Novak rips out Wawrinka’s heart in five set classic

When hitting partners Novak Djokovic and Stanislas Wawrinka took to the Rod Laver Arena for the night match on the middle Sunday of the Australian Open there was quite a void to fill. Nothing had really happened that day. Every match had been won in straight sets. There had been no drama, nothing to write home about. There was a huge space the size of a thousand tennis courts waiting to be filled with something special.
There were few hopes that these two would provide it. Djokovic led Wawrinka 11-2 in their head to head and had won the last ten matches. Djokovic was the two time defending champion. Wawrinka has yet to make a Major semifinal. So, when Wawrinka came out of the blocks to break at 1-1, tennis fans rubbed their hands. At the very least we were going to see Djokovic tested, it was better than nothing; we had had enough of nothing that day.
What we got was very much something. Wawrinka had another break point at 2-1 which he took, ending a huge rally in which every inch of the court was used with a backhand crosscourt winner. That signature single-handed backhand firing, the Service on top form, the forehand hitting winners, Wawrinka entered the zone as he raced through the set in 22 minutes, sealing set point with a forehand crosscourt winner that painted the line.
We were not just spectating a test. As Wawrinka broke again at the start of the second set and went on to lead 4-2, it looked like we might even witness the Swiss’ greatest win of his career. The seventh game, as it is prone to be, was a big one. Wawrinka tightened up, beginning to miss on his ground strokes, as his backhand twice found the net to go down 0-30 but with Djokovic erroring more than usual, Wawrinka managed to win a deuce game courtesy of a Djokovic return out. Wawrinka had survived that test, after Djokovic held to love, his biggest one was to come.
Serving for the set at 5-3, 30-30, Wawrinka netted a forehand. It was break point Djokovic. Anyone watching who was aware of Djokovic’s tennis history knew that unless Wawrinka served out for this set now then the odds were that he would go on to lose the match. When Djokovic’s backhand got the net cord and trickled over to give the Serbian the break, luck announced itself as being on the Serbian’s hard-working side. A long game at 5-5 on Wawrinka’s serve showcased what Djokovic does best as he defended, retrieving balls which once upon a time would have been good enough for winners, making Wawrinka hit one last shot and reaping the rewards from his never say die mentality as those last shots went long or in the net. The World number one broke and then served out for the set. A forehand down the line winner on set point, the Serbian attacking as he can when it matters most, set to the soundtrack of his loudest grunt yet, and Djokovic leveled the match at one set all.
It was here that we thought that like many before him Wawrinka would fold, the mental energy exerted in the first two sets leaving him spent, the idea of seeing ball after ball come back, of the noise of Novak’s feet squeaking all over the court, of being run from side to side, being enough to see him wave the white flag. But Wawrinka did not go away. Though the winners were not flowing as freely as they had in the first 50 minutes of the match, the single handed backhand still produced enough winners and drew enough errors to get Wawrinka roaring and keep the crowd engaged in the match. While Wawrinka tried his best, Djokovic was as consistent as a World number would be, his defense never breaking down, attacking when the chances came, qualities that trumped those of Wawrinka’s as the Serbian took the set to lead 2 sets to one and though the outcome seemed inevitable, the battle was bloody enough to stay and spectate. Both men were giving their all and producing at times breathtaking tennis. At 5-5 a beautiful volley from Wawrinka had the crowd gasping, the Swiss conducting their cheers. Spurred on by the crowd’s support and his continuing good form, Wawrinka took the mini-break in the tiebreak with a backhand down the line winner, going on to win the breaker 7-5 with a forehand winner from mid-court. The crowd were on their feet while the two players must have been wondering just how torn up theirs would be by the time this was over.
Whatever happened now, that void that had been there at the start of the match had been filled. There had been enough drama and entertainment to make up for the slow day. But when Wawrinka broke at the start of the set, the prospect of one of the biggest upsets in Australian Open history looked, considering how the Swiss had managed to stay with the Serbian all this time, a possibility. However it was a brief one as Djokovic broke back. The two men held serve, with the length of the match taking its toll as Wawrinka battled with cramps and Djokovic had injury issues, too. At 4-4 though, it seemed that the end might be in sight as on break point Wawrinka’s backhand, which was called out, looked to have been an incorrect call. The Swiss asked the Umpire what he thought and was confidently reassured it was in while Djokovic who had the best view having been standing before the ball kept his head down and said nothing. Wawrinka accepted the word of the Umpire and Djokovic went on to win the game. Replays would later show the ball had been in. Had Wawrinka used his last challenge, which would not have been such an issue as he would be awarded 3 more at 6-6, he would have had another chance to break to serve out for the match at 5-4. Had the Umpire been more on the ball, then the overrule would have made it a non-issue, or if he had admitted he did not know if it was in or not, Wawrinka would have used that challenge and got justice. As for the World number One’s silence, well no one asked him though he was gesturing the ball was out, and it is not his responsibility but nevertheless he did seem mighty angry a few games later when the same linesman made an incorrect call against him. His face a picture of rage, Novak’s displeasure at being robbed was clear for all to see. Luckily for the Serbian, the call was overruled by the Umpire.
Games went with serve, and easily too. The match had now taken on classic status, going on to past midnight and lasting more than four hours, the first classic of the season’s first Major. Four times Wawrinka served to save the set and succeeded but at 10-11, the Djokovic defense finally broke him down. On his third match point, the Serbian hit a backhand passing shot to win the match 12-10 in the fifth.
Djokovic roared and tore off his shirt as a tearful Wawrinka left the court. Whether he was ruing his chances at 5-3 in the second or not challenging that call or just expressing the pain of defeat, maybe he was experiencing all three, only the Swiss knows but any tennis fan who witnessed his performance can testify that while we saw a Djokovic whom we know only too well, we saw a Wawrinka we had never met before, one we were very pleased to meet and one whom we would very much like the pleasure of meeting again.