Stan mans up and takes Djokovic out in five

Stanislas Wawrinka has sent Novak Djokovic crashing out of the Australian Open 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7.

The Swiss got off to a slow start against a focused Djokovic. The Serbian’s defense and offense were at full throttle as he raced through the first set, breaking at 3-2 his depth and variety of spins keeping Stan behind the baseline where he wanted him. Djokovic also found time to inject some flair into what was looking like a routine businesslike performance, a sublime drop volley on set point giving him a 1-0 set lead.

Stan did not stay pinned behind the baseline for long though. At the start of the second set, he put his aggression to work, holding three break points at 1-1. But Djokovic fought him off with the confidence of a man who has lifted 4 Australian Open trophies on the Rod Laver Arena. The Serbian had break points of his own at 2-2 but Wawrinka, struggling with a low first serve percentage in the low 50s, pounded down big serves when it mattered to keep himself in the match.

At 3-3, Wawrinka got another look at a break point. The two players became embroiled in a long rally, the type Djokovic has made a habit of winning, but it was Wawrinka who struck the winner, a forehand down the line. The Swiss had found his timing. His ground-stokes were now biting into the court and had Djokovic scrambling until the court opened up and Stan whacked a winner or Djokovic could hustle no more and errored. The Swiss kept his form, his nerve and his serve, taking the second set on a service winner.

Wawrinka kept his momentum going, earning an early break in the third to lead 3-1. On the backfoot and looking a little clueless, Djokovic began shouting at himself and his box with the alarming regularity which characterised his coach Becker’s career when matches seemed to be slipping from his grip. The anger did not get him out of the mess he was in. Wawrinka did not relent and took the set 6-2, another service winner sealing the deal.

But a 2-1 lead against Djokovic just means you are one set closer to the win but he is still just two sets away. Two sets he is prepared to fight for and win. The Serbian, who has competed in 12 Major finals and knows a thing or two about match play, waited for the inevitable drop in Wawrinka’s magical form and then pounced. At 4-3 Wawrinka serving, Djokovic fought back from a 40-15 deficit. His wheels spinning, a fired up finger-wagging Djokovic got one more ball back over and over and went about turning defense into attack, coming to the net and finishing off points. At deuce his return and touch also came into their own as he got his racket on a fiercely struck serve and the return sailed into the far corner of the court. Break point down, and perhaps flummoxed at how Djokovic can just turn a match around like that, Wawrinka hit a forehand sitter out and was a break down in the fourth. The Serbian roared and the Swiss whacked a ball out into the stands, getting a code violation in the process. The show of frustration did the Swiss some good. He recovered from the service break to earn two break points as Djokovic served for the set. But the Serbian was in his element now, in the throes of another comeback, and his serve was working as well as it can, his first serve percentage in the 70s. On set point an ace made the Serbian’s comeback complete.

Two sets all and here we were again. Few will forget the battle these two engaged in last year, finally won by Djokovic 13-11. Stan had led 2 sets to 1 that time, too. That match was the highest quality battle of ’13, a distinction this match was not going to take. The fifth set saw errors all over the place as both men struggled with the pressure. It was Djokovic who held it together the most, breaking Wawrinka early, but Wawrinka broke straight back. Both men settled down though and by 3-3 both men were into their serving grooves, coming to terms with the situation and what might lie ahead. At 5-5, rain interrupted play for a few minutes, giving everyone a breather and time to think about who would come out of this on top.

With Djokovic holding serve the easier of the two, it looked likely the game’s best returner, despite having something of an off night, would prevail. The fact he was the three time defending champion and had a 15-2 head to head lead over his opponent who had not beaten him since Vienna 2006 added to justifying his position as favourite.

But Wawrinka is a player who learns from his defeats. Throughout 2013 he just got better and better after his crushing Melbourne loss. In fact, it only made him tougher. Once the brief rain delay had passed, Wawrinka came out and served an ace, the breather perhaps clearing his mind, giving him a moment to remember last year and where he had gone wrong and Djokovic had gone right. And with the pressure slightly lessened with the advantage of serving first, Wawrinka hit with the freedom and ferocity he had done in sets 2 and 3. His conviction reaped winners and he met them with roaring, fist pumps and heart thumping. He was beating Novak at his own game, using the crowd and the moment to assert himself. But more than that, Wawrinka’s own game was beating Novak’s. Helped by the faster surface, Wawrinka was able to hit through the court and returning at 7-8 his aggression paid off as he got deep into the Novak service game.

Luck came his way, too. At 30-30, The Swiss mishit a return, the ball landing short, and Djokovic could do nothing with the ball, his attempt at a drop volley landing out to hand Wawrinka a match point. Djokovic did what he had to do, serving and volleying, his history of fighting off match points by being bold spurring him on. But this time his boldness did not pay off. Djokovic could not keep the volley off the high return in play. Wawrinka’s bold and inspired game had forced Novak to force the issue and he had overdone it, losing the point. But he had not lost the match. Wawrinka had won it.

A match that made Stan very much the man, and should he build on it, could very well make his career. A career which just gets better and better. Better would be, after having reached the US Open semis last season, a Grand slam final. Better than that and you have Stanislas Wawrinka, Grand Slam champion. He can certainly play like one. The next question is can he be one?