The Swiss third seed recovered from a set down to win 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 7-5 6-3 in NY, adding the US Open to his 2014 Australian Open and French Open success previous year.
Advertisement
Wawrinka won in four sets, 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 7-5 6-3 and now has three grand slam titles. As Novak Djokovic retired with fatigue then, so he looked to do at the US Open finals this year, taking two medical time-outs towards the end of the match, struggling as Wawrinka inexplicably looked fresh for the entirety of the four set, four hour match. I am me. I have been achieving something that I never expect the last three years, I have been winning three grand slams and it’s more than unbelievable.
“When we start talking five minutes before the match, last few things with [his coach] Magnus Norman, I started to cry”.
Back on topic to finish off, and congratulations to Stan Wawrinka, the 2016 US Open champion, and commiserations to Novak Djokovic, whose wait for a 13th grand slam title will go into the new year.
Stan Wawrinka got the better of Novak Djokovic in the US Open final on Monday (AEST) 6-7 (1-7) 6-4 7-5 6-3, but toppling the world No. 1 must have seemed like an impossible task given his state of mind before the match. “You are a great champion and deserved to win this title”. “You were the more courageous player in the decisive moment and you deserve this title”, said Djokovic.
In the women’s doubles final there was home American success as Bethanie Mattek-Sands and her Czech partner Lucie Safarova downed French duo Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic 2-6, 7-6, 6-4.
The gist: After adding this trophy to those from the Australian Open in 2014, and the French Open in 2015, is it time to focus on completing a career Grand Slam by winning Wimbledon in 2017? “I came here without expecting, without having the goal to win the match”, he said. “The only plan is trying to push myself the maximum to be the best player I can”, Wawrinka said Sunday night. Stan won the Australian Open in 2014, the French in 2015 and now the 2016 USA open.
This was a replay of the French Open final past year.
And yet he summoned everything he had and brought his best, most powerful, and most precise game against Djokovic to beat him in four sets in Flushing Meadows.
It is not the first time Wawrinka has triumphed over Djokovic in a Grand Slam competition.
Djokovic needed treatment during the fourth set, revealing his “toe nails were off and bleeding”.
The world No.3, who won in Melbourne in 2014 before the French Open past year, has now come out on top in the last 11 finals he’s featured in.
It marked the 31-year-old’s third grand-slam title after a gruelling fortnight in NY.
After a forehand passing shot drew an errant volley for a break early in the third set, Wawrinka pointed to his temple. Sometimes if he feels right he does not miss much and makes a lot of winners and it’s hard to play him.
On his second match point, the No. 3-seeded Wawrinka captured the title when an ailing Djokovic sailed a backhand long.
Wawrinka continued to pile the pressure on Djokovic and raced into an early 3-0 lead in the third to sound the warning bells of an upset.
Advertisement
After smacking a forehand victor to end a 20-stroke exchange near the end of the second set, Wawrinka pointed to his temple.
