Wawrinka conquers nerves, pain, Djokovic for US Open title

Stan Wawrinka’s US Open triumph over world number one Novak Djokovic gave him a third Grand Slam title in as many finals, but the 31-year-old Swiss says they don’t get any easier.

Wawrinka, described by Djokovic as a player who rises to the big occasion like no other, admitted he was a mass of nerves before Sunday’s championship match.

“I was shaking in the locker room,” he said, adding that during his last minute discussions with coach Magnus Norman “I start to cry”.

“I was completely shaking,” said Wawrinka, although he added that through it all he remained convinced that he had the game to win.

“Physically I was there. My game was there. Put the fight on the court, and you will have a chance to win,” he told himself.

That’s exactly what Wawrinka did, shaking off the loss of the first set to post a 6-7 (1/7), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 victory over 12-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic.

He denied Djokovic a second straight US Open title, and for the third time beat a reigning number one in a major final.

Wawrinka had already been pushed to the limit in reaching the final.

He’d spent nearly 18 hours on court, saving a match point in a five-set thriller over unheralded Briton Dan Evans in the third round.

He had to rally against former US Open finalist Kei Nishikori in the semi-finals, and escaped resurgent former champion Juan Martin del Potro in a quarter-final four-setter.

“I think this Grand Slam was the most painful, physically and mentally, that I ever played,” Wawrinka said. “I was feeling tired already at the beginning of the match. I was feeling the cramp coming in the third set.”

Feeling pain in the fourth, Wawrinka said he was determined “not to show anything” but just to “give everything and keep fighting and go try to win it”.

Wawrinka, who had handed Djokovic two of his biggest Grand Slam disappointments, including in the French Open final last year, said he expected his marathon tournament to be capped by an endurance test against the Serb.

“There is no secret,” Wawrinka said. “If you want to beat the number one player in the world you have to give everything.

“You have to accept to suffer and you have almost to enjoy to suffer.”

Wawrinka said things weren’t so difficult in 2014, when he won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, downing Djokovic en route to a meeting with then-number one Rafael Nadal in the final.

Back then, just reaching the final was an accomplishment to celebrate.

“I came on court to win it, but I knew it will be OK to lose it,” Wawrinka said.

“But then, then, then …. I’m not that young anymore,” he said. “You’re in another final of a Grand Slam, you don’t want to lose it … because the trophy of the winner and the finalist is not the same.”

– Step by step –

Wawrinka said his late career success is not the product of any grand design, but just the culmination of years of dedication.

“First I wanted to be a professional tennis player,” he said. “That means living with your passion, with your sport. Then (my goal) was to be top 100, then top 50.

“I never start anything (saying) I want to be number one, I want to win a Grand Slam. For me, it’s always step by step.

“The only thing I want to do is push the limit.”/rga

source: sports.inquirer.net

Tennis: ‘Stan the Man’ crushes Paire to win Japan Open

TOKYO — Top seed Stan Wawrinka won the Japan Open on Sunday after thrashing Frenchman Benoit Paire 6-2, 6-4 to capture his fourth title of the year.

French Open champion Wawrinka took just 65 minutes to complete victory in Tokyo with Paire, who underwent a scan on his left ankle before the final and needed pain-killing injections to play, clearly in discomfort.

“It feels really great, it’s been a special week,” said Wawrinka, sporting a red “Stan the Man” T-shirt and snapping selfies with the silver trophy.

“I took my time to get to the top but once I get somewhere, I stay,” added the Swiss after winning his 11th career title. “Once I started to beat the top guys and win trophies, I got the confidence to know I can do it. But four in one year is amazing.”

Wawrinka quickly found his groove and fierce pressure earned him a break for 4-2 in the first set. The world number four pressed home his advantage with a thumping crosscourt forehand which wrong-footed his close friend Paire.

With little left in the tank after toppling defending champion Kei Nishikori in Saturday’s semi-finals, Paire took a tumble early in the second set but gamely battled on despite being obviously in pain.

The “lucky” sneakers held together by tape he wore in his win over Nishikori granted Paire no such mystical powers against Wawrinka as he looked to become the first Swiss to win the Japan Open since Roger Federer in 2006.

Several times Wawrinka’s dipping one-handed backhand, one of the most potent weapons in men’s tennis, whistled past a grimacing Paire, whose brave resistance finally ended when he coughed up a double-fault on match point.

Wawrinka, who is a perfect 4-0 in finals this year and is one of four players — along with Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Federer — already qualified for next month’s season-ending ATP Tour Finals in London, confessed to having mixed feelings after his victory.

“I knew before the match Benoit was struggling a little bit physically,” said Wawrinka. “But I played my best tennis. I played very aggressive and kept him on the back foot.”

Paire, meanwhile, has pulled out of next week’s Shanghai Masters event because of his injury.

“When I woke up today I couldn’t walk,” said the Frenchman, projected to rise from 32 to around 25 in the world rankings following his fine Tokyo run after finishing an injury-hit 2014 season at 118th.

“An hour before the match I wasn’t sure I could play. I had injections in my ankle and just couldn’t feel anything.

“It’s tough to move when you don’t feel your feet,” he added. “But I gave everything I could give. I lost to my best friend so I’m not really sad.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Wawrinka eases into 4th round at Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia—Defending champion Stan Wawrinka says he’s quite happy flying under the radar after easing into the fourth round at the Australian Open on Saturday, nominating Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal as title favorites.

The Swiss fourth seed cruised through 6-4, 6-2, 6-4 over Finland’s Jarkko Nieminen in one hour and 49 minutes on Rod Laver Arena and will play Spain’s Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the round of 16.

It doesn’t perturb him one bit that he is not generating any headlines in the tournament as he treads his way through the top half of the men’s draw.

“I’m feeling good since the beginning of the tournament,” he said.

“For sure I’m not the focus on the tournament because there’s Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal coming back from injury, was Roger Federer before he lost, there’s Nick Kyrgios, Bernard Tomic still playing.

“I still think Novak and Rafa are the big favorites for the tournament.

“For sure I’m not the focus. For me it doesn’t matter. I’m feeling great. I’m happy the way I’m playing. To get to the second week again, it’s great. So far everything is good for me.”

Wawrinka was always in control of his first meeting with the 72nd-ranked Finn in four years and broke Nieminen’s serve six times and hit 55 winners.

He said he was looking forward to playing Garcia-Lopez after a “tough loss” to him at last year’s French Open.

“He’s been playing really good. I lost against him last year French Open first round,” Wawrinka said.

“We had some tough battles in the past. It’s never easy. Think it will again depend a lot on me, the way I’m going to play, the way I’m going to be aggressive, because I need to make the game.”

Wawrinka, who is now the main Swiss contender at this year’s Open following Federer’s shock defeat to Andreas Seppi on Friday, was pleased with his progress at the tournament.

“I was aggressive today on the court, it was in quite fast conditions and I took control of the match,” he said.

“It’s been three really good matches, I think my game is there and I’m really happy to get through again.”

source: sports.inquirer.net