"6:4".
When all the pressure was on Gao Wen, the fifth giant who set off a frenzy in the ATP once again showed his big heart at the critical moment. He stood firm with an ace and saved the first set point.
There is a fighting spirit in those deep eyes, which is no less than Djokovic's.
If Djokovic has his pride, then Gao Wen has his dream.
He longs to become a Grand Slam champion, he longs to be number one in the world, he longs for challenges, he longs for progress, he longs for breakthroughs, he longs to burn out and release himself in his second life, he longs to live as brilliantly as a summer flower.
He will not back down.
Then, zone one.
This time, one shot, inside corner.
Unfortunately, it’s out of bounds.
Gao Wen tried to aim at the T spot, but lacked control and the ball landed in the next service area, in the wrong area and out of bounds, so he had to face the test of second serve in the second set point.
Maybe this is Djokovic's chance? Gao Wen was very calm. He knew that Djokovic would definitely choose to fight, because Djokovic had a way out. Even if he missed this set point, Djokovic still had a third chance, and it was his own serve. So Djokovic would definitely give it a try on Gao Wen's second serve.
But the point is here. If Gawain is restrained by this sense of oppression, he may get himself into trouble. He also needs to stay calm and focused, and think about the layout in more detail.
Second serve, close range forehand press.
At the critical moment, Gao Wen still chose to break through Djokovic's forehand and added strong topspin, trying to suppress the opponent through rotation.
Djokovic was not surprised. Although he did not predict it, his first reaction was very timely and quick. He moved out of the way with a single move.
It's not a simple sideways move, but a big step up into the air, using the jumping action to make room, and at the same time using the airborne position to adjust the hitting point, cleverly resolving the strong topspin of the serve, finding the exact hitting point for himself, and then attacking with the forehand.
This serve reception seems simple but is actually difficult. Because the body is in the air, it cannot exert force and the hitting point is also in an erratic state. Either too much force is exerted and the ball goes directly into the net, or insufficient force is exerted and the return ball is hit far away. Moreover, the mistakes are often very outrageous.
But Djokovic used his unique ability to hit the ball to the fullest. With one shot, he used the force of the ball to sweep the tennis ball back directly. The full parabola fell towards the deep area of the baseline like a meteor.
Although Gawain's second serve was not very powerful, Djokovic's cleverness still created enough space to control the tennis ball and push it into the deep area.
His unparalleled serve-receiving ability created opportunities at critical moments.
Three key words——
Chase. Press the line. Rebound the ball.
Djokovic pushed Gao Wen into a desperate situation in an instant.
Sure enough, Djokovic grabbed the second serve, very smartly and fiercely, and the return ball landed directly at Gawain's feet, literally at his feet. He aimed at Gawain's serving position and attacked the second serve. In the absence of power support, he used the landing point and rhythm to pry Gawain away.
Gao Wen reacted awkwardly.
He had just resumed his serve and had not had time to adjust his steps when the tennis ball had already exploded at his feet; but Gao Wen had already prepared himself mentally, and although he looked embarrassed, he was not panicked at all. He swung his racket promptly and quickly, took a small step away at the first opportunity, and stretched out his hand to complete the rebound.
To hit the ball on rebound, it all depends on the feel of your hand.
Gao Wen hit a long loop, the line and landing point were very difficult to control. He could only rely on the feel and intuition to push the ball as deep as possible, and increase the flying time of the tennis ball in the air through a full parabola to buy time to breathe and adjust.
With small steps and continuous small steps, Gao Wen quickly found his defensive position and balance of gravity, but his eyes never left Djokovic, and he immediately realized Djokovic's intention to connect the second shot.
Make an effort.
Djokovic did not miss the opportunity. His second shot was closely connected. Although Gawain's return was controlled in the middle, even a little closer to the forehand area, Djokovic still did not hesitate to turn sideways and hit a backhand diagonal shot towards Gawain's backhand sideline.
This time, Djokovic took a half step back with his right leg to create space for hitting the ball, and took advantage of the gap when Gawain's return control was not precise enough to launch an attack. The power and connection of his forehand fully demonstrated his offensive power.
Without reservation.
Gao Wen started at the first moment, but immediately found that Djokovic's attack was a hidden weapon. Power and speed were secondary. The subsequent killer move was to press the landing point on the sideline and continue to move outward after rebounding from the ground.
Gao Wen had already lost his position when he received the serve. In order to avoid losing the hitting position again, he did not choose to attack forcefully. Instead, he slid into position and cut with his backhand, slowing down the rhythm again with a controlled technique.
Middle. Deep. Press.
With this shot, Gawain obviously caught his breath, and his control over the line, landing point and rotation were better. He used defense instead of offense and restricted Djokovic. Although he was still passive, the situation was slowly turning around.
Djokovic immediately realized that Gawain had raised his head, and he also knew that he could not relax. He turned sideways and hit a forehand for the second consecutive shot. The previous shot was a backhand shot, and this shot was a diagonal shot, aiming at both sidelines and attacking with full force.
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At the same time, Djokovic was better prepared this time and his strength was more solid. Power, speed and rhythm were perfectly blended into this flat shot.
Ah! Djokovic, really exerted his strength.
Obviously, Djokovic tried to improve the quality of his attack and continue to suppress his opponent, but on the other side of the court, Gawain had already recovered.
With that cut just now, Gawain bought himself precious breathing time, and he moved sideways very quickly. Although he was still in a passive defensive position, he was now calm and rushed over at the first possible moment.
Facing Djokovic's penetrating attack, Gao Wen was not panicked at all, as he had already been prepared.
A forehand. Swing over the head. Super topspin.
The key point is, in the deep area, it must be deep enough, turn enough, heavy enough and sink enough, and aim directly at the bottom line to fully pull up the parabola.
Earlier, Djokovic showed off his offensive touch adjusted in the last three games of the second set, hitting the ball along the line and aiming at the corners.
Now, Gao Wen also showed his ability to continuously push the ball deeper and control the parabola of the high ball to return the ball, which was also on the edge of out of bounds.
Both players played according to their own plans and executed them perfectly.
Then, a true professional can see that, quietly, the two players have returned to parity.
Because of Gawain's super topspin, he accurately pressed the baseline, and the violent rotation obviously squeezed Djokovic, so that Djokovic's center of gravity was almost "overturned".
Despite his accurate steps, his retreat and his resolute swing, Djokovic's continuous and aggressive attack began to lose power, and by the third shot, he could no longer control his flat shots.
The situation is changing quietly.