“We’ve had many big memories together, especially in grand slams, so it’s going to be an exciting match”, said Wawrinka, who is playing his first USA final and beat Djokovic on the way to his slam titles at the 2014 Australian Open and 2015 French.
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“I haven’t played Stan in some time now”, Djokovic said. “I did it step by step by coming back into the top 10, by making first quarter, French, first semifinal”.
For Djokovic, it’s safe to say, his final against Wawrinka is unlikely to be almost as eventful as his match with Monfils.
Wawrinka had the quote tattooed two years ago as a reminder to himself that, unless you are the best of the best, you will lose every week.
But Wawrinka has played Grand Slam party-pooper before at the Serb’s expense.
But the rivalry, which Djokovic had long dominated, really began to take on a new dimension a year earlier, in the fourth round of the 2013 Australian Open, when Wawrinka pushed Djokovic to a fifth set before losing it, 12-10. It was Wawrinka’s first major title, and it changed the trajectory of his career. There were two one-way sets in which Monfils hardly looked like a player who wanted to win. When he won the 2015 French by routing Djokovic, he effectively denied the Serbian the Grand Slam. Here’s what you need to know heading into the final Grand Slam match of the season.
“He loves to play on the big stage against big players, because that’s when he elevates his level of performance in his game”.
Both Djokovic and Wawrinka advance to the finals after.
“The secret is simple: I have to play my best tennis, my best game”, said Wawrinka. “He’s the No. 1 player, awesome fighter, amazing player, but I have enough confidence in myself that when I play my best level I can beat him”.
On paper, that should translate into a comfortable afternoon on Arthur Ashe Stadium for Djokovic, playing in his 21st major final and seeking a third Grand Slam title of 2016 and 13th of his career.
And that challenge will be bigger Sunday because of the way this fortnight has unfolded.
A year on and Djokovic, the defending champion and world No 1, goes into today’s final in NY as a strong favourite, not least because of his light workload, the beneficiary of one withdrawal and two opponents who could not complete their match this fortnight.
But Kei Nishikori had other ideas, beating Murray in a five-set quarterfinal before the Japanese No. 6 exhausted down the stretch in the semis against Stan Wawrinka. John McEnroe won the 1979 US Open playing 16 sets and 150 games. That feeling of having dodged a bullet has inspired Wawrinka in his three rounds since and victories over Juan Martin del Potro and Kei Nishikori have taken him to a third Grand Slam final, having won his previous two. “But that’s Gael”, Djokovic said. “I’m quite happy with my body where I am, and we will see now in two days”.
“It wasn’t easy job, but if I could win a little easier the last few matches, I could have a little more chance today and maybe in the final”.
Aesthetically, this is a pleasing matchup. Probably the best, most effective one-handed backhand in the world now.
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“He also started to get exhausted a little bit and that’s when I started to get my game, to be aggressive”. He doesn’t get, I think, too stressed by the bigger occasion. I signalled to my coaches that I’m going to try Plan B. Djokovic raced to a 5-0 lead, thanks in part to two games with two double-faults apiece from Monfils.
