French Open 2015: Men's Final Winner, Score and Twitter Reaction
Stanislas Wawrinka recovered from a set down to beat Novak Djokovic 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 in the final of the French Open at Roland Garros.
The result was confirmed by the tournament’s official Twitter feed:
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Djokovic began in scintillating style but seemed to tire as the match wore on. The Swiss, who now has two major titles to his name, capitalised brilliantly, bullying his opponent with some ferocious hitting and unrelenting work rate.
During the opening exchanges of this encounter, it didn’t seem as though Wawrinka would have enough to challenge the might of the top seed.
The first six games went with serve, with both men showcasing some brutal striking. But a disastrous seventh game from the Swiss handed Novak the chance to break; it was a opportunity Djokovic seized to go 4-3 up.
From there the world No. 1 wrapped up the set with a swagger. Ben Rothenberg of the New York Times was already anticipating a marathon match:
Wawrinka added some credence to that opinion, upping the ante in the second set. He put a lot of pressure on the Djokovic serve in the stanza, but despite carving out a flurry of break points, the Swiss was unable to take any of them during the first eight games.
As noted by Piers Newberry of BBC Sport, Wawrinka wasn’t disguising his frustration:
But eventually, the Swiss got the break his excellent play deserved, in the crucial 10th game of the set no less. After a couple of fizzing backhands, a desperate Djokovic flung a response long, giving Wawrinka a 6-4 second-set win.
It was around this stage that the Serb, usually so mobile and dynamic on the court, started to look a little jaded. Tennis coach Brad Gilbert picked up on it:
Wawrinka didn’t ease off though as he continued to pummel Novak in the third set. The Swiss was magnificent from the baseline, dominating rallies with brute power, forensic accuracy and enamouring ingenuity.
The highlight of what was a flawless set of Wawrinka tennis came in the sixth game, as he hit this stunning shot on the way to a 4-2 lead:
A rampant Wawrinka continued to brutalise a puzzled Djokovic for the remainder of the set, winning it 6-3 and going to within one of the title.
It was tough to see how the top seed, chasing his first French Open title, was going to respond. Was he feeling the effects of a draining five-set semi-final against Andy Murray? Was this match against an obdurate opponent a step too far? Was Wawrinka simply too good?
However, the Serbian sensation knuckled down at the start of the fourth, securing an early break and what looked like a route back into the match. Andrew Castle of BBC paid tribute to Djokovic’s spirit:
Wawrinka will have been disappointed to go 2-0 down after some rudimentary errors, but even though Novak had the advantage in the set, the Swiss seemed to have an extra gear in general play. So it was no surprise to see him break back in the fifth game.
Sports reporter Carole Bouchard praised the eighth seed’s determined defensive skills:
The amazing exchanges just kept on coming. Djokovic did brilliantly to save two break points and hold in the seventh game before squandering three break points of his own in the eighth, as Wawrinka squared things up at 4-4.
Then, the Swiss ground out a couple more opportunities in the ninth game, seizing the second and setting up a chance to serve for the championship. Despite some major fighting spirit from Novak, Wawrinka held his nerve to clinch a second major title.
Wawrinka’s tremendous talent has never been disputed, but he’s a player who hasn't quite been consistent enough to be considered amongst the game’s very top men. But this match showcased exactly what he’s capable of when everything comes together.
Hopefully this win, and the manner in which he won, will be a springboard for the Swiss star. He’s now a two-time slam champion and with both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open still to come in 2015, Wawrinka will be be desperate to consolidate this triumph with some more sparkling displays on the biggest stages.
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