Djokovic was a little frustrated.
In just half a year, Djokovic and Gao Wen have played against each other four times. The current total record is one win and three losses, and all of them came from hard court events.
This is unusual, very, very unusual. It feels like I was at a complete disadvantage against Federer and Nadal early in my career.
But since he completed his transformation and became the world's number one, he has not been so passive for a long, long time.
Doesn’t Djokovic realize this?
of course not.
Not only was he aware of it, but he also remembered that he was constantly trying to adjust, trying to regain his rhythm of the game.
In London, he succeeded, learned the lessons of Paris, upgraded comprehensively, took control of the game, turned the situation around, and it was undoubtedly a success.
However!
After experiencing the training in the offseason, Gao Wen once again completed his transformation. The period of youth and frivolity is the stage of explosive growth of strength and he thrives.
Arriving in Melbourne, Gao Wen was more mature, more comprehensive and stronger, blooming like an edge polished by frost.
In the extremely passive and extremely difficult situation of the final, Gao Wen successfully found the key to overturning the situation and once again took the initiative in the confrontation.
The core key lies in the two shots just now:
One shot is a diagonal forehand, and the other shot is a straight forehand.
The focus is not on forehand or backhand, nor on diagonal or straight line, but on the ability to capture opportunities, create opportunities, and strike decisively.
A competitive temperament.
Not only is he bold, but he is also crazy; at the same time, Gawain also has the ability to evolve his ideas into reality, which makes the situation difficult.
Just like this time.
what to do?
At the critical moment, you can see the style of being the best in the world.
Surrender?
Absolutely impossible!
Surrender, the word was not an option at all. Djokovic was fully focused, aware of Gawain's shot, and already reacted.
Kick the ground.
move.
gallop.
sprint.
Djokovic showed off his top mobility——
When it comes to movement, the first impression that comes to people's minds is often Nadal's invincibility, as well as Hewitt's hare, Schwarzman's small steel cannon and the new generation De Minaur's Scud; But in fact, Djokovic and Murray's movements are not inferior.
The wind was so fast that it was dazzling, and it seemed like you could see an afterimage being dragged behind you, melting into the strong wind of Indian Wells.
In a blink of an eye!
Djokovic appeared from one end of the baseline to the other, and his light and agile steps seemed to have disappeared.
at the same time.
Djokovic noticed Gauvin's backspin, which meant that the tennis ball didn't have much rebound power after it hit the ground, and the space for hitting the ball was very limited.
Therefore, Djokovic thought of a countermeasure early, turned his back to the court, and used his signature hard court slide to gain time to hit the ball.
Then, I could no longer stretch my two-handed backhand, so I simply used a one-handed backhand. Just like a top sashimi chef, the racket is his chef's knife. He sliced it gently, and the thin sashimi was born. ——
There is no power at all, but the effect is amazing.
The tennis ball flew back.
Moreover, the arc was not completely pulled up, almost touching the net and flying at low altitude.
The whole control, the whole package, unparalleled in the world.
Djokovic's handling not only bought him time and space to quickly complete adjustments and prepare for the next shot; but also his excellent skills and soft touch turned the situation around again, even if there was no room to swing. He still controlled the ball return in his own way.
Wonderful!
It’s so exciting that it makes your scalp numb and makes you want to stand up and applaud!
The tennis ball flew back along the diagonal line and landed on the outside edge of the service area on the left side of Gowan's half.
Press the line accurately!
Not only is it spinning downwards, but it is also spinning sideways. After landing, it rushes out and continues to spin at high speed.
See, this is ability.
It was clear that Djokovic was in a completely passive situation, but the handling of this shot reversed the situation again and pushed Gawain to the edge of the cliff.
The pinnacle showdown is well-deserved.
So, what about Gawain?
Gao Wen is moving, just like Djokovic, moving in a wide range on the horizontal axis of the baseline, and the two figures are moving to his left side at the same time.
Passed by.
The steps, from long strides to small steps, are adjusted while sprinting, and the peripheral vision is always watching the opponent's shot.
Although Gao Wen expected that Djokovic would choose a diagonal line and moved in advance, this time, Djokovic's calculation was ahead of the curve.
A side spin plus an external spin is even better than Gao Wen's change of line just now. After landing, it bounces outward, increasing the distance of movement, and the entire hitting space also changes.
what to do?
While running wildly, Gawain had already completed his judgment——
Even if the pace arrives, there is not much space left for swinging and hitting; moreover, Djokovic's pace is returning to position, re-finding the defensive focus and pace.
This also means that his return needs to further contain Djokovic.
The brain is running at high speed.
One kick.
The whole person took a step forward.
One more step.
He pushed off the emergency brake with his right leg.
As he rushed and stopped, the ground reaction force hit his face like a mountain roaring and a tsunami. The tight muscles spread all the way from his calves, and in the blink of an eye, his entire body became a fully drawn bow and arrow.
work hard?
Is Gawain prepared to exert force in such a passive situation?
But saw——
Gawain also turned his back to the court and also used a one-handed backhand.
One blocks everything.
If there is no swing space, then Gao Wen will give up the swing and just use a small amount of cutting to back off.
There is no hitting time, so Gawain compresses the hitting action and creates spin through the friction between the racket string and the tennis ball.
Treat others the same way you treat them.
One touch.
It was a very brief touch, but the wrist wrapped around the tennis ball softly and delicately, and then, you could see that the tennis ball had flown out.
This parabola...?
Because Gawain's processing is very sudden, short, and very secretive, the parabola is also a bit blurry, making it difficult to accurately judge for a while.
Slash, then what?
Long term or short term? Deep zone or small ball?
Even Djokovic paused for a moment, stared closely at the tennis ball, tried to make a judgment, and was half a beat slow before starting the second time.
small ball!
incredible!
Gawain actually turned his back to the court and cut a small ball with one hand!
When Djokovic reacted, he immediately leaned forward and sprinted, running at full speed, but he realized after just three steps:
Too late.
Gawain's little ball, so miraculous, will go over the net, almost close to the net, straight up and down.
Line, perfect.
Relief, perfect.
The placement is perfect.
It's a perfect little ball.
Even if Djokovic sprinted with all his strength, it was still too late.
Before his eyes, Djokovic watched the tennis ball fall to the ground and then jump twice. He was helpless and his shoulders drooped.
Forty shots!
After a full forty strokes of batting, Gawain finally ended up winning, and the game was declared over——
Victory belongs to Gawain!
(End of chapter)
