the court.

Slash.

It's still a slash.

Gawain knew that his entire court was cleared, and that choosing a straight line was the best option to avoid embarrassment in the next shot, but Djokovic knew that too.

Catching Djokovic's figure moving sideways out of the corner of his eye, Gao Wen chose to turn the ball back without hesitation and use diagonal tactics to contain the opponent again.

Moreover, it was not a casual light hit, but a full-scale horizontal strike without reservation.

The tennis ball, sweeping with a mighty and powerful momentum, once again rushed towards Djokovic's backhand, and the flight trajectory gradually became clear in the pupils -

Outward-turning. Outward-turning. Outward-turning.

The angle was completely torn apart, or to be more precise, further torn apart.

Gao Wen seized the opportunity of Djokovic's return ball that was tearing the angle, and instantly pulled his body outward, aiming at the shallow area of ​​the serving area, making full use of the space on the horizontal axis.

Huh.

The whole audience took a deep breath.

Only a few people in the entire professional tennis world can hit this diagonal shot, because the larger the angle, the more difficult it is to control. It requires not only a delicate and precise touch, but also a clear perception of the three-dimensional space of the entire court. Most importantly, there can be no hesitation in the shot.

In the ATP, there are very few players who can complete this shot. Two of them are the two who are running against each other on the court right in front of you.

But even for Gawain and Djokovic, choosing such a shot line requires some timing and cannot be taken lightly.

As the two players moved back and forth, they made full use of the horizontal axis of the court and further expanded it outward. When you were at the scene, you could clearly see the criss-crossing lines appearing before your eyes like a chessboard.

Tap, tap, tap.

Djokovic's lateral sprint along the baseline whizzed straight down the court.

He didn't give up.

To be precise, not only did they not give up, but their high morale began to burn and it was visible to the naked eye.