Chapter 232: On the edge of the cliff
First game.
Gao Wen had his serve broken twice by Kokkinakis, and he only got one break point in the opponent's serve game - unfortunately he was unable to convert it, and then after a torrential rain, he had no time to catch his breath before losing the first set since the spring season.
“6:2”.
Of course, Gao Wen knew that his record of not losing a set would not last forever, especially after switching from the NCAA to the professional arena. However, losing the first set in half a year by losing two service games still made Gao Wen very dissatisfied with himself.
Kokkinagisna's side stopped celebrating wildly, pounding their chests like King Kong, spinning and jumping on the spot, and making sharp wolf howls.
Even when he returned to the dugout during the break, he provoked Gao Wen with his eyes and said meaningfully: "I knew it."
Because the players' lounge was right under the referee's nose, if Kokkinakis swore, he would most likely be warned or even fined, so Kokkinakis was a little more obedient. But Gao Wen could understand such words. The full version should be -
I knew you were going to lose, I knew you were vulnerable, I knew you were in a mess.
That’s about it.
Gawain could even see the rage burning in Kokkinakis' eyes, his sharp white teeth bared, as if he wanted to bite off Gawain's aorta.
What about Gao Wen? Gao Wen ignored Kokkinakis's provocation. The best way for a professional player to fight back is always to defeat the opponent on the court, and then the world will be quiet.
After losing the first set, Gao Wen did not get depressed or give up. His brain was always working at high speed, looking for solutions.
Before today, Gao Wen had anticipated the difficulties. Professional competitions are different after all. However, the actual situation was so fierce that it exceeded his expectations. The intensity and quality were raised by at least one level or even two levels. His game rhythm was also disrupted by Kokkinakis' unreasonable style of play, as if he was thrown into a washing machine.
At a certain moment, the brain in the anaerobic state will really be blank, without any thoughts, just a body mechanically hitting the ball on the court.
Soon, Gao Wen realized that this was very dangerous. In a tennis match, if you give up thinking, the game will be out of your control. Whether actively or passively, the game will fall into the rhythm of your opponent.
It can be seen from here that his shortcoming of lack of competition experience was still exposed.
Of course, as he faces more unexpected situations and handles more situations in the future, he will slowly find the rhythm.
So, such a difficult game is the best learning opportunity. Gao Wen is not only not frustrated, but also more focused. Putting aside the issue of winning or losing for the time being, he focuses on every point and every game, learning from the game and growing through the hardships.
There was no need to wait too long before Gao Wen's performance improved significantly in the second set.
The first step is to base on his own serve. He must keep his own serve to have a chance to seek opportunities in Kokkinakis's serve.
Just like in the U.S. Championship final against Giron, he is now the Giron back then.
Gradually, Gao Wen gained a firm foothold, and the competition between points and games obviously rose to a higher level. However, Kokkinakis still relied on his stronger comprehensive strength to gain a firm foothold. At the critical moment, he was always able to suppress Gao Wen a little, even if it was only a little bit.
In the first six games, both sides held their serve and got a total of thirteen break points, but in the end no one was able to break successfully. Gawain, who was fighting a desperate battle, and Kokkinakis, who was in high spirits, both tried to adjust their status and control the game.
The stalemate lasted until the seventh game. Kokkinakis, who missed two break points, did not miss the third one after all. He broke Gao Wen's serve with an unreasonable, whip-like violent forehand winner, bringing the score to a "5:3" lead, and finally directly ushered in his own serve to win the game.
Then, Gawain was really pushed to the edge of the cliff.
This scene is similar to the U.S. Championship final in every aspect, except that this time it is Gawain who is in dire straits.
At that time, facing the all-out fight of Jilong, Gao Wen stood firm with his superior performance, and won the match with a "love-game" serve to reach the top and win the championship.
Now, Gawain became the one who initiated the attack. He refused to compromise and even more refused to surrender. He launched a fierce attack in Kokkinakis' serve to win the game. However, Gawain also learned from Giron's experience at that time and did not fight blindly. He remained patient and looked for the opportunity to make a fatal blow.
Therefore, Gao Wen not only did not let Kokkinakis get the game point and match point easily, but also seized Kokkinakis's psychological fluctuations of being eager for success and grabbed three break points. The balance of the game seemed to have subtly changed.
Australian legend Rod Laver once said:
The most vulnerable moment in a tennis match is when you are leading.
What is the reason? Because a tennis match is a game of competition and confrontation between the two sides, a contest of physical strength, energy, psychology and other aspects. If there is a problem in any link, it is very likely that the whole game will have problems like a domino effect. When leading, relaxing vigilance or rushing for success, or wanting to win but afraid of losing, these mental fluctuations can often become the key to breaking the balance.
In a tennis match, there are only four points in a game. One mistake or one fluctuation may lead to the loss of the game. So the game is different.
Mr. Laver's career spanned before and after the Open Era. He was ranked number one in the world for seven consecutive years and twice completed the feat of winning all four Grand Slams in the same year. He is still the only male player who can accomplish such a feat.
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It is also because of this that countless experts have always believed that Laver is the greatest male tennis player in history, until the emergence of the Big Four.
Obviously, Mr. Laver has his own unique understanding of tennis games.
Now, Kokkinakis seemed to be facing his "most vulnerable moment". His belief in defeating and humiliating Gawain ran through the entire game, but he wavered when he was close to victory, and was then keenly seized by Gawain.
The balance is broken.
However, Kokkinakis gritted his teeth and tried his best to fight for the 35-shot round, saving the third break point. The two sides returned to a tie for the third time, and he pulled the advantage of the balance of victory back to his own direction a little.
Huff, huff.
The two players adjusted their breathing, returned to the baseline, and prepared to get back into the game.
"40:40".
So, was it the fourth break point or the first match point? First update.
(End of this chapter)