Stan Wawrinka’s Australian Open farewell tour rolls on with remarkable five-set win

MELBOURNE, Australia — Stan Wawrinka has done it again at the Australian Open.

The man who won the title in 2014, and beat the seemingly unbeatable Novak Djokovic in Melbourne in the middle of a trilogy of five-setters between them, pulled off arguably his greatest feat yet by beating Arthur Géa in five grueling sets to reach the third round.

This 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, 7-6(3) victory against the world No. 198 was a phenomenal physical and mental effort from Wawrinka. Twice down by a set, Wawrinka, who turns 41 in March in what is his last year on the tour, somehow found a way to beat a man nearly half his age and thrill the Kia Arena crowd, many of whom were preparing to say thanks and goodbye to Wawrinka in what could have been his last Australian Open match.

At times this felt like a greatest hits performance from the three-time Grand Slam champion, in the longest match of the tournament so far at four hours and 33 minutes. Whether it was the vintage single-handed backhand winner to clinch the fourth set, or the temple point that followed it, there was something for everyone. Perhaps the most classically Wawrinka element to it all was the way he got stronger physically as the match wore on, the quality that earned him the nickname “Diesel” from his compatriot Roger Federer.

Or maybe it was the way in which Wawrinka yet again saved his best for the biggest occasion. This is a man who won those three Slams from just four finals, and who won just one ATP Masters 1000 title (the rung down from the majors). He won as many Olympic golds and Davis Cups each as he did 1000s.

On Thursday, Wawrinka was roared on by a crowd so partisan that he might have been an Aussie. Wawrinka responded in kind, asking them for more noise, and jumping around the service line before receiving, feeding off their energy. “Who’s the man? Stan’s the man!” the crowd chanted, even when it seemed as though Wawrinka was heading for defeat, like when he lost the third set.

Wawrinka responded to that setback by breaking immediately, helped by a backhand crosscourt winner — which has always been a big hit with tennis crowds. His heart-on-his-sleeve emotion was also on full display here, including a beating of the chest when he saved break points to hold for 4-3 in the final set. Wawrinka then missed four break points in the next game after the crowd had been on their feet during the change of ends, roaring their encouragement.

“It’s a feeling that’s tough to describe,” Wawrinka said of the experience in a news conference. “But it’s the reason why at 40 I’m still pushing myself, pushing the limit, practicing hard the off-season, it’s to live those moments.

“Playing with this amazing atmosphere and support, it really give me a lot of energy on the court to keep staying positive, to keep fighting, to keep pushing myself.”

A part of the reason Wawrinka has connected with crowds has been his relatability. He wasn’t in the same otherworldly physical shape as the Big Three, and he’s always been personable — approachable on social media and more of a regular guy than most elite athletes: even admitting to having a drink or two the night before beating Djokovic in the 2015 French Open final.

But there was nothing relatable about Thursday’s heroics, underlined by how much Géa, 21, was struggling physically, and the fact Wawrinka revealed afterwards that he started to cramp towards the end. Mentally too, the calm Wawrinka showed to control a volley, after being on the end of another unfortunate net cord and move up to 6-3 in the final set tiebreak, was the mindset of a champion. There was some good fortune too on the next point, when a hopeful lob into the air somehow dropped in for a winner. A couple of points later, Wawrinka had six match points; he only needed one.

The Kia Arena rose as one, and Wawrinka, who said after winning his first-round match that he was still playing because of the fans, beat his chest.

He will face American No. 9 seed Taylor Fritz in the third round Saturday, after Fritz beat Czechia’s Vit Kopřiva 6-1, 6-4, 7-6(4).

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