Seven years ago, a precocious 20 year old named Rafael Nadal took to Rod Laver Arena to face an emerging star in Stanislas Wawrinka, in the third round of the 2007 Australian Open. In what would be the first of 12 encounters between the Spaniard and the Swiss, Nadal has dominated the FedEx ATP Head2Head, having yet to relinquish a set. Wawrinka, however, has made inroads in recent meetings, particularly on hard courts, and will be looking to play spoiler when they battle for the 2014 crown in Melbourne on Sunday. This will undoubtedly be Wawrinka’s greatest challenge, but the Swiss is up to the test and is no stranger to pulling off the big upset on the big stage, less than a week removed from stunning three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in a pulsating quarter-final affair. “I’m at the top of my career,” Wawrinka said. “Already last year I had the feeling that I was playing better, but I was dealing better with the pressure also. I’m more mature. I’m 28 now. I’m on the tour since 10 years. Now I feel that it’s my time to play my best tennis.” After taking on Magnus Norman as coach last April, Wawrinka immediately began seeing results on the ATP World Tour. He triumphed on the clay in Oeiras and reached his second ATP World Tour Masters 1000 final in Madrid, falling to Nadal. He has the belief of 14-time Grand Slam champion Pete Sampras in his corner, as well. “Hes figured it out a little bit, Sampras said. He’s got more confidence. He’s been in this situation a few times. Hes stepping through that door.” Wawrinka is seeking to become the first player to defeat the top two seeds at a Slam, en route to the title, since Michael Stich accomplished the feat at the 1991 Wimbledon Championships. Stan Wawrinka: The One-Handed Backhand Expert When Nadal and Wawrinka duel for the Australian Open crown, it will be their third meeting on the Grand Slam stage, having also squared off in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros in 2013. It will also be their third encounter in a tour-level final. The stakes are as high as ever, with the World No. 1 looking to join elite company as the third player in history (Rod Laver and Roy Emerson) to win each major twice, while the eighth seed is eyeing his maiden Slam title. By reaching his 19th Grand Slam final, Nadal has joined Ivan Lendl in 2nd place on the all-time list of major final appearances and with a win on Sunday he will equal Sampras with 14 titles, tied for second-most in history.
Posted on: Sat, 25 Jan 2014 17:57:52 +0000
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