Chapter 949: Unstoppable
Djokovic is a player with courage and determination.
Djokovic has tried this tactic in Grand Slam semifinals and finals against different players, including the other Big Three.
Leading with a big score of "2:1", if the player ran out of energy, he would let go in the fourth set and lose to the opponent by a huge margin, and then make an effort in the deciding set to eventually win.
From the past to now, Djokovic has never been an impulsive player. He will not fight from the first point to the last point like Nadal.
Of course, players like Nadal are rare in the entire tour.
Djokovic is better at calculation, measurement and game-playing. Like a skilled chess player, he will never hesitate to give up a game.
It is also because of this that Federer and Nadal both had a record of seven "3:0" games without losing a set on their way to becoming Grand Slam champions, but Djokovic did not, not even once.
Is it that Djokovic's strength has not reached such a high level?
Absolutely not.
But Djokovic believes there is no such need.
Of course, "letting go" also requires skills.
On the one hand, you cannot let your opponent win too easily and must continue to wear down your opponent, otherwise you may not be able to gain the upper hand in the deciding set.
On the other hand, you can't throw away the victory easily. You have to give it a simple try. If your opponent fluctuates and Djokovic has a chance to win the fourth set, then he will definitely not show mercy.
Therefore, in Djokovic's matches, it is not uncommon for him to lose "1:6" or "2:6" in the fourth set, but a "0:6" defeat is very rare.
Not to mention the distant past, in this year's Australian Open semi-final against Wawrinka, he lost 4:6 in the fourth set and then gave away a donut in the deciding set. This is the most direct example.
In other words, even after losing the fourth set, Djokovic still firmly grasped the initiative. Moreover, this was not the first time he faced such a situation, and he knew how to deal with it.
Especially when facing the current powerful and aggressive opponent, Djokovic clearly knows how to break down the opponent's momentum.
Compared with the best-of-three format of the Paris Masters, the best-of-five format of the Grand Slam gives Djokovic more room for adjustment and he is more confident.
So, the fourth set was a little unexpected, but if you think about it carefully, it should be unexpected but reasonable. It may not meet the expectations of Australian and Serbian fans, but it is good news for neutral fans.
There are two turning points.
first.
In the second game, which was Gao Wen's first serve, Djokovic first saved his first serve and immediately launched a continuous attack.
The competition in this game was very fierce. Gao Wen missed a game point and saved three break points. It took a full eight minutes. In the end, Gao Wen successfully held his serve.
Djokovic was a little annoyed and discouraged, so he smashed his racket. Then he fluctuated in his serve and gave away two consecutive break points. Although he saved one, he was still broken in the second one.
It can be seen at this point that Djokovic should have reached his second physical limit. He tried to grit his teeth and hold on, but still couldn't hold on.
First, Djokovic failed to break the serve, and then he was broken again, which led to Djokovic falling behind early in the first half of the fourth set.
In sharp contrast, Gao Wen was in a state of continuous recovery, with his touch curve soaring, which also laid the foundation for Djokovic's tactics in the fourth set.
The second time.
In the fifth game, Djokovic was serving and the score was at 0:30, Djokovic had suspected thigh cramps.
The rhythm of the game was disrupted for a while, because the game was in progress and according to the rules, Djokovic could not receive treatment. He had to wait until the end of the game before he could use the medical timeout.
Djokovic did not give up, but dragged his thigh and continued to fight.
But the confusion lies in that -
There seemed to be no problem with his movements, and he still performed well in saving the ball back and forth; and during the short time to wipe the sweat after each point, he kept squatting and standing up to stretch, and massaging his thigh muscles. His expression looked very painful, and it seemed that he might retire at any time.
Such confusion also interfered with Gawain's batting.
In total, Djokovic saved seven break points, and each time he seemed to be standing on the edge of a cliff, shaky, but always able to come back to life; but Djokovic himself also missed two game points and did not seize the opportunity to hold his serve.
This round of strife lasted for a full thirteen minutes.
In the end, it was Gao Wen who successfully broke Djokovic's serve and continued to expand his score advantage. He already had two break points in the fourth set.
The reason why this is a turning point is not because of Djokovic's cramps, but because Djokovic made a judgment on the situation in the fourth set.
During the break between games, Djokovic didn't even ask for a medical timeout. He just massaged himself a little, and the cramp seemed to be gone.
However, in this game, Djokovic was still trying hard. If he had held his serve, he could have fought back and tried again in the fourth set. Unfortunately, he was broken, which meant that the fourth set was over. Djokovic took the opportunity to let go and set his sights on the deciding set.
Obviously, the host fans do not want to see such a situation.
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They cheered for Djokovic at the top of their lungs and made a lot of noise again in Gawain's serve game to try to disrupt his rhythm.
However--
The results were minimal.
In the end, they were unable to stop Gawain.
“6:2”.
Gao Wen once again won the match point with a love game and took the victory in the fourth set.
Unstoppable!
Unstoppable!
If the third set was a last-minute effort, then the fourth set completely reversed the situation. Gawain was strong all the way and maintained his lead from beginning to end, not even giving the host fans a chance to boo. He swept the match into the deciding set.
Zhang Sheng didn't realize that his voice was trembling. Now, he finally understood how Zhan Jun and Hu Litao felt in Flushing last year.
"Dear audience, dear audience!"
"The men's singles final of the 2015 Australian Open is about to enter the deciding set. It is indeed a decisive battle on the top of the Forbidden City. This Huashan Sword Contest has also reached the most tense and exciting deciding set."
"It is worth noting that in the 100-year history of the Australian Open, no male player has ever been able to come back from 2-0 down to 3-0 in the final."
"Not even one."
"Of course, in men's professional tennis, no player has ever won his first Grand Slam and then won back-to-back titles."
"This also means that now Gao Wen is challenging the historical record. He is adjusting the shackles of men's professional tennis that have lasted for more than half a century and creating new history. Standing on the other side of the net is the world's number one Djokovic."
"Now, the game has come to the most crucial moment, and the two players are back on the same starting line."
(End of this chapter)