Chapter 687: High-spirited
Considering that Nishikori's match against Ferrer had just ended, it was understandable that Nishikori did not arrive at center court until the end of the match.
But unfortunately, Kei Nishikori also missed the highlight of the game.
It can be seen that after losing consecutively to Djokovic at the US Open and the Beijing Open, Murray also re-examined his game and made adjustments.
The key point is that these two players have been practicing and playing together since their teenage years. They know each other too well and their overall styles are too similar. Even if there is a change, it is difficult to completely subvert it. Calculation and counter-calculation, change and counter-change have always been the themes of their game.
Therefore, the first set of the game was absolutely a bloody battle, extremely exciting, with breaks and counter-breaks, suppression and counter-suppression constantly entangled and colliding.
Both sides created opportunities, but also missed them. Some of the goals were magical goals that made the whole audience exclaim, while some were ridiculous mistakes.
Judging from just one ball, it was a mistake, without a doubt a mistake; but professional players know that some mistakes are caused by changes in the atmosphere of the game.
It is precisely because of the tension and intensity of the confrontation between the two sides that the brain nerves remain tense. The layers of huge pressure are enough to suffocate people, so that some simple shots may result in simple mistakes, or they may be more eager to suppress others and end up making low-level mistakes.
At certain moments in certain games, mistakes can also be seen as a profile of a stalemate.
The most incredible thing is that both players had set points, but both players also missed the set points, and the game continued to be tied at 5:5.
Just when everyone thought the first set would go into a tiebreak, Djokovic seized the fourth set point at the end of the set: "7:5".
He won the first set by breaking the opponent's serve.
The first set alone took seventy-one minutes, almost as long as the entire match between Gawain and Anderson. The air in the entire center court was burning.
There is no doubt that this should be one of the most exciting matches in this year's Paris Masters.
Moreover, Murray showed his continued recovery.
From the break point data, we can see that Murray got two break points and successfully broke once; Djokovic got nine break points and successfully broke twice.
The number of break points shows that Djokovic has the upper hand in overall strength. Murray has given away too many break points and has not yet recovered to his 100% level.
The success rate of converting break points shows that Murray and Djokovic are indeed on par with each other in their performance on key points. The energy that Murray bursts out instantly already shows some of the style of his peak period, whether he is converting break points or saving break points.
However, the second set was disappointing.
Murray collapsed.
There are many reasons for this: on the one hand, it can be seen that he has not fully recovered, and his peak state can only be maintained for one set before he can no longer hold on. His overall performance level in the second set dropped significantly.
On the other hand, having attended the Asian and European Indoor seasons in full has already been a huge drain on physical and mental strength, and top-level competitions require a lot of energy, putting both the body and mind to the test.
So, entering the second set, it was obvious that I couldn't keep up.
“6:2”.
Djokovic completed two breaks, quickly widened the score, and did not give away any break points, easily winning the game.
The first set and the second set were completely different things. Murray's performance was like two different people. He still has a long way to go to recover after his injury.
If Kei Nishikori wants to examine Djokovic's condition, then the second set is of no reference value.
Despite this, Murray still maintained his lead by reaching the quarterfinals of the Paris Masters and secured a spot in London.
At this point, the top four of the Paris Masters have all been decided.
In the upper half, “Djokovic VS Kei Nishikori”.
In the lower half, “Raonic vs. Gawain”.
Such a confrontation is quite interesting.
Looking back at the entire 2014 season, Raonic and Gao Wen are undoubtedly the two representatives of the young storm.
Raonic is a leader of the "post-90s" generation. He was the first to break into the top ten in the world rankings, the second to enter the semi-finals of a Grand Slam, and the first to reach the year-end finals. Everything shows that this young player has emerged with great momentum and has undoubtedly taken up the banner of the new generation.
Gawain is slightly different. If Raonic stepped onto the stage step by step, then Gawain suddenly appeared out of nowhere. He won a US Open championship trophy, broke countless histories, created countless miracles, and was passed on by word of mouth. It was precisely because of his feat that this turbulent season added a touch of magic.
Among the players born after 1990, Janovic, Dimitrov, Thiem and others are all worthy of attention, but Raonic and Gao Wen both stand out and become the current hot topics. The former has been famous for a long time and the latter is shocking. So, who is the current leader?
It is worth mentioning that among this group of young players, the number of times they played against each other was not many, and they did not meet as frequently as the Big Four.
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This also means that young players have not yet fully risen, and there are still too few opportunities to meet each other in major competitions. As they grow comprehensively, the number of encounters should gradually increase.
So far, Raonic has only played against Dimitrov, winning once and losing twice, including a four-set loss at the Australian Open earlier this year.
But Gawain's was completely blank.
Just like Djokovic and Murray, if players of the same era and the same batch can reach the top together, then the number of encounters will continue to accumulate. Perhaps, the first encounter between Gawain and Raonic at the Paris Masters this year will have such historical significance?
All these things have given the first semi-final of the Paris Masters more significance. To some extent, the discussion has exceeded that of the other semi-final. Although Djokovic's match was placed second, the attendance of this match was still very impressive.
Even Gawain and Raonic themselves were full of anticipation.
It feels a little special and a little novel.
Off the court, they are friends.
On the court, they are rivals.
When the game is over, only one person can have the last laugh, which also means that someone is destined to taste the bitterness of defeat.
However, showing your best condition without reservation, going all out, burning out, leaving no stone unturned, and finishing the game with the best fight is the greatest respect and highest praise for each other, and it is also the best interpretation of fair competition.
Gawain knew this, and so did Raonic.
What's more, this is a duel for a place in the final, a competition leading to the final, and everyone should fight for it with all their strength.
(End of this chapter)