Australian Open 2014: Wawrinka stuns World No.1 Nadal, wins title!

-DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL 

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Australian open this time witnessed many surprises, starting with early losses by top women players, including Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. 

Now World number one has been downed by an upcoming 28-year-old junior payer. Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka won the Australian Open for his first grand slam title when he beat Spain's Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the final on 26^th January. 

Stan Wawrinka added a win over Rafael Nadal to his list of firsts in a stunning run to his maiden Grand Slam title. Playing his first major final, Wawrinka blew past Nadal in the first set behind a barrage of offense. Winning a set alone was a breakthrough for Wawrinka, who had been 0-for-26 in 12 previous meetings against the 13-time Grand Slam champion. 

Ranked 8, Wawrinka, 28, became the first player to beat both Nadal and three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic at a Grand Slam and the first player to topple the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds at a Slam since Sergi Bruguera accomplished the feat at the 1993 French Open. He also delayed Nadal’s quest to become the first man in the Open Era to win each Slam twice.

The Swiss boy Wawrinka had never taken a set off Nadal in 12 previous meetings, but attacked from the start against the 13-time major winner and regained his nerve after dropping the third set against the Spaniard. 

Wawrinka rises to a career-high No. 3. “It’s quite crazy what’s happening right now,” Wawrinka said. “I never expected to win a Grand Slam. I never dreamed about that because, for me, I was not good enough to beat those top guys….“It's really not the way you want to win a tennis match, but in a Grand Slam final I'll take it,” said Wawrinka, the first man in 21 years to beat the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked players en route to a Grand Slam tournament title. 

 Wawrinka lost in five sets to Novak Djokovic in the fourth round of the 2013 Australian Open, in the longest Grand Slam match of the season. Djokovic went on to win his third consecutive title at Melbourne Park, and then beat Wawrinka again in five sets in the US Open semifinals. But Wawrinka avenged those losses this time, beating Djokovic in five sets in the quarterfinals to end a run of 14 consecutive losses to the Serbian player. 

Wawrinka composed himself after an exchange of breaks in the fourth set to serve it out in 2 hours and 21 minutes. After a muted celebration, he consoled Nadal in the courtside chairs before getting a chance to hold up and kiss his first big trophy.

Wawrinka also broke up a sequence of wins for the Big Four, with 34 of the previous 35 majors going to either Nadal, Djokovic, Roger Federer or Andy Murray.  “Stan, you really deserve it,” Nadal said. “Luck was against me today but you really deserve it.  “Last thing that I wanted to do was retire. I hate to do that, especially in a final. Same time, is tough to see yourself during the whole year you are working for a moment like this, and arrives the moment and you feel that you are not able to play at your best. “ 

Nadal has actually gained points, owing to his absence from this tournament last year, but second-placed Djokovic has fallen 3,700 behind – the equivalent of almost two grand slam titles. Murray is now the world No 6 and Federer an almost unthinkable No 8.

Nadal said he felt discomfort in his back during the warm-up. “I’m obviously disappointed and very sad about what happened,” Nadal said. “But that’s life, that’s sport. I’ve really had a lot of great moments in my career. That’s a tough one. Just accept it and try to keep working hard for what’s coming.” Nadal appeared to be on the verge of retiring in the second set, when he hurt his back and needed a medical time out, but he, as usual,  refused to quit.   

Nadal was a hot favorite to win at Melbourne Park and become the first man to win each of the four Grand Slam tournaments twice in the Open era. It remains the only major he's hasn't won at least two times.  

Nadal won the title in 2009, and lost an epic five-set final to Djokovic in 2012. But he missed the 2013 event during a seven-month layoff with knee injuries and illness, and his quarterfinal losses in 2010 and 2011 were affected by injuries.  “It has been a very emotional two weeks, I'm sorry to finish this way,” he told the Rod Laver Arena crowd. 

“Rafa, I'm really sorry for you, I hope your back is going to be fine, you're a really great guy, good friend and really amazing champion,” Wawrinka said as he accepted his first major trophy. “Last year I had a crazy match, I lost it. I was crying a lot after the match. But in one year a lot happened — I still don't know if I'm dreaming or not but we'll see tomorrow morning.” 

Wawrinka also admits that he did not see himself as a potential champion when he flew into Melbourne three weeks ago. Wawrinka was not the only one to find himself blinking in disbelief. The tennis community woke up to a new world. A world in which the old certainties – namely that every grand slam tournament must be won by Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer or Andy Murray – have been significantly undermined.

Wawrinka’s victory has left the world rankings in a reshuffled state. Now Wawrinka will move from No. 8 to No. 3 in the rankings. In doing so, he'll surpass Federer, a 17-time Grand Slam event winner who lost to Nadal in the semifinals, to become the highest-ranked Swiss player for the first time in his career. 

A constant supporter of his countryman, Federer was one of the first people to call and congratulate Wawrinka after his win. 

One final word here.  Stan Wawrinka has indeed fought and won the tile at Australia open and there is no question of Nadal gracefully letting him win it. Australian Open champion Wawrinka says his victory will give other players in the chasing pack the belief that they too can beat the 'Big Four' in grand slam tournaments.

Perhaps, a fine turning point for tennis!