AUSTRALIAN OPEN CHAMPION- WA(O)WRINKA

Vijay Anand

"I never expected to win a grand slam. I never thought about that because for me, I was not good enough to beat those guys." This was the candid confession of new Australian open champion Stanislas Wawrinka after his upset win over Rafael Nadal in the final of Australian open.

Practically it was the most unexpected final win for more than half a decade. If we have to see similar act in men’s tennis final of GS in recent years then we have to go to 2009 final of U S Open when Del Potro defeated Roger Federer in the final. It was Stanislas’s 36^th appearance in Grand Slam.

It is tough to believe that it was the first final of open era’s Grand Slam when top seed and 8th seed were facing each other. His victory in the final carries more significance due to the fact that he became first man to defeat both the top seeds at a Grand Slam since Spanish Sergi Bruguera at Ronald Garros in 1993.

Wawrinka has always been considered as a good player in top 20 ranks. His fortune changed when 6 months before, he appointed Magnus Norman as his coach. He gained required amount of confidence with the time and it paid results in January this year handsomely.

Nadal came on court with injury in his back. He lagged behind at the beginning of the first set when his service was broken.

15 minutes in the end of first set and the beginning of 2nd decided the fate of entire game. In the first set (last game) Wawrinka was serving for the set. Nadal earned 3 breakpoints to stage to come back. But at 0-40, he allowed Wawrinka 5 straight points. Immediately after that in the opening game of the 2^nd, Nadal was broken to love and never came back in the second stanza. He took a long medical timeout but it's didn't worked.

Nadal mustard courage in the third set of the match and won it. But his power in shots was ebbing, his shots were going wide and speed of service was ebbing. It made the job easier for the opponent.

Nadal hold tears in the press conference after the defeat. On the other hand Wawrinka was in full tears after receiving trophy from Pete Sampras. Sampras could have handed trophy to Nadal for equaling his 14 grand Slam wins but destiny has something else to offer.

Nadal always had a tough time in Australian open. The title is eluding him since 2009 for reasons other than game. He has matured himself as a genuine hard court player in past 4 months. This Australian open was a perfect setting for his second title in 5 years. After the defeat he admitted that he was in severe pain during the match but retirement was the last thing in his mind. He showed his unending fighting spirit up to the last shot despite of injury.

With the win, Wawrinka overlapped Federal as the new Swiss number one. It was inconceivable thought 12 months ago. Well, Wawrinka entered the winner's circle of top 5 with the win. May WOWrinka go on.