Stan Wawrinka had all sorts of leads against Andy Murray at the French Open but ultimately had to rally in a bruising five sets to reach a second final at Roland Garros.
No doubt the Swiss won’t mind how he got there though and perhaps the manner of Friday’s victory in yet more blustery conditions — Wawrinka prevailed over the world No. 1 6-7 (6-8) 6-3 5-7 7-6 (7-3) 6-1 in more than four-and-a-half hours — made it all the sweeter.
The 2015 champion struck a staggering 87 winners — on the clay and against one of the game’s elite defenders.
Given his resilience, it is hard to believe that Wawrinka is 32. Even with advances in fitness, recovery and diet, that age is still closer to the end of a career than beginning.
In earning a meeting with nine-time winner Rafael Nadal or Dominic Thiem in Paris on Sunday, the third seed became the oldest French Open men’s finalist since 1973.
Nadal or Thiem certainly won’t be taking Wawrinka lightly: He is a perfect 3-0 in grand slam finals, topping Nadal to open his account in Melbourne in 2014.
Unusually for Wawrinka at a grand slam, he entered the semifinal in almost perfect form, not dropping a set. The same couldn’t be said of 2016 finalist Murray, who also dealt with illness on the eve of the tournament and had struggled overall to back up his remarkable play the last seven months of 2016.
“I’m proud of the tournament I had,” Murray told reporters. “I did well considering. You know, I was one tiebreak away from getting to the final when I came in really struggling.
“So I have to be proud of that.”
It is likely that Wawrinka’s freshness contributed to his stunning comeback.
No nightmare for Wawrinka
Wawrinka would have suffered from a ‘cauchemar’ — the French word for ‘nightmare’ — or two had he not triumphed.
He led 5-3 in the first — with a set point on his own serve in the tiebreak — and 4-2 in the third. Indeed he might have left the court as a straight-set winner.
The fourth set however is the one Murray will rue.
Despite holding a 15-30 lead three straight times on the Wawrinka serve, he failed to break through.
After Wawrinka won the fourth-set tiebreak, Murray waned, trailing 4-0 in the fifth in about 20 minutes.
“Maybe the lack of matches hurt me a little bit in the end today,” Murray said. “That was a very high intensity match. A lot of long points.
“When you haven’t been playing loads, over four, four-and-a-half hours, that can catch up to you a little bit. So I only have myself to blame for that, for the way I played coming into the tournament.”
Wawrinka’s attacking game overcame the brilliant defense and variety of Murray, who countered all the aggression with — among other things — deft drop shots, excellent retrieving and fine defensive lobs.
While Wawrinka finished with 10 more winners than unforced errors, Murray replied with 36 winners and 36 unforced errors.
Not bad numbers at all but the man dubbed the ‘Stanimal’ was fractionally better.