Stanislas Wawrinka stuns Novak Djokovic in epic five-setter at the Australian Open

Switzerland’s number two player Stanislas Wawrinka pulled off an impressive upset at the Australian Open 2014 after he defeated three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic on Tuesday night. Wawrinka will next face Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic in the semifinals after the latter eliminated David Ferrer of Spain.

In yet another replay of their five-setter a year ago, Wawrinka was determined not to have a another heartbreaking five-set loss to Djokovic. The match went through the distance once more but it was Wawrinka who had the upper hand in the end in a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 victory.

“Last year I finished it was really tough but this year I came back it was a new year,” Wawrinka said. “I tried everything. He’s an amazing champion. He never gives up. I’m really, really … really happy.”

Djokovic admitted that he lost the match to a better player.

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Wawrinka ends Djokovic’s 28-match winning streak, three-year reign in Oz
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21, 2014 /BY AP
TAGS:Novak DjokovicStanislas WawrinkaPrint

AP Photo
AP Photo
MELBOURNE, Australia — Novak Djokovic’s bid for a fourth consecutive Australian Open title ended in a dramatic five-set quarterfinal loss to Stanislas Wawrinka that opens up the prospects of a new major champion.

No. 8-seeded Wawrinka lost 14 head-to-heads to Djokovic until a 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, 3-6, 9-7 win on Tuesday night put him into a semifinal that very few expected against No. 7 Tomas Berdych.

Djokovic held off Wawrinka 12-10 in the fifth set in a 5-hour, 2-minute fourth-rounder that finished at 1:41 a.m. here last year — the longest Grand Slam match of the season — en route to his third straight Australian title. He and also edged Wawrinka in five sets in the U.S. Open semifinals in September.

This time, it was Wawrinka’s turn.

“Last year I finished it was really tough but this year I came back it was a new year,” he said. “I tried everything. He’s an amazing champion. He never gives up. I’m really, really … really happy.”

This one took exactly four hours and featured some stunning rallies, with both players openly showing amazement at some of the shots coming back from the other side. And just to add to the drama, there was a five-minute rain delay with Wawrinka serving at 5-5 in the fifth.

Djokovic frequently held up and pinched his thumb and forefinger together to show how close the shots were to either hitting or missing the lines. The six-time major winner had to constantly serve to stay in the match after an early exchange of breaks in the fifth set and the pressure finally told.

After all the superb shot making, it was a mis-hit from Wawrinka that set up match point. Djokovic chased the floating service return to the net but skewed his cross-court drop shot too wide. He then missed a volley on match point, ending a run of 28 consecutive wins dating back to his U.S. Open final defeat to Rafael Nadal.

“He took his opportunities. He deserved his big win today,” Djokovic said. “There’s nothing I can say. I gave it my best, I gave it my all. It wasn’t to be this time.

“He showed his mental strength and he deserved to win — the only thing I can say is congratulations.”

The loss in the quarterfinals in Melbourne also ended Djokovic’s Grand Slam semifinal streak at 14. This record is second in the all-time list with record-holder Roger Federer reaching the semifinals or better in 23 consecutive Grand Slams.

Wawrinka will next face Tomas Berdych of Czech Republic and will have a chance to reach his very first Grand Slam final.