Djokovic, the defending U.S. Open champion, is 19-4 all-time against Wawrinka, who took out No. 6 Kei Nishikori, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-2, in the second semifinal in 3 hours, 8 minutes.
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IF there is one anecdote that outlines the threat Stan Wawrinka poses to Novak Djokovic when the two meet for the US Open men’s singles title today, it is the one from last year’s Wimbledon when the pair practised together, a few days after the Swiss had denied the Serb the French Open title.
Wawrinka has won his last 10 finals and at 31 will try to become the oldest US Open champion since Ken Rosewall in 1970.
Final conflict evokes killer instinct in Wawrinka, who has won 10 consecutive championship matches.
The Serb added: “Having two Grand Slam titles and an Olympic medal and the Davis Cup under his belt, he believes in himself more. He was plahing really good from the beginning, dictating, putting pressure on me”.
STAT OF THE DAY: 53 – Percentage of service games (9-of-17) won by Gael Monfils in his loss to Novak Djokovic. By contrast, Djokovic is 45-0 when taking the first set but a solid 6-5 when losing the opening frame.
As for Wawrinka, he was thrilled to beat a hard opponent: “Kei is a tough player and he played well from the beginning”.
This is the first U.S. Open final for Wawrinka, while Djokovic has graced this stage six times with two wins.
Come Sunday’s final, the mind games begin anew. “He knows also that I can play my best tennis in the final of Grand Slam”, said Wawrinka. I knew it would be tough’. “Beating Andy in this big tournament gives me confidence”, he said.
Nishikori, whose 2014 NY campaign made him the first player from an Asian country to reach a grand slam final, where he fell to Marin Cilic, lost serve three times in the final set to end the three hour, seven-minute match. For while No. 3 seed Wawrinka will be participating in only his third Grand Slam final, he won each of the other two.
“I had to wait and fight and make him uncomfortable”.
There is nothing unpredictable or quirky about Switzerland’s second-best tennis player, Stan Wawrinka, whose elegant one-handed backhand is arguably the best in the sport and who would be a much bigger deal if he didn’t play in countryman Roger Federer’s shadow.
“It was a unusual match, as it always is, I guess, when you play Gael, who is a very unpredictable player”, Djokovic said.
Djokovic went on to win a second US Open, a sixth Australian Open and first Roland Garros which finally allowed him to join the select club of career Grand Slam winners. Wawrinka, who will be the more aggressive player on offense, acknowledges Djokovic as perhaps the game’s best defender. Djokovic took out Wawrinka in a five-set Open semifinal slugfest in 2013 but also lost to him in the 2014 Australian Open quarterfinals.
“It was a great strategy I think”.
The contrasting path to the final suits both players.
“Hopefully I can bring that Sunday”.
Monfils, playing in only his second grand slam semi-final after making the last-four at the 2008 French Open, theatrically hobbled off the court and was jeered.
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“Stan is a big-match player”, Djokovic acknowledged.
