Stanislas Wawrinka was, in his first major final at the Australian Open, facing world No. 1 Rafael Nadal -- who he had never even taken a set off in 12 previous matches.
Nadal looked sharp in disposing of Roger Federer in the semifinals and not many thought he wouldn't complete the deal against the 17-time grand slam winner's fellow Swiss, even if Wawrinka upset three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals.
But not for the first time in Melbourne, an injury to Nadal early in an encounter hampered the Spaniard and Wawrinka opened his grand slam account with a stunning 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory.
Wawrinka told "It's quite crazy what's happening right now," the 28-year-old told reporters later. "I never expected to win a grand slam. I never dreamed about that because for me, I was not good enough to beat those guys."
"Bad luck was against me today but you really deserved it so congratulations," Nadal, wiping away tears, told the crowd post match in a scene reminiscent of Federer's runner-up speech in 2009. "Sorry to finish this way. I tried very, very hard."
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