Wawrinka Wins First US Open

He remembers 9/11 victims in victory speech
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Sep 12, 2016 12:05 AM CDT
Wawrinka Wins 1st US Open
Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic, left, and Bethanie Mattek-Sands of the US hold the championship trophy after beating Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic of France.   (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

Stan Wawrinka wore Novak Djokovic down and beat the defending champion 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 on Sunday for his first US Open title and third Grand Slam trophy overall. The 31-year-old Wawrinka is the oldest US Open men's champion since Ken Rosewall was 35 in 1970, the AP reports. Yet the Swiss man already had gained the upper hand by the time No. 1 Djokovic clutched at his left leg and grimaced after missing a forehand while getting broken early in the fourth set. From there, Djokovic briefly began conceding points, showing little of the fight he's so famous for, and received treatment on both feet from a trainer.

The No. 3-seeded Wawrinka has won only five of 24 career meetings against No. 1 Djokovic, but he has now beaten the 12-time major champion on the way to each of his own Grand Slam titles, including in the 2014 Australian Open quarterfinals and 2015 French Open final. Wawrinka took time out at the end of his victory speech to remember the victims of the 9/11 attacks. "It's been a big battle on the court ... four hours," Wawrinka told the crowd in Arthur Ashe Stadium. "But I just want to remember what happened 15 years ago." His statement followed that of American Bethanie Mattek-Sands, who won the women's doubles title with Lucie Safarova of the Czech Republic and appeared to choke up during her victory speech, telling the crowd, "It's a special day today here for everybody in New York." (More Stan Wawrinka stories.)

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