Skip to main content

Wawrinka outplays Nadal in strange, awkward Australian Open final

Stanislas Wawrinka will rocket up to No. 3 in the ATP rankings after his Australian Open victory.

Stanislas Wawrinka will rocket up to No. 3 in the ATP rankings after his Australian Open victory.

• The men's final was in keeping with the theme of a strange event, which included the extreme heat and the losses of Serena Williams and then both defending champs (Djokovic and Victoria Azarenka). Nevertheless, how do you not applaud Wawrinka with a full throat? He didn't so much the moment as he kicked its ass. For the first time since 2009, a player outside the Big Four won one of the Big Four titles. This was a career-changer for Wawrinka. It will be interesting to see where he goes from here.