Eighth seed Stanislas Wawrinka upset all the odds to win his first Grand Slam title after defeating top seed Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final. However, the match may be remembered for Nadal picking up an injury during the second set which allowed Wawrinka a clearer path to victory. Although, the first set saw Wawrinka break an injury free Nadal service game on his way to claiming it 6-3. During the second set Nadal required treatment for a back injury which heavily hampered his serve, forcing him to take most of the pace off his serve. Wawrinka managed to keep his cool and with a double break, secured the second set 6-2. However, Nadal refused to give in and bravely fought on during the third set whilst Wawrinka struggled ro handle the odd situation unfolding before him. Consequently, Nadal broke the Wawrinka serve and held out to take the third set 6-3. Wawrinka managed to compose himself in the fourth set and played some much better tennis which proved too much for the injured Nadal. Thus, Wawrinka held onto a break of serve to win the fourth set 6-3 and win his maiden Grand Slam tournament.
My Opinion:
A brilliant tournament overall with many shocks and drama. The final provided plenty of drama and entertainment but the shine was slightly taken off as Nadal struggled on with an injury. His serve was extremely hampered which meant that he could only roll them in. Both players were seemingly fit during the first set and it was Wawrinka who took it. It would have been really interesting to see who would have come out on top had Nadal managed to avoid injury during the match but in the end it proved pivotal. You still have to give Wawrinka huge amounts of credit as he battled on to finish the job off albeit with a lack of concentration in the third set. He has beaten Djokovic and Berdych to get to the final and I am really pleased for him that he has won his first Grand Slam. Wawrinka has played the tennis of his career and has been the best player of the tournament so it was a fitting finale. It is a great start to the year for him and it could be the start of a huge year. A great shame to see Nadal struggling with injury again but if he can come back as strongly as he did last time then has has nothing to worry about. Hopefully, we will see him back in time for the clay court season where he is the king of the clay.
Men's Singles Final Result:
(8) Wawrinka beat (1) Nadal 6-3,6-2,3-6,6-3
Mixed Doubles Final Result:
Mladenovic/Nestor beat (6) Mirza/Tecau 6-3,6-2
Men's Performance of the Tournament: Stanislas Wawrinka. 8th seed who defeated Djokovic, Berdych and Nadal to win the tournament.
Men's Shock of the Tournament: Bautista-Agut knocked out 5th seed Del Potro in the second round after a five set thriller.
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