Chapter 909: Strange
The third set begins.
Gao Wen served first.
Who could have thought that in the match between Gawain and Murray, the first two sets were actually tie-breaks, with only a handful of breaks, and the score was basically determined by the serve.
Similarly, entering the third set, the score remained deadlocked, all the way to "3:3", just like the previous two sets.
However, the situation is slightly different.
In any case, the game has entered the third set and has lasted for two hours and nine minutes so far. Such a long and arduous game is a severe test of the physical fitness of both players. With the emergence and fluctuation of physical strength, the quality of the game is bound to fluctuate.
The break in the second set was due to this.
The third set was no exception.
In the first six games, Murray got a total of four break points, but unfortunately, he failed to convert any of them. At critical moments, Gao Wen was always able to perform at his best.
On the other hand, Gao Wen only got one break point and was also unable to break the serve.
From this perspective, Gawain's serve was more unstable and he was facing crisis at all times; while Murray continued his momentum of winning the second set and steadily advanced the game.
If this continues, it seems to be only a matter of time before Murray breaks Gawain's serve and takes the lead.
Rod Laver Arena is full of life.
The Australian fans seemed to have all come back to life, sweeping away the depression and repression of the second set. They became more and more excited and agitated, bursting out with unprecedented energy. The momentum of their cheers continued to rise, and they overwhelmingly leaned towards Murray, so that the Chinese fans were completely swallowed up.
The momentum was overwhelming! And it was still rising steadily, with no end in sight. The emotions that had been suppressed for eleven days seemed to finally be able to be released briefly tonight.
As spectators, the commentators in the live broadcast room were able to capture changes in the game situation at the first moment, and Zhang Sheng was no exception.
"…The game is a little strange right now."
"Gawain seems to be facing some physical problems. He must have reached his limit, so when he was hitting the ball, he kept trying variations."
"In the first two sets, the long rounds of tug-of-war between Gawain and Murray at the baseline were very exciting, with offense and defense switching throughout. But now, Gawain seems to have no patience, probably due to his physical strength, so Gawain was forced to change his tactics. He has been adjusting his rhythm and tactics to break the balance of the rounds."
"Just look at the match time. The third set lasted six rounds, less than 20 minutes. It's not that the match progressed faster, but that the rounds were reduced."
"But the really strange thing is that Murray didn't seize the opportunity to break first and take the lead, so the match remained in a stalemate."
In fact, Zhang Sheng had another bold idea, but because it was too shocking, he didn't dare to say it out loud -
Gawain at this moment reminded him of Gawain's state at the beginning of the game.
Not specifically at the start of today's match against Murray, but at the start of a match against an opponent he has never faced before: testing. Trying. Probing.
Gao Wen is a player who is good at thinking and planning.
During the exploratory phase at the beginning of the game, other players often enter the game according to their own habits and then adapt to the situation because this is their style.
But Gao Wen is different. At the beginning of the game, he often makes some bold attempts, and makes different arrangements and combinations based on his usual routines. He even actively breaks the opponent's routines, forcing the opponent to make an emergency choice, and then slowly builds his own game tactics.
It's like trial and error.
Through trial and error, we selected samples, analyzed, sorted and output them, and finally found the correct solution.
Math problems are sometimes solved this way.
Gao Wen gave Zhang Sheng this feeling at the beginning of the third set, so the tug-of-war in the round could not be maintained.
Especially at the end of the second set, Zhang Sheng saw the smile on Gao Wen's lips and the fighting spirit in Gao Wen's eyes. All signs indicated that Gao Wen was not affected by the second set tiebreak and was ready to launch a counterattack in the third set. So why did the third set turn out like this?
Things don't make sense.
Zhang Sheng had a series of question marks in his mind. Is this reasonable? But——
Zhang Sheng quickly rejected this idea, because this was the third set, not the first set. Why would Gao Wen choose to try and make mistakes at the beginning of the third set?
It is obvious that the two players have already fought for two hours and have a very deep understanding of each other's status, so there is no need to do this.
From all aspects, physical limit should be a more reasonable, normal and simpler explanation.
Zhang Sheng let out a light breath, threw away the thoughts in his mind, and turned his attention back to the game.
If Murray knew what Zhang Sheng was thinking, he would choose to high-five to celebrate: I think the same as you.
Although those involved are often confused and those who are watching can see things clearly, Murray himself is in the game and can feel the changes in Gawain's tactical choices most directly.
The latest novel is published first on Liu9shuba!
Murray is also a player who is good at thinking. He is also analyzing, judging, and considering. However, because the game is constantly progressing, he has no way to calm down and sort out his thoughts. After a short calculation, he and Zhang Sheng came to the same conclusion:
Extreme physical strength.
Not to mention Gao Wen, Murray himself is also facing the limit of physical strength.
The two sets of this match were even more exhausting than the four-set match against Dimitrov. After all, the playing style, intensity, etc. are different.
But Murray also knew that the third set was a strategic high ground. Whoever could snatch the victory would be able to seize the initiative, while the loser would be pushed to the edge of the cliff.
Therefore, he had to grit his teeth and maintain his competitiveness in the third set, especially in the opening stage, which was crucial to continuing the momentum of the second set victory.
It is precisely because of this that Murray has been suppressing and adjusting——
For young players, suppressing their physical strength to the extreme may be a little incredible; but for senior veterans, it is not so surprising.
The most important thing is to distribute the remaining physical strength properly. It is not necessary to exert force with every shot, but to learn to control, distribute and use it properly.
Through tactical layout and control of mental will, you can slightly improve your condition in a short period of time, suppress your physical limit, and don't get discouraged.
Murray has been doing this since the start of the third set. If he could break first, the whole situation of the game would be different: after breaking, Murray could let go a little in Gao Wen's serve and not be so serious, and then put all his physical strength and energy into his own serve. As long as he could keep holding his serve, he would be able to win the third set.
pity.
It was just a little bit short, every time, and none of the four break points were converted. This made Murray very upset. He couldn't help but put his hands together, look up at the sky, and mutter to himself.
Look, I missed another one, the fifth one.
Then, Gao Wen escaped again and successfully held his serve, "4:3". Relying on the advantage of serving first, he always maintained the lead in this set.
Here, Murray grumbled and complained, expressing strong dissatisfaction, as if he had just missed the whole world.
On the other side, Gao Wen was calm and seemed not to be affected at all.
(End of this chapter)