Stan Wawrinka's superior firepower, moxie sets him apart
— -- NEW YORK -- Five minutes before Stan Wawrinka walked out onto Arthur Ashe stadium to meet top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Sunday in the US Open men's final, the Swiss star nearly had a breakdown.
"I was shaking in the locker [room]," Wawrinka reported, adding that as he reviewed last-minute details with his coach, Magnus Norman. "I start to cry. I was completely shaking."
It wasn't fear Wawrinka felt, nor was it "pressure," as we commonly know it. It was more like a physical reaction to his hunger and determination not to let this Grand Slam opportunity slip away. And in that sense, it was a good thing. A very good thing.
"[It happened] because I don't want to lose the final in a Grand Slam, that simple," Wawrinka said. "That's the only reason. This morning, it started to be there, the feeling of, 'You don't want to lose.' So close, so far. So maybe it's the reason why I was feeling so nervous."
Fueled by resolve, Wawrinka went out and traded warp-speed forehands and backhands with Djokovic for 3 hours, 55 minutes, often under nerve-wracking conditions at deuce and break point. Against most players, that set of circumstances almost always results with an exultant Djokovic.
Not on Sunday evening in Queens. For the second time in a major final, Wawrinka demonstrated he had superior firepower and more durable nerves than Djokovic, as he stripped Djokovic of his title 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.
The beaten finalist said it accurately when he paid public tribute to the 31-year-old Swiss No. 3 seed immediately after the match with a marvelous, concise summary: "Congrats to Stan. He was more courageous in the decisive moments."
The words were anything but symbolic. After the match, Djokovic rued his "terrible" success rate on those critical break points. He converted just 3-of-17, while Wawrinka capitalized on 6-of-10. As Djokovic added, "In matches like this, if you don't use the opportunities, the other guy comes and takes it. He stepped in and played aggressive, where I was kind of more waiting for things to happen. And that's it."
Never has Stan been more "The Man" than on Sunday afternoon. His tournament had been a brutal march through long matches in stifling heat and perilous pairings. He played five completed matches. (Wawrinka survived a match-point in his third-round clash with? Daniel Evans.) Djokovic, by contrast, had played just three completed?matches.
"Today, I was trying to stay with him," Wawrinka admitted of playing Djokovic. "I was trying to be tough with myself. Trying not to show anything. Not to show any pain. Not to show any cramp. Not to show anything. I was suffering on the court, but I'm happy and proud with what I have achieved today."
Wawrinka is known as the Stanimal, a nickname bestowed on him in honor of his muscular build and the sheer weight of his shot. When his groundstrokes hit the court, you can feel it in your molars. His serve is a heavy cannon, and while his movement isn't always smooth, he's deceptively quick.
Wawrinka, now 31, is routinely underestimated because he lacks the day-in, day-out capacity to dazzle in the manner of Swiss fellow countryman Roger Federer or Djokovic. Strength -- rather than artistry, athleticism or fiery temperament -- is Wawrinka's strong suit.
That's not only rare in a world-class player, it also doesn't always have immediate eye appeal. Wawrinka is moody, and when he's not feeling inspired, his game pops rivets and screws, and it bursts apart.
These shortcomings all shed light on why Wawrinka is sometimes different from the elite cadre known as the Big Four. But even before Wawrinka won, Djokovic described him as a "big-match player."
And small wonder: Going into this final, Wawrinka was 10-0 in his most recent finals, which includes his stunning upset of Djokovic in the 2015 French Open final, as well as his triumph against Rafael Nadal in his first major final at the Australian Open.
Wawrinka now has as many Grand Slam titles as Andy Murray?at three. Wawrinka also accomplished something Federer never has: He has beaten Djokovic in two Grand Slam finals and did so in the period of Djokovic's most fluent mastery.
Wawrinka said he's thrilled with his career but knows he hasn't won enough important titles or been to nearly as many major semifinals and finals. As for any aspirations to the No. 1 ranking, he sounded a similar theme.
"My best ranking was No. 3 in the world," Wawrinka said. "It's simple. I'm way too far to even think about being No. 1. I'm winning four tournaments a year. I'm really happy with that. Four tournaments, one Grand Slam. It's amazing. It's huge. It's big. But I'm way too far to be No. 1."
Still, Wawrinka's win could be a game-changer in men's tennis. He is nothing less than overpowering. We now know that his ability to produce his best tennis on a critical occasion isn't sheer luck but a previously unmined aspect of his psyche.
As Djokovic said, "He just steps in. He loves to play in the big matches. He comes up with his best game."
Federer will be back in yoke and fresh for 2017, but he'll be 35 years old and coming out of extensive rehabilitation on a damaged knee. It looks more and more like Nadal has lost some vital component of his competitor's makeup, perhaps permanently.
Murray had a terrific 2016, but he has never been as consistent as the other three members of the Big Four. Djokovic won two majors this year and completed a career Grand Slam. But that aura of invulnerability was tarnished over the course of the summer, and now Wawrinka put a significant dent in it.
Wawrinka keeps insisting he doesn't belong among the elite Big Four, but Djokovic understands that all bets are off on that one.
"He deserves to be in the mix, no doubt about it," the world No. 1 said. "Stan won three Grand Slams now, three different ones, and Olympic medal. [He's] been around for so many years, and he plays best in the big matches. I mean, he definitely deserves to be mentioned in the mix of top players."
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