Just ask Djokovic, who was powerless to do anything against the Swiss’s single-hander in the 2015 French Open final. But the 31-year-old started to look more like a two-time major victor in his quarterfinal victory over 2009 champ Juan Martin del Potro.
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“Both of these grand slam trophies that he has, he won against me on the way”, said Djokovic, the 12-time major victor, who beat Gael Monfils, 6-3, 6-2, 3-6, 6-2 in his semi-final.
For Wawrinka, it all goes back to that match three years ago in Melbourne.
By the time Nishikori broke Wawrinka’s serve in the opening game of the second with a forehand victor, the sun had disappeared behind the west end of Arthur Ashe Stadium but the oppressive humidity of the afternoon stubbornly remained.
“No more big backhands”, Djokovic shouted across the net, with a grin of sorts.
Without doubt one of the prettiest shots on Tour and when it fires, one of the most deadliest too.
In the fourth set, Nishikori was a shadow of the player who upset second-seeded Scotsman Andy Murray in the quarter-final, hitting just one victor and committing 12 unforced errors.
Wawrinka, who needed to save a match point against Dan Evans in the third round, has slowly rounded into form. “So I was, of course, blessed to have more days off with no match, so I could focus on the recovery, work on things in my game and take things easily and to get to this phase”.
It was a variation of the mind-game ploys that Monfils hoped to pull off against Djokovic, but couldn’t sustain. “It’s not easy after playing Andy five sets. I got a little bit of my instinct and flair”.
Although the strategy slowed down Djokovic’s charge it did not impress the crowd, who voiced their disapproval, or John McEnroe, who in his television commentary accused the Frenchman of a lack of effort.
That gave a clear edge in the fourth set to Djokovic, who wrapped up the victory in two hours and 32 minutes even though he called for the trainer to receive treatment on his shoulder during the contest.
“He’s very entertaining to watch”, said Djokovic.
“I know I have some up and down during the year”, Wawrinka said afterward.
The court is his canvas, his work often as abstract as a Picasso painting and equally hard to find meaning in, as on Friday as tried to find a way to outsmart Djokovic, who had beaten him in all 12 previous meetings.
Djokovic described Wawrinka as “a big-match player”. “He loves to play on the big stage against big players because that’s when he, I think, elevates his level of performance in his game”. She gets good angles. “In the last couple of matches he’s been getting into the shape that wins him big matches”.
The Swiss star likes to strut around and point to his temple to compliment himself for how mentally strong he is during matches, and he’s earned the right. He has a big serve and probably the best, most effective one-handed backhand in the world now. He can do it all.
After Wawrinka broke back by capping a 12-stroke exchange with a backhand victor drizzled with topspin and clocking at 93mph off the ground, the Swiss opened the following game with a 108mph ace and went on to consolidate the break with a love hold. “He can be very dangerous”.
To say these two have history might be an understatement, as Djokovic and Wawrinka have met 23 times in their professional careers. Djokovic, meanwhile, has played only 13 sets and a total of 118 games, putting him on a record pace for fewest sets and games in an Open era major that featured a 128-man draw and best-of-five-set matches. To play against Novak again in the final is going to be something special.
“I don’t think much went well today”, a stunned Williams told reporters after the match.
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The second edition of the new Laver Cup exhibition event, pitting six men’s tennis players from Europe against six from the rest of the world, will be held in the United States in 2018.
