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Australian Open 2014: Wawrinka
outsmarts Djokovic
-DR. ABDUL RUFF COLACHAL
_______________
Unless
the players try to spoil the reputation of this sport by some understanding, if
not fixing, Tennis can be played as an inspiring and interesting
sport.
Many big names have already
fallen at the Australian Open 2014 and Djokovic has just joined the unlucky
ones, while Swiss Wawrinka has moving upward to reach the status of his senior form
Swiss land Roger federer by winning the tittle this time if luck
also supports him. .
An
increasingly upcoming tennis ace Stanislas Wawrinka held
his nerve to win an epic five-set battle with Novak Djokovic on
21st January night in Melbourne, prevailing 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6,
9-7 to reach his first Australian Open semi-final
Wawrinka
also ended the Serb’s three-year reign Down Under.
The Swiss has been on ocurse to win the title and even reached his first Grand
Slam semi-final at the US Open last year, but was beaten in five sets by
Djokovic. He had also fallen to the Serb 12-10 in the fifth set of their Australian Openfourth-round clash 12 months ago.
Wawrinka
overturned a 2-15 FedEx ATP Head2Head record against Djokovic tonight, breaking
the Serb in the final game to clinch victory in four hours.
Wawrinka
joins Roger Federer as the only two Swiss men to reach multiple
Grand Slam semi-finals. "I'm really happy. I'm excited," said
Wawrinka. "It was more or less the same feeling as during the match last
year. The beginning was not that easy, but then I started to play really well.
It was important to stay with me. After losing two times against him in Grand
Slam in five sets, I'm really happy to take that one. It's great for
me."
World
No. 2 Djokovic took advantage of an error-strewn first set from Wawrinka,
winning five games in a row from 2-2 to clinch the opener and start the second
set.
Wawrinka halted Djokovic’s run of games as he reeled off four straight points
in the second game, and nearly broke Djokovic in the next game, thwarted on
three break points. The Swiss took his chance at the second time of asking,
though, breaking Djokovic for a 4-3 lead before holding on to level the match.
Building
on his momentum, Wawrinka broke for a 2-1 lead in the third set and would win
four games in a row to take a commanding 4-1 lead. After a tentative start, his
backhand was finding its mark and Djokovic’s attempts to mix up the play were
proving futile as Wawrinka clinched the third set. Djokovic stayed in touch in
the fourth set and upped his intensity as the set developed.
Djokovic
had the early advantage in the decider fifth set as he broke for a 2-1 lead. But
his lead was short-lived as Wawrinka immediately levelled, taking advantage of
tight play on the forehand by Djokovic. Wawrinka saved break points to hold for
3-2 and 4-3 before more drama as play was briefly interrupted by light rain,
with Wawrinka serving at 5-5, 40/15. Four minutes later the players were
back on court and a Wawrinka ace closed out the game.
Thus, Djokovic streaks come to an end at Australian Open.
Obviously he won’t be pleased though he was pleasantly talking to Wawrinka after the defeat.
The
26-year-old Djokovic was contesting his 19th consecutive Grand Slam
quarter-final and saw his 25-match winning streak at Melbourne Park come to an
end. After winning his first Grand Slam championship in Melbourne in 2008 (d.
Tsonga), the Belgrade native had won three successive titles from 2011-13.
Djokovic suffered his first loss since the US Open final, when he was beaten by fast
runner Rafael Nadal.
The
right-hander had gone on to win 28 matches in a row, lifting trophies in
Beijing, Shanghai, Paris and at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals in London.
28-overall match winning streak (since loss to Nadal in US Open final) 25-match winning streak at the Australian Open (since loss to Tsonga in five sets in
quarter-finals in 2010) 14 consecutive Grand Slam semi-final appearances.
14 consecutive wins over Wawrinka , 13 consecutive Top 10 wins. (last
loss to Nadal in US Open final)
“He
served extremely well from the beginning to the end," said Djokovic.
"Every time he was in trouble, he was coming up with big serves. He took
his opportunities. He deserved this win today. I congratulate him absolutely.
There is nothing I can say. I gave it my best. I tried to come out as the
winner. But it wasn't to be this time."
As he
looks to reach his first major final, Wawrinka will take on Tomas Berdych,
also a better player whom he has an 8-5 record against, including a four-set
victory when they met in the US Open fourth round last year. "It's for sure
a big chance," said Wawrinka. "Berdych is playing well since the
beginning of the tournament. He's going to be a tough player to beat. He
already made one final in a slam. He already made the semi-finals in every
Grand Slam. "He's really close to the top, top guys. It's going to be
a tough battle."
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