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.”
– An earlier version of this article incorrectly mentioned Stan Wawrinka’s age as 32; he is 31.
Id imagine the referee is more disappointed with that Cork win than Kilkenny themselves. A shambles of a refereeing display. Kilkenny cynical all night. Good win for the Rebels.
@IrishOwl: Kilkenny cynical? Go way outta that. If Cork never win an All-Ireland again it’ll be too soon.
@LaoisWeather: lol… Good man. Well.. it’ll be a Cold day in Laois before they make any impact.. in any sport. More lemons ?
@LaoisWeather: kilkenny were absolutely cynical tonight. Ball dropping and a sneaky pull of the helmet or coming out with the ball and swinging the Hurley. Walter Walsh nearly bust Tim o mahonys back when he he threw a shoulder full force into his spine. Kilkenny have always been like that.
@James horgan: Kilkenny hurled, as they always have. Typical Cork, not happy with a flukey win.
@LaoisWeather: killkenny hurled and lost again to cork. Cork not been put off by the sly digs as much anymore. Question is do killkenny have anything else to offer?
@michael o farrell: Cork won’t get out of Munster
@LaoisWeather: Wake up, Kilkenny, while obviously have been a fantastic hurling team over the years, have also been one of the most cynical and dirty teams ever, but they are so cute and sly at doing it.
@James horgan: and Cork got a free and Walsh got yellow carded. What more could the ref have done in that situation
@Patrick O Connell: correct action was taken by the ref but the situation shouldn’t have happened. Could have seriously injured o mahony but Walsh didn’t care less and full pelt into the back. Just the kinda stuff kilkenny have been doing for years but you can’t call them out cause their supporter’s get offended. Even though it’s clear to everyone what they’ve been upto for years
@LaoisWeather: kilkenny wrestled and cork hurled. That’s why cork won out in the end. It was a hurling match not wreslemania
@LaoisWeather: what a bitter böllix you are mate.
The ref should never officiate again, trying to make a name for himself, at least 2 reds in game, lost the game in 2nd half
I don’t know if it’s wrestling the boys from Kilkenny think they’re playing or what. The amount of dragging and pulling off the ball that all of us in the crowd could see and the ref ignored was ridiculous.
Cork were sloppy enough with their passing game and had some bad wides . Hard to know where they are at . Kilkenny should have put them away but they hurled well the last 15 mins and got over the line
All Ireland favourites now,
@Chris Tobin: Limerick, Galway, Waterford and then Cork per the bookies with Limerick odds on.
@T Dawg: Galway will do well to make it to the semis. Nobody will lay a glove in Limerick again this year
@T Dawg: cork 5th favourite.
I’ll take that all day
@T Dawg: Yawn
Lads, Cork stop moaning and get on with. Soft as f. All the talent in the world (which ye have btw) won’t win anything relying on refs and a soft culture created by Dog etc. Brian Cody has not blown a whistle in Nowlan Park for 23 year! Its a war ffs
@Gary Quirke: will ya stop for crying out loud. What game do you want to see? Is it hurling or a mish mash of wrestling, rugby and hurling? Cody not blowing a whistle in 23 years doesn’t prove anything other than ye haven’t got the talent and so want to win dirty. That’s not something to be proud of. Hurling is supposed to be a fast and skillful game, not the awful yoke of a spectacle ye want it to be. I lost count of the amount of times a Kilkenny man used his hurley to tackle a player around the neck last night. Thats not hurling and all the ‘man’s game’ propaganda yer past players spout will never make it so.
@Gary Quirke: who won the match?
poor little Cork, depending on refs as usual
@Kevin Shortall: ah cmon now, take the loss like a man
Lads, see this moaning and complaining that Cork do? Its’ now ingrained in yere behaviour, culture and youth. Get on with, ye have the hurlers but do ye have it in the belly? Send up yere youth to St. Kierans College and ye might win a senior this decade
@Gary Quirke: We’re coming in this year off the back of winning the last 2 U20 All Irelands and last years Minor All Ireland and you want us to send up our young lads to St. Kierans, any more jokes like that
@Gary Quirke: sir did ASR beat Kierans lately
@Gary Quirke: so rattled from losing to cork again. Just take the loss on the chin like a man.
Where will the final take place?
@David O’Brien: Thurlas, next Sunday as far as I know. Expect waterford to beat wexford so an all munster final
@David O’Brien: league final always Thurles . So next Sunday in Thurles
@Eileen Hennessy: I recall Limerick winning the league in Croke Park recently?