Early morning stunner

Posted by BESS: So Baghdatis is out. Tipsarevic is out. Del Potro (my pick to win it all) is out. It seems my favorites on the men's side are dropping like flies.

Two people decidedly not dropping like flies?  Djokovic and Wawrinka.

I woke up at 6 a.m. this morning to find quite a match going on. It was the beginning of the fourth set, Djokovic up 2 sets to 1 and a battle ensuing for the fourth set. The match ended up running another 2+ hours... until it ended with Djokovic winning 12-10 in the fifth.  A match full of intense points, tension galore and the previously unheard of (for me) hope that Wawrinka might end Djokovic's Aussie Open run before the quarterfinals. (C'moooooooon, Stan!)

As you may recall, I'm not a Djokovic fan. And while I have been rather "meh" about Wawrinka overall, I have been impressed with him in the past. I tend to put him in the Ferrer camp--two athletes making perhaps more than the most of their talents in an era that relentlessly rewards only the giants of the sport.  But while Ferrer has established himself as a legitimate threat to the top men, Wawrinka doesn't tend to get that serious a consideration when the draw comes out.  My thought process is--he'll do well until he runs into a top 10 player.

He certainly proved me wrong today. What a gutsy performance. Another 5+ hour epic for Djokovic, but this time I really felt like he didn't have enough to pull it off. I was rooting for and truly believing in Stan's ability to stun the tennis world. Time and again Stan had the answers and Djokovic couldn't summon a response. 

In the end, it really was anyone's game. They were both fatigued and playing to survive. Stan had his chances, and finally Djokovic got his.  On his third match point opportunity (after Stan declined to challenge a call he clearly should have), Djok went for broke, and the match was over.  Devastating for Wawrinka. And for me.

How is it that Djokovic keeps ending up on the winning end of these matches? Last year's final with Nadal left me in tears. The six-hour unfairness of it all! The futile rooting on behalf of my fave! The obnoxious winner ripping off his shirt in celebration!

I wasn't in tears this morning, but it was not my ideal way to start the day... rooting intensely for someone who comes up *just* *this* short.  Ugh! 

And seriously. Again with the ripping off of the shirt, Djokovic?

No.
Stop that.
Just stop it.

Stan played with racquets that read "Stan" and shoes that read "The man." He was all that and more today. And he should have won. Gosh darnit.

My only hope is that the Djoker is unable to bounce back in time for his next round opponent--the well-rested and always dangerous Tomas Berdych.

Although it's a battle of two of my least favorite players, so there really will be no winner in my book.

Can they both lose? Let's work on that.