NEW YORK -- Stan Wawrinka is the first to acknowledge he hasnt always been the most consistent player -- or the strongest mentally. Thats why when he shows his mettle during a match he likes to point his right index finger to his temple.That signature gesture got a lot of use in the US Open final Sunday, when Wawrinka surprisingly managed to wear down Novak Djokovic and beat the defending champion 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3 for his first US Open title and third Grand Slam trophy overall.He was the better player. He was tougher mentally, said Djokovic, offering two of the highest compliments a tennis player can receive from the talented Serb ranked No. 1. He knew what to do. And I was just unlucky in some moments. And thats it.The 31-year-old Wawrinka is the oldest US Open mens champion since Ken Rosewall won in 1970 at age 35. Wawrinka entered Sunday having spent almost exactly twice as much time on court as Djokovic during the course of the tournament: about 18 hours versus about nine hours.I played quite a lot of tennis these two weeks. I am completely empty, said No. 3 Wawrinka, who noted during the trophy ceremony that Sunday was the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.The Swiss player said in his postmatch news conference that before the final he was really nervous like never before. I was shaking in the locker. When [coach Magnus Norman and I] start five minutes before the match talking ... I start to cry. I was completely shaking.Asked what he did to quell his nerves, Wawrinka replied with a smile: I had to put my s--- together. Sorry. Thats how I say it.By breaking in the final game of the second and third sets and saving 14 of 17 break points he faced, Wawrinka had gained the upper hand by the time Djokovic clutched at his left leg and grimaced after missing a forehand while being broken early in the fourth.Djokovic was granted the unusual chance to have a medical timeout at a time other than a changeover. He removed both shoes and socks so a trainer could help with toe blisters. Wawrinka complained about the six-minute break, and Djokovic looked over and apologized. Later, Djokovic started limping and received more treatment.We played almost four hours, said Djokovic, and I think I can speak in the name of Stan as well: We both felt it.Wawrinka appeared to share this sentiment.?As I said the other day, you have to accept to suffer and you have almost to enjoy to suffer, he said. Because I think this Grand Slam was the most painful, physically and mentally, Grand Slam that I ever played.Wawrinka has won only five of his 24 career meetings against Djokovic, but he now has beaten the 12-time major champion on the way to each of his Grand Slam titles, including in the 2014 Australian Open quarterfinals and 2015 French Open final.Before this matchup, Djokovic praised Wawrinka as a big-match player. He wasnt always, though. Playing in the shadow of his more accomplished Swiss countryman and good pal, Roger Federer, Wawrinka didnt reach the semifinals at a major until his 35th appearance -- at age 28.But look at Wawrinka now.He has won 11 tournament finals in a row.He is 3-0 in Grand Slam finals, beating the No. 1-ranked player each time. Take that trio of highest-stakes matches out of the equation and Wawrinka is 0-19 in all other matches against the top man.And he did it Sunday by coming back against Djokovic, whose French Open title in June completed a career Grand Slam and made him only the third man -- and first in almost a half-century -- to win four consecutive major tournaments.Djokovic had been 51-0 in US Open matches when taking the first set. This time, though, the thick-chested Wawrinka eventually began bullying Djokovic from the baseline, not only with his best-in-the-game one-handed backhand but also off both wings.He likes to occasionally whack the ball quite hard, and I dont think that Novak likes that, said Norman. Stan is maybe one of the few guys who can really hit through Novak if he has a good day.As Wawrinka placed one stinging shot after another right on a line, Djokovic looked up at coach Boris Becker while gesticulating with his hands and muttering. He went from appearing locked-in at the outset to completely drained in every way.I lost my nerves in the important moments. He kept his cool. I think thats what decided the match, Djokovic said. I guess sometimes it happens, even though you have the experience and know what to do. Just the heat of the moment and importance of the match, I guess, was too strong for me at certain periods of the match. Just if you lose your cool, the match can go away.On one point, Wawrinka delivered a shot so hard it knocked the racket from Djokovics grasp and against a wall behind the baseline.Then, after smacking a forehand winner to end a 20-stroke exchange, Wawrinka pointed to his temple. Two points later, the second set was his.After a forehand passing shot drew an errant volley for a break early in the third set, Wawrinka pointed to his temple.And so on.Wawrinka nearly was gone before the end of the US Opens first week, one point from losing in the third round against 64th-ranked Dan Evans. Sundays victory made Wawrinka the first man to win the tournament after saving a match point since -- thats right -- Djokovic in 2011.Youre a great champion, a great person. Because of you, I am where I am today, Wawrinka said. We know each other [for] many, many years, and I had the chance to practice many times with him and to play him on a big stage.With that, Djokovic threw his left arm around Wawrinkas shoulders, knowing he was more up to the task on this day.Winning two out of four Grand Slams is a pretty good year, and playing another final -- I have no complaints, Djokovic said. Obviously, I wish that I could win another title, but this is what it is. You have to shake hands and accept the loss from a better player and move on.Its not the first time, its not the last time Im going to lose a match. Big match, he continued. Hopefully I can learn from it. Hopefully I can get better, because thats the cycle of life, I guess, for us athletes.The Associated Press contributed to this report. Vans Old Skool Sale . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. Vans Old Skool White .C. -- Calgarys Kevin Koe did it the hard way again. http://www.vansshoesclearancesale.com/vans-old-skool-sale/black.html . Takahashi, who had a 10-point lead after the short program, received 268.31 points after the free skate to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Nobunari Oda. Vans Old Skool Clearance .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Vans Sk8-Hi Shoes For Sale . The incident occurred at 19:56 of the second period of the Kings 4-2 road win over Edmonton on Sunday. Nolan punched Oilers forward Jesse Joensuu in the jaw in front of the Kings goal during a scrum. Birmingham, Ala. --- A total of 52 Southeastern Conference cross country student-athletes earned All-Region honors, it was announced Monday by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).Twenty-four male runners and 28 female runners from the SEC claimed All-Region distinction by placing among the top 25 individual finishers at one of the nine regional sites across the country last week.The NCAA Championships take place Nov. 19 at the Wabash Valley Family Sports Center in Terre Haute, Ind. The womens race will begin at 11 a.m. ET, followed by the mens race at noon.The SEC teams participating include the Arkansas and Ole Miss men, and the Arkansas, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Missouri women.Participating mens individuals include Robbie Farnham-Rose (Alabama), Antibahs Kosgei (Alabama) and Jacob Thomson (Kentucky). Participating womens individuals include Veronica Eder (Auburn), Sara Tsai (Vanderbilt) and Katy Kune (Kentucky).2016 NCAA Division I Mens Cross Country All-Region Team (SEC Honorees) Robbie Farnham-Rose, Alabama Antibahs Kosgei, Alabama Conner Thompson, Alabama Jack Bruce, Arkansas Alex George, Arkansas Andrew Ronoh, Arkansas Aidan Swain, Arkansas Frankline Tonui, Arkansas Wesley Pectol, Auburn Carlos Miranda, Florida Bryan Kamau, Georgia Daniel Navarro, Georgia Austin Sprague, Georgia Sid Vaughn, Georgia Jacob Thomson, Kentucky Dajour Braxton, LSU Robert Domanic, Mississippi Craig Engels, Mississippi MJ Erb, Mississippi Wes Gallagher, Mississippi Sean Tobin, Mississippi Zach Long, Tennessee Christian Farris, Texas A&M Elliott Farris, Texas A&M2016 NCAA Division I Womens Cross Country All-Region Team (SEC Honorees) Sydney Brown, Arkansas Devin Clark, Arkansas Abby Gray, Arkansas Valerie Reina, Arkansas Carina Viljoen, Arkansas Regan Ward, Arkansas Taylor Werner, Arkansas Veronica Eder, Auburn Elisabeth Bergh, Florida Samantha Drop, Georgia Katy Kunc, Kentucky Caroline McCaslin, Kentucky Emily Bean, Mississippi Shelby Brown, Mississippi Mary Alex England, Mississippi Bo Ummels, Mississippi Britt Ummels, Mississippi Shannon Fair, Mississippi State Antonia Hehr, Mississippi State Mia Meydrich, Mississippi State Ffion Price, Mississippi State Rhianwedd Price, Mississippi State Teylar Adelsberger, Missouri Jamie Kempfer, Missouri Nicole Mello, Missouri Karissa Schweizer, Missouri Maddie Criscione, Vanderbilt Sara Tsai, Vanderbilt ' ' '
