Sunday, June 07, 2015

Roland Garros Final: WOWrinka!


Stan Wawrinka didn't come to the Roland Garros final armed with a Swiss Army knife. He came with his backhand. And that was more than enough.



Who knew a Swiss could be so stubborn?

Of course, maybe if we'd just looked at his forearm. It was all right on there.



Against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals, Wawrinka saved sixteen of seventeen break point chances, and he saved eight of ten today against Djokovic, the game's best returner of serve. There's something to be said for the will involved in weathering so many storms on such a big stage, especially with the crowd pulling for the Frenchman and the Serb playing for all the history within his grasp in the final.

Riding a 28-match winning streak, Djokovic was looking to complete a Career Grand Slam by adding a win in Paris to claim the only slam title that has so far eluded him. In past years, it was Rafa Nadal (six times, twice in finals the last three years) that brought an end to the current world #1's dream. But last week Nadal (seeded #6 after missing time with injury and having a mediocre clay season) was conquered by Djokovic in the QF as he completed as thorough a win as you'll ever see of an all-time great on the stage that he's dominated his entire career. The Serb not only defeated Rafa on the scoreboard, he seemed to take away a bit of his heart for safe keeping down the stretch, as well. Maybe it was too early to peak, though? Djokovic struggled to put away Andy Murray a round later, a match that had to be extended over two days and to five sets when the Scott won back-to-back 7-5 sets to knot the match. As a result, Djokovic never got a day off in the closing stages of this Roland Garros.

Early on, though, nothing seemed to bother him, including Wawrinka. Djokovic took a break lead in the 1st set when Wawrinka double-faulted on break point to fall behind 4-3. It took the Serb three set points to serve things out three games later, but he did to win the set 6-4. In the 2nd, he held back the tide of the Swiss man's powerful groundstrokes -- especially a one-handed backhand that was unleashing thunderous shots all match long -- to keep a nose ahead. He saved four BP over three straight service games as the set remained on serve at 4-4, but with Wawrinka serving first the Serb had to hold in order to keep the set knotted. He had no margin of error. On his fifth BP of the set, Wawrinka converted when Djokovic ended a rally by firing a shot long and suddenly the MATCH was tied.

Wawrinka broke to take a 4-2 lead in the 3rd, saved a BP a game later and then served out at 6-3 set to take a one set advantage into the 4th. Djokovic jumped up a break at 3-0 there, but couldn't hold the lead. Wawrinka won three straight games to get to 3-3, then held double break points on the Serb in game #7. After saving the second BP with a beautiful backhand volley winner, Djokovic punched the sky, showing the emotion that had been curiously missing from him during the first three and a half sets. If the Serb's old fire had returned, Wawrinka was likely doomed. But it didn't, and he wasn't.

Djokovic had three BP on Wawrinka's serve a game later, but couldn't convert any. The old "Comeback King" Novak would have. On the third BP, Wawrinka's serve up the T was called out, but Djokovic played the ball and was unable to return it. The chair umpire checked the mark and called the ball in, awarding the point to Wawrinka, who'd go on to hold for 4-4. The Swiss fired a backhand passing shot from behind the baseline in game #9 to reach break point. Djokovic pulled out one of coach Boris Becker's old hallmarks -- a serve-and-volley combo -- to save it, but when he tried to do it on the next point on a second serve Wawrinka fired a backhand return winner down the line. Another backhand winner to the corner ended a rally and gave Wawrinka a 5-4 lead and the chance to serve out the match.

There, things seemed over for a moment when Wawrinka appeared to serve an ace on his first match point, but the chair umpire looked at the mark and called the ball out, extending the match. Djokovic saved the MP, then reached BP after his shot -- which appeared to be heading out -- bounced off the net cord and landed in the court. Wawrinka fired a crosscourt forehand that the Serb dug off the baseline, sending a backhand winner down the line. He had his chance to get back into the match. But he sailed a forehand long, then Wawrinka's big serve went off the Serb's racket to give the Swiss a second match point. He won it, naturally, with a perfect backhand (winner #60 on the day, though oddly only his eleventh off the backhand that had controlled so many rallies) off the baseline on his first groundstroke of the point, winning his second major 4-6/6-4/6-3/6-4.



Wawrinka, winning another slam as the #8 seed taking out the #1 in the final, immediately ran off court to find a path into the stands to celebrate with coach Magnus Norman, to whom he credits so much of his success. Meanwhile, Djokovic sat on his chair in the changeover, contemplating a sixth loss in his last nine slam finals, three of them coming in the last four years in Paris. During the trophy ceremony, the Serb was greeted by an extraordinarily long ovation from the French crowd (yeah... who'da thunk it, huh? The French crowd!). It had to help. But not enough to take away ALL the sting.

Of course, with this result, one has to wonder if Wawrinka is really this good or just an expert at being in the right place at the right time. After all, he won his first major in Melbourne against an injured Nadal in the final, and we'll probably never know if Djokovic having to prepare to play three straight days after his semifinal with Murray was suspended on Friday had anything to do with the way he was gradually overtaken in today's match. Whatever the truth is, the OTHER Swiss man is a multiple slam winner, as well.

A single slam win might be a fluke. Two is not.



As for Djokovic, he NEEDED to win this title. Sure, he's still having a superior season, and this is his first loss in twenty-nine matches. He'll still be the favorite to win in BOTH London and New York, too. He's the unquestioned #1, but not winning today may have cost him his seat at the table of history somewhere down the line. A Grand Slam season is something that neither Federer nor Nadal will be able to claim once their careers have wrapped. 2015 may have been Djokovic's best chance to pull it off. He still could win three slams in a season for the season time in his career, but that's only enough to get a mention ALONG WITH Roger and Rafa. A subversive "numbers guy" case cannot be made for him to be a true "equal" without it. At least not at this point.



He'll likely complete his Career Slam in Paris, possibly as soon as next year. Though you have to think that if Nadal is going to ever get #10 it might be in 2016, after having gone out the way he did at this event. But Djokovic's consummate take down of the Spaniard last week in Paris ultimately went for naught. It's lost to history. A footnote. It could have been the linchpin in his calling card for greatness.

Now it's just a nice victory, and will forever be seen as more of a comment on the state of Nadal than that of the Serb. It's a shame, really.

But, hey, congrats to Stan. He truly was The Man on Chatrier on this day.







...AND-SHE-GETS-THE-CREDIT-FOR-THE-HEADLINE: *



...WORD FROM ON HIGH:



...SOMEONE WAS EXCITED: Even if he mispelled "holy." Well, unless there's actually a cow in Switzerland named Holly, I mean.



...OH-NO!:



Well, at least we won't see any copycats at Wimbledon.

...DARIA GAVRILOVA WRAPS UP SUNDAY IN THREE QUICK TWEETS:







=MEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#8 Stan Wawrinka/SUI def. #1 Novak Djokovic/SRB 4-6/6-4/6-3/6-4

=WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#1 Serena Williams/USA def. #13 Lucie Safarova/CZE 6-3/6-7(2)/6-2

=MEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#3 Dodig/Melo (CRO/BRA) def. #1 Bryan/Bryan (USA/USA) 6-7(5)/7-6(5)/7-5

=WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#7 Mattek-Sands/Safarova (USA/CZE) def. #12 Dellacqua/Shvedova (AUS/KAZ) 3-6/6-4/6-2

=MIXED DOUBLES FINAL=
#2 Mattek-Sands/M.Bryan (USA/USA) def. Hradecka/Matkowski (CZE/POL) 7-6(3)/6-1

=BOYS SINGLES FINAL=
#13 Tommy Paul/USA def. #2 Taylor Harry Fritz/USA 7-6(4)/2-6/6-2

=GIRLS SINGLES FINAL=
#12 Paula Badosa Gibert/ESP def. #16 Anna Kalinskaya/RUS 6-3/6-3

=BOYS DOUBLES FINAL=
Lopez San Martin/Munar (ESP/ESP) def. #4 Blumberg/Paul (USA/USA) 6-4/6-2

=GIRLS DOUBLES FINAL=
#1 Kolodziejova/Vondrousova (CZE/CZE) def. #6 Dolehide/Stewart (USA/USA) 6-0/6-3

=WC MEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#1 Shingo Kunieda/JPN def. #2 Stephane Houdet/FRA 6-1/6-0

=WC WOMEN'S SINGLES FINAL=
#2 Jiske Griffioen/NED def. Aniek Van Koot/NED 6-0/6-2

=WC MEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#2 Kunieda/Reid (JPN/GBR) def. Fernandez/Peifer (ARG/ARG) 6-1/7-6(1)

=WC WOMEN'S DOUBLES FINAL=
#2 Griffioen/Van Koot (NED/NED) def. #1 Kamiji/Whiley (JPN/GBR) 7-6(1)/3-6 [10-8]



**SLAM FINALS - ACTIVE**
25...Roger Federer, SUI (17-8)
20...Rafael Nadal, ESP (14-6)
16...NOVAK DJOKOVIC, SRB (8-8)
8...Andy Murray, GBR (2-6)
4...Lleyton Hewitt, AUS (2-2)
2...STAN WAWRINKA, SUI (2-0)
2...Robin Soderling, SWE (0-2)

**CAREER SLAM FINALS**
25 - Roger Federer (17-8)
20 - Rafael Nadal (14-6)
19 - Ivan Lendl (8-11)
18 - Pete Sampras (14-4)
17 - Rod Laver (11-6)
16 - Bjorn Borg (11-5)
16 - NOVAK DJOKOVIC (8-8)
16 - Ken Rosewall (8-8)

**RECENT RG MEN'S FINALS**
2011 Rafael Nadal def. Roger Federer 7-5,7-6,5-7,6-1
2012 Rafael Nadal def. Novak Djokovic 6-4,6-3,2-6,7-5
2013 Rafael Nadal def. David Ferrer 6-3,6-2,6-3
2014 Rafael Nadal def. Novak Djokovic 3-6,7-5,6-2,6-4
2015 Stan Wawrinka def. Novak Djokovic 4-6/6-4/6-3/6-4

*2015 ATP FINALS*
7 - NOVAK DJOKOVIC (5-2)
5 - Roger Federer (3-2)
4 - Andy Murray (2-2)
3 - STAN WAWRINKA (3-0)
3 - David Ferrer (3-0)
3 - Kei Nishikori (2-1)
3 - Tomas Berdych (0-3)





All for now.

Read more!

posted by Todd.Spiker @ 4:01 PM 

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