Wawrinka defeats injured Nadal, wins Australian Open

Stanislas Wawrinka held off an injured Rafael Nadal to win his first Grand Slam title with a 6—3, 6—2, 3—6, 6—3 victory on Sunday in the Australian Open final.

The 28-year-old Swiss player had never taken a set off Nadal in 12 previous meetings, but dominated from the start at Melbourne Park.

Nadal appeared to be on the verge of retiring in the second set, when he hurt his back and needed a medical time out.

Nadal has had a terrible stretch with injuries at the Australian Open, and has described it as his unluckiest Grand Slam. He missed the 2013 edition during a seven-month layoff with knee injuries and illness, and his quarterfinal losses in 2010 and 2011 were affected by injuries.

Stanislas Wawrinka held off an injured Rafael Nadal to win his first Grand Slam title with a 6—3, 6—2, 3—6, 6—3 victory on Sunday in the Australian Open final.

The 28-year-old Swiss player had never taken a set off Nadal in 12 previous meetings, but dominated from the start at Melbourne Park.

Nadal appeared to be on the verge of retiring in the second set, when he hurt his back and needed a medical time out.

Nadal has had a terrible stretch with injuries at the Australian Open, and has described it as his unluckiest Grand Slam. He missed the 2013 edition during a seven-month layoff with knee injuries and illness, and his quarterfinal losses in 2010 and 2011 were affected by injuries.