The Big 4 stays the Big 4, like that, he added with a smile.
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That signature gesture got a lot of use in the US Open final on Sunday, when Wawrinka surprisingly managed to wear down Novak Djokovic and beat the defending champion 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 for his first US Open title and third Grand Slam trophy overall.
Late-blooming Stan Wawrinka is playing tennis with the passion of a youngster and it paid off on Sunday with a third Grand Slam title at the US Open. How many Masters 1000 wins has Murray?
“I won that match and little by little, I started to play better each match”, Wawrinka said.
The Swiss claimed his only point of the tie-break in an astonishing rally of attack and counter-attack, and his groundstrokes began to flow as he took control of the final in the second set.
Wawrinka battled back from a set down to stun world number one Novak Djokovic 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 to reign supreme at Flushing Meadows.
It’s a statement of sort for the 31-year-old, the oldest US Open champ in more than 40 years.
“Before the final I was really nervous like never before”, Sky Sports News quotes Wawrinka as saying.
“He deserves to be in the mix, no doubt about it”, Djokovic, who was generous in praise of his opponent, said. “But the only thing I was convinced with myself that my game was there”.
Sunday he went to a place he had not been prior in NY, champion at the Open in an unlikely finish, winning in four bruising sets over Djokovic, who has dominated the men’s tennisphere over the last two years.
There was a bit of minor controversy for Djokovic, who appeared to be suffering from a cramp at the beginning of the fourth set. He removed both shoes and socks so a trainer could help with toe blisters.
“I just didn’t capitalise at all on my opportunities. He kept his cool”, said the 2011 and 2015 champion. “I’m completely empty”, Wawrinka said after the match.
“We both felt the demanding match that we played today, but he [Wawrinka] came out on top, ” he said. After three-set victories in the first two round, Wawrinka had to suffer through a five-set win over Daniel Evans in the third round.
In the end, that was the difference.
Afterward, at the trophy presentation, the ‘lesser Swiss [after Roger Federer] paid tribute to those that died in 9/11 and also paid a high accolade to Djokovic.
Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, pulls on a bloodied sock after a medical timeout during the men’s singles final of the U.S. Open tennis tournament against Stan Wawrinka, of Switzerland, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016, in NY.
After Wawrinka’s win, Djokovic said, “Congratulations, Stan, to your team as well”.
Wawrinka asked the chair umpire what was going on when the first injury timeout came right before his serve, which was not on a changeover. If you look, yes, I have three grand slams.
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He will have the chance to complete his career grand slam there next year, but rectifying his poor record at Wimbledon will be another obstacle in itself.
