It was not the Novak Djokovic versus Andy Murray semifinal showdown that most had predicted.  Stanislas Wawrinka spoiled that when he thrashed Murray, the defending champion, in three routine sets in the prior round.  But despite the fact that it was Wawrinka and not Murray that would be battling Djokovic for a spot in the US Open final, most would agree that it still had all of the ingredients to turn into a real thriller of a match.  And, sure enough, it did.

That is because irrespective of his 2-12 win-loss record against Djokovic, there was plenty of reason to believe that Wawrinka could not only make this an interesting contest, but might actually come out the winner.  His form coming into his first major semifinal was outstanding.  He had beaten fellow top-10 players Tomas Berdych and Murray to reach this round.  Perhaps more importantly, Wawrinka had already shown himself capable of pushing Djokovic the distance.  The two had played earlier this year in Australia in what is easily one of the top candidates for match of the year.  The Swiss blew Djokovic off the court in the opening set 6-1 and did not bow out until he had extended the world No. 1 to 12-10 in the fifth set.  Assuming that Wawrinka did not let the occasion of playing for a spot in his first major singles final get to him, there was no reason to believe he could not produce that same kind of magic again.

There also had to be some question as to how Djokovic would perform in this semifinal.  It might sound odd given that he has won a major and a Masters 1000 title this season, but 2013 has been a somewhat frustrating and disappointing year for the Serb.  He has put himself in positions to win the sport’s marquee titles by frequently reaching the semifinals or better, only to fall short in the end.  These types of losses, when the grand prize is so tantalizingly within reach, can be more devastating than falling in the earlier rounds.  They can also have a hangover effect.  So now, once again, here was Djokovic within striking distance of securing yet another major title.  On paper, he also had the added benefit of playing Wawrinka, not Murray, to advance to the final, but how would he handle matters?

In the early stages of the first set, it appeared that the answer would be “not well.”  After both players traded easy holds, the proverbial wheels came off of Djokovic’s game.  The unforced errors came in bunches, and his serve, so much improved the last couple of years, deserted him.  The Serb won only one of nine second-serve points and did little to help his cause by committing four costly double faults.  Nerves were definitely wreaking havoc on his game, but the bulk of the credit has to go to what the man on the other side of the net was doing.  Wawrinka was the one playing like he had been in this situation many a time before.  Much as he did against Murray, he continued to get it done from everywhere on the court.  The Swiss hit ten winners to just six unforced errors and both outmaneuvered and outhit Djokovic to take the first set 6-2 in stunning fashion. 

Djokovic was unlikely to be too deterred as the second set got underway, however.  After all, he had won only one game in the opening set of their epic encounter down in Australia and still came out the winner.  Through the first four games of the set, it certainly looked like he had reined in his game.  Djokovic was the one holding more easily while Wawrinka was forced to stave off break points.  But break points mean little if you cannot convert them, and it was Wawrinka yet again who drew first blood to go up 3-2.  After a coaching violation for Djokovic and some more stellar play from Wawrinka, the Swiss extended his lead to 4-2. 

A few wry smiles then crossed the face of Djokovic, but he wisely kept his wits about him to hold and stay within striking distance.  His resolve paid off.  The Swiss blinked to get broken and saw things leveled at 4-4.  From there on, both men played some of the best tennis of the match to that point to bring it to a tiebreak.  It is safe to say that this time it was Wawrinka who was feeling the pressure of the moment.  He threw in a double fault to give Djokovic a 4-2 lead, which was all the Serb needed to take the tiebreak and level the match at one set all.

As the third set got started, you had to wonder if Wawrinka would begin to crumble.  Thoughts of Melbourne, where he had gone up a set and a break only to see things leveled at one-set-all, might have gone through his mind.  If they did, he refused to let them have any impact on his game.  He emerged with a hold in a tight opening game and continued to trade holds with his more accomplished opponent to lead 4-3.  He then seemingly out of nowhere stepped it up a notch to break Djokovic at love and gain a decisive 5-3 lead.  Wawrinka followed that up by managing his nerves and a brief surge from the Serb to hang onto his serve and take the third set.

Unfortunately for him, he failed miserably at carrying any momentum into the fourth set. Wawrinka double-faulted on break point to fall into a quick 2-0 hole.  Frustration also began to rear its ugly head, and he actually received a point penalty in the third game.  Things grew even more worrisome for the Swiss when an awkward fall forced him to take a medical timeout down 1-4.  After he returned from the medical timeout, he littered up the stat sheet in a valiant effort to get back in the set, but it was in vain.  Djokovic held firm to ensure his lone break stood up and saw him through the fourth set and onto a deciding fifth.

The fifth set got off to a flying start with little to choose between the two men.  In a marathon third game that lasted as long as some sets, Wawrinka fought off five break points to hold serve to edge out in front 2-1.  Djokovic did not allow the disappointment of losing such a momentous game impact his own level of play, however.  He came out after the changeover to hold serve comfortably and then went back to work on Wawrinka’s serve.  This time around he was able to cash in on the third break point of the game to go up 3-2.  To Wawrinka’s credit, he did not go away after falling behind what proved to be the definitive break in that final set.  He fought tooth-and-nail and made Djokovic serve for it at 5-4, which Djokovic admirably did to seal the match and earn a spot in a fourth straight US Open final.

There was much to take away from this match for both men.  Wawrinka put in more than a respectable and valiant performance.  Undoubtedly this loss will sting, but when he has had a few days to recover, he will hopefully appreciate all of the positives that came from this tournament.  With any luck, it will give him the confidence and the belief to continue to play this brand of tennis week-in and week-out.  If he can, there is no reason why we should not expect to see him at the business end of the sport’s biggest events on a regular basis.

Djokovic walked off the court today the victor.  How he recovers from this five-set semifinal to prepare for the final, however, is questionable.  He was in a similar situation a year ago in Australia and most recently a few months ago at Wimbledon.  He proved resilient in Australia but flat at Wimbledon.  Naturally, he will be hoping to prove resilient once again.  He will also need to clean up his game before Monday’s final.  One thing that he will not need to work on, though, is his gutsy willingness to grind out a win regardless of how the match is unfolding.  That was on full display today, and he will bring that trademark grit again in his effort to win a second US Open crown.