Nick McCarvel, Special for USA TODAY Sports 12:48 p.m. EDT June 7, 2015
Wawrinki holds the trophy after beating Djokovic.(Photo: Julian Finney, Getty Images)
PARIS – For the second time in his career, Stan Wawrinka was the No. 8 seed in a Grand Slam final facing the world No. 1. And, for a second time, he won.
Flipping the script that Novak Djokovic had so carefully written for himself at this French Open, the Swiss man emerged victorious as a backhand-whipping, crowd-wowing alt hero, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 winner over the Serbian who was seeking to complete his career Grand Slam here in Paris.
It's the second major title for the 30-year-old, who last year upset Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open. Long having played in the shadow of Roger Federer, his countryman, Wawrinka now has a pair of Grand Slams over the last 18 months – a feat only Djokovic can match.
The world's top ranked played, 28, saw his storybook ending crumble before his eyes on a pristine day. Djokovic was aiming to complete his career Grand Slam having beaten Nadal, a nine-time champion at Roland Garros, in a highly anticipated quarterfinal, and riding a tour-high 28-match win streak into the final, many players and pundits calling him unbeatable because of it.
But Wawrinka proved that wrong, his crisp one-handed backhand drawing ooohs and ahhhs from a Parisian crowd that had whistled at him just two days prior after he beat French hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals. He overwhelmed Djokovic with his power at times, cracking winners from every angle of the court and jamming a usually unflappable world No. 1 into off-balance errors.
Wawrinka cements himself in the recordbooks with a second major, no longer a one-Slam wonder. Djokovic, who has eight majors to his name, is left to soul-search for another 52 weeks: Can he ever win the French Open?
Nadal had stopped him the last three years, including in the 2012 and 2014 finals. In 2011, Djokovic arrived inside Court Philippe Chatrier on a 43-match win streak only to see Federer better him in a four-set semifinal.
Djokovic, tennis' Energizer bunny, looked flat Sunday afternoon. It was his third straight day of play after his Friday evening semifinal against Andy Murray was pushed into Saturday due to inclement weather. Djokovic assured that he would not be affected by the back-to-back-to-back schedule, but he lacked his reliable pop against Wawrinka, who had nearly 24 hours more rest than him for their five-set encounter.
Wawrinka also denied Djokovic from becoming the first man in 23 years to win both the Australian and French Opens to start the year. American Jim Courier is the last to do so, back in 1992.
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Wawrinki holds the trophy after beating Djokovic.(Photo: Julian Finney, Getty Images)
PARIS – For the second time in his career, Stan Wawrinka was the No. 8 seed in a Grand Slam final facing the world No. 1. And, for a second time, he won.
Flipping the script that Novak Djokovic had so carefully written for himself at this French Open, the Swiss man emerged victorious as a backhand-whipping, crowd-wowing alt hero, a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 winner over the Serbian who was seeking to complete his career Grand Slam here in Paris.
It's the second major title for the 30-year-old, who last year upset Rafael Nadal in the final of the Australian Open. Long having played in the shadow of Roger Federer, his countryman, Wawrinka now has a pair of Grand Slams over the last 18 months – a feat only Djokovic can match.
The world's top ranked played, 28, saw his storybook ending crumble before his eyes on a pristine day. Djokovic was aiming to complete his career Grand Slam having beaten Nadal, a nine-time champion at Roland Garros, in a highly anticipated quarterfinal, and riding a tour-high 28-match win streak into the final, many players and pundits calling him unbeatable because of it.
But Wawrinka proved that wrong, his crisp one-handed backhand drawing ooohs and ahhhs from a Parisian crowd that had whistled at him just two days prior after he beat French hope Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in the semifinals. He overwhelmed Djokovic with his power at times, cracking winners from every angle of the court and jamming a usually unflappable world No. 1 into off-balance errors.
Wawrinka cements himself in the recordbooks with a second major, no longer a one-Slam wonder. Djokovic, who has eight majors to his name, is left to soul-search for another 52 weeks: Can he ever win the French Open?
Nadal had stopped him the last three years, including in the 2012 and 2014 finals. In 2011, Djokovic arrived inside Court Philippe Chatrier on a 43-match win streak only to see Federer better him in a four-set semifinal.
Djokovic, tennis' Energizer bunny, looked flat Sunday afternoon. It was his third straight day of play after his Friday evening semifinal against Andy Murray was pushed into Saturday due to inclement weather. Djokovic assured that he would not be affected by the back-to-back-to-back schedule, but he lacked his reliable pop against Wawrinka, who had nearly 24 hours more rest than him for their five-set encounter.
Wawrinka also denied Djokovic from becoming the first man in 23 years to win both the Australian and French Opens to start the year. American Jim Courier is the last to do so, back in 1992.
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