Focus!
The more special moments like this, the more you need to focus, go all out, and devote yourself to the game without reservation. This is the respect and tribute to the God of War for the opponent, and to complete the game with dignity.
Gao Wen believes that Nadal does not need sympathy or let off steam, because Nadal has not given up the fight yet, and they will continue to strive for victory in a fair and equitable way in competitive sports.
really--
On the break point, Nadal refused to surrender.
You come. I'm going.
Stalemate. No less.
In this minute, both Gauvin and Nadal have mobilized their full state, and the back-and-forth baseline confrontation covers the entire court, from forehand to forehand, from forehand to backhand, and from backhand to forehand, a comprehensive confrontation .
Nadal once cut a small ball and moved Gao Wen to the front of the net, but because of Gao Wen's handling of the ball, he returned to the bottom line. The two players' offensive and defensive transitions were suffocating. High-quality offense and high-quality defense were tit for tat.
until--
Gao Wen seized an opportunity that was not an opportunity and suppressed Nadal's forehand with two consecutive shots, forcing the quality of Nadal's forehand to decline.
Then.
For the third consecutive shot, Gao Wen adjusted his steps, grabbed an ascending point, turned sideways forehand, launched an all-out attack, and hit the ball with a skateboard to open up the angle.
Forehand!
Still a forehand!
ah!
Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah!
Gao Wen unleashed his full force, and his violent forehand attack unreasonably broke the rhythm and balance, and directly penetrated Nadal's forehand defense——
Win, score.
In the third game of the fourth set, there was a back-and-forth stalemate for twelve minutes, which ended with Gawain breaking serve.
Nadal is almost out of gas.
This game also became the final turning point. Carrying the momentum of breaking serve in this game, Gao Wen accelerated all the way and widened the gap in one go.
Nadal has indeed been unable to keep up, not to mention the further decline in the quality of his forehand shots, and the rate of defensive movement has also declined significantly.
A glance at the post-match technical statistics will reveal the difference between the two players.
Throughout the game, there was a clear gap between the two players in terms of winning points. Gauvin scored a total of 51 winning points, while Nadal only scored a pitiful 18. This set of data can be described as a microcosm of the entire game.
Among them, Nadal's signature weapon, the forehand, only scored four winning points.
Of course, Gawain's outstanding backhand performance is undoubtedly an important key reason, which restricted Nadal's forehand. However, it can still be seen that Nadal's forehand is in poor condition.
The fourth set wasn't over yet, but... the situation was over.
After breaking serve in the third game, Gao Wen was in full swing and Nadal was in an overall downturn.
From physical problems to forehand conditions to defensive returns, the quality of the entire game has faced significant fluctuations. Although Nadal still has not given up, he is still fighting, still playing every point conscientiously, and still trying back and forth. Bite the game, but with difficulty.
"5:1".
Following the third game, Gao Wen launched an attack in the fifth game, saving three game points and then cashing in on the third break point, breaking serve for the second time.
Immediately after holding serve again, Gao Wen was already far ahead in the fourth set.
Nadal still didn't give up or surrender. He prepared step by step, with a meticulous attitude just like the first game.
Amid the cheers of the audience, Nadal saved a break point and match point and secured serve. Philippe Chatier was in a state of excitement.
"5:2".
I never thought that just a guaranteed serve could be so exciting and exciting, and the audience inside and outside the stadium went crazy.
The pressure came to Gawain's side.
Next, Gao Wen once again showed his big heart in his serve-winning game, and once again showed his big heart, quickly gaining a foothold and entering the game.
"40:0".
Three consecutive match points.
Nadal was not moved at all, he concentrated on the game and played every point conscientiously. Then, Nadal scored——
Forehand, diagonal, crossing, whip-swinging forehand at the extreme position to save the ball, but he scored the fourth winning point in the whole game from the forehand position.
boom!
The audience threw their minds directly into the blazing fire, and the whole place was in a frenzy.
"Bah! Rafa!"
"Bah! Rafa!"
The shouts of support were overwhelming, as if you could feel the lava surging under your feet.
Amid the cheers from the audience, Nadal once again launched a desperate counterattack——
"40:15".
Nadal began to break the routine from the moment he received the serve, destroying Gao Wen's layout. The two players started a close-quarters battle at the bottom line.
Eight beats.
Fourteen beats.
His lungs were burning and exploding, and his whole brain was roaring and buzzing.
Twenty-two beats.
Thirty-four beats.
From technical to physical collision, it finally evolved into a mental battle. Both players had entered an anaerobic state and relied purely on instinct to hit the ball, but they were still trying to contain their opponents in a flash of lightning.
Forty-one shots.
Push the ground and brake.
Jump, leap.
Forehand, whip the whip with all your strength, relying on the wrist wrap to push out a straight shot——
Return the ball.
Coming from Gawain, aiming a surprise attack from behind where Nadal just left.
This was not an offensive opportunity at all. It was obvious that Gao Wen's steps were not in place, but Gao Wen still gritted his teeth and burned the small universe to complete the shot. It was not only sudden but also resolute, completely breaking Nadal's prediction.
Nadal paused, braked suddenly, and prepared to turn around and save the ball.
However, his legs had no strength and could not push off the ground at all. In the end, he turned around and took off by relying on his willpower and threw his body.
...Touch the ball, success.
Unfortunately, he couldn't swing the racket, and the racket directly hit the tennis ball, causing a car accident, and then the tennis ball flew high towards the audience stands.
In the 42nd shot, he was unable to return to the court after all.
The game is over.
"4:6", "7:5", "6:4", "6:2".
Gawain finally cashed in on the third match point and reversed the victory, becoming the second player after Soderling to defeat Nadal at Roland Garros, ending Nadal's quest for six consecutive French Open titles, and Nadal’s winning streak at Roland Garros was set at thirty-nine games.
It's over, it's all over.
In such a way, the ultra-long tug-of-war in the 41-shot round ended with Gao Wen finding a breakthrough from Nadal's forehand position, bringing an end to this game that carried countless expectations and meanings.
Tragic, tragic, and exciting.
When Nadal tried his best to hit the ball in the end but failed to turn the tide and sent the tennis ball flying, the Philippe-Chatier court did not cheer or celebrate, but fell into a brief silence and shock.
They, witnessing such a battle at the scene, need a little time to digest and settle——
Perhaps, judging from the score, Nadal lost the fourth set very miserably, but the audience who watched the whole game knew that even if he was exhausted and in poor condition, Nadal still fought hard until the last minute. The actual situation was far less than the score. It looks so relaxed and freehand.
In the end, the whole match lasted three hours and forty minutes. Nadal had indeed exhausted his last bit of energy. It could be said that he had run out of gas. He had no regrets on this court and in this city.
They should applaud Gawain's victory, but they should also take off their hats for Nadal's hard work.
The whole place was completely silent, only the heart was beating, feeling the surge of emotions with a slight trembling.
(End of chapter)
