Chapter 463: Physical Limits
After the fierce and bloody third set, the audience had high expectations for the fourth set.
On the one hand, they expect Djokovic to launch a desperate counterattack and drag the game into the deciding set. After all, the majority of fans hope that Djokovic can advance to the final.
On the other hand, they expect the two players to once again present a wonderful duel and continue the high-level confrontation in the first and third sets, so as not to disappoint the quality of the Grand Slam semi-finals.
But the fact is, even the top players are mortal. After the fierce competition in the third set, their physical strength and energy will inevitably reach a low point. This is in line with the laws of nature. Whether it is Djokovic or Gawain, they are not perpetual motion machines, and naturally cannot maintain high-intensity confrontation all the time.
The small difference is that Gawain has already passed his physical limit, but Djokovic is still holding on.
In fact, Djokovic's physical strength limit had already appeared a long time ago, but this top player has unparalleled sharpness and delicacy in controlling the game. In the second half of the third set, he consciously focused his attention on his own serve and consciously increased the return insurance factor in some rounds. All of these were tactical arrangements, the purpose of which was to ensure physical strength and ensure victory in the third set.
From a tactical perspective, if everything went well, Djokovic would be able to take a 2:1 lead, and then relax a little in the first half of the fourth set to concentrate on recovering his strength:
It would be best if you can hold your serve, but it doesn't matter if you can't, as long as you're not too far behind, there's no problem. After you've passed your physical limit, you can still catch up in the second half of the fourth set.
To put it another way, even if he lost the fourth set, he could still concentrate his attention and energy on the final set.
When playing against other top players, Djokovic has strategically allocated his energy like this more than once, sometimes being in better shape and sometimes being more relaxed.
This is definitely not a passive game. On the contrary, it is a strategic deployment to win the game, just like Tian Ji's horse racing.
Djokovic's overall planning intentions can be seen from some of his shot choices in the second half of the third set.
However--
As Gao Wen came from behind to win the third set, he actually forced Djokovic into a desperate situation, and the whole game suddenly became complicated.
At the start of the fourth set, Gao Wen keenly sensed that Djokovic was approaching his limit, so he played more actively, aggressively and aggressively, trying to seize the opportunity to widen the score gap.
From this move, we can see that although Gawain is young, it does not mean that Gawain lacks experience. His understanding of the game and grasp of the timing are very mature and experienced, which also makes Djokovic very uncomfortable.
These details are hard to see from the game videotapes. Only when you actually face off against each other can you feel them firsthand.
However, Djokovic was able to be ranked among the Big Four because he was more experienced. He seized on Gawain's eagerness to achieve quick results, adjusted his hitting style, and consciously slowed down the game when his physical strength was low. This forced Gawain to make some unnecessary unforced errors, and the rhythm of the entire game also subtly changed.
In the fourth set, Djokovic served first.
In the first game, Djokovic saved two break points and held his serve.
In the third game, Djokovic saved four break points and held his serve again, the first two of which were consecutive break points.
Every time, Djokovic's game seems to be in jeopardy, and it seems that it may collapse completely at any time in the storm, but on the edge of the cliff, Djokovic can always find a way to save the crisis and then keep the balance of the game.
Although Djokovic did not do much in Gao Wen's serve, his physical strength and energy did not allow him to launch an offensive in his opponent's serve; but very strangely and wonderfully, the two players maintained a balance at the beginning of the fourth set, and both sides were defending each other's serve.
"2:2".
As expected, Djokovic is worthy of being Djokovic. Even when facing the extreme test of physical strength, he was able to maintain the balance of the game just by relying on one breath.
After missing six break points in the first and second games, Gao Wen also realized that his impatience was disrupting the balance of the game.
Ultimately, it is because deep down they are afraid of Djokovic's ability to counterattack.
Gao Wen knew that Djokovic would not surrender easily, and he also knew that Djokovic had the ability to overturn the entire situation, so he hoped to seize the opportunity when Djokovic was at the end of his strength to gain as much advantage as possible for himself, but this mentality instead proved the truth that more haste makes waste.
call……
After taking a series of deep breaths to calm himself, Gao Wen regained his composure and patience, and broke the deadlock in the fifth game of the fourth set. He seized the second break point and successfully broke the serve first in the fourth set, overtaking the score to take a "3:2" lead. The whole situation immediately changed.
The shackles of physical strength eventually became an important turning point; on the contrary, the experience of competing in the challenge for three consecutive weeks and reaching the top for three consecutive weeks became Gao Wen's most valuable experience.
In the fourth set, because Gawain served last, he was unable to widen the score gap and Djokovic was still chasing closely.
“3:2”.
"4:3".
"5:4".
Faced with difficult situations continuously, Djokovic calmed down instead. He was no longer irritable or angry. He regained his concentration on the court. After overcoming the physical limit, the quality of the game slowly returned. He saved his serve twice in a row and never let Gawain expand his advantage.
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From the details, we can once again see Djokovic's control over the game, which permeates every aspect of the game. Even if he is behind, he can still make Gao Wen very uncomfortable.
Then, Gao Wen won the match by serving.
Looking back at the first set, when Gawain served to win the set, we know that being pushed to the edge of the cliff often stimulates Djokovic's potential energy, and the impact is bound to be more fierce and intense; but Gawain is also a smart man, and he learned from his mistakes and performed very well in this game -
"pretty!"
"In this point, Djokovic played very actively and proactively. He set up the game early and used a straight forehand shot to mobilize Gao Wen. He immediately went to the net to create pressure, forcing Gao Wen to hit a high ball."
"However, Djokovic's high-pressure ball at the net was still soft, and he failed to spike accurately. There was still a problem with the hitting point, which gave Gao Wen a chance to hit the ball. His two-handed backhand was very solid to withstand the impact and completed the break through the net."
“40:15.”
"Match point has appeared!"
"Who would have thought that the first person to get a match point in this semi-final would be Gao Wen?"
Gurgling.
Gurgling.
The entire Arthur Ashe Stadium was boiling with excitement, not because they were cheering for Gawain, but because they were cheering for Djokovic amidst the shouts of frustration and depression, hoping that Djokovic would make a desperate counterattack. They were still eagerly looking forward to the five-set battle.
(End of this chapter)