NEW YORK -- Five minutes before Stan Wawrinka walked out onto Arthur Ashe stadium to meet top-ranked Novak Djokovic on Sunday in the US Open mens final, the Swiss star nearly had a breakdown.I was shaking in the locker [room], Wawrinka reported, adding that as he reviewed last-minute details with his coach, Magnus Norman. I start to cry. I was completely shaking.It wasnt fear Wawrinka felt, nor was it pressure, as we commonly know it. It was more like a physical reaction to his hunger and determination not to let this Grand Slam opportunity slip away. And in that sense, it was a good thing. A very good thing.[It happened] because I dont want to lose the final in a Grand Slam, that simple, Wawrinka said. Thats the only reason. This morning, it started to be there, the feeling of, You dont want to lose. So close, so far. So maybe its the reason why I was feeling so nervous.Fueled by resolve, Wawrinka went out and traded warp-speed forehands and backhands with Djokovic for 3 hours, 55 minutes, often under nerve-wracking conditions at deuce and break point. Against most players, that set of circumstances almost always results with an exultant Djokovic.Not on Sunday evening in Queens. For the second time in a major final, Wawrinka demonstrated he had superior firepower and more durable nerves than Djokovic, as he stripped Djokovic of his title 6-7 (1), 6-4, 7-5, 6-3.The beaten finalist said it accurately when he paid public tribute to the 31-year-old Swiss No. 3 seed immediately after the match with a marvelous, concise summary: Congrats to Stan. He was more courageous in the decisive moments.The words were anything but symbolic. After the match, Djokovic rued his terrible success rate on those critical break points. He converted just 3-of-17, while Wawrinka capitalized on 6-of-10. As Djokovic added, In matches like this, if you dont use the opportunities, the other guy comes and takes it. He stepped in and played aggressive, where I was kind of more waiting for things to happen. And thats it.Never has Stan been more The Man than on Sunday afternoon. His tournament had been a brutal march through long matches in stifling heat and perilous pairings. He played five completed matches. (Wawrinka survived a match-point in his third-round clash with?Daniel Evans.) Djokovic, by contrast, had played just three completed?matches.Today, I was trying to stay with him, Wawrinka admitted of playing Djokovic. I was trying to be tough with myself. Trying not to show anything. Not to show any pain. Not to show any cramp. Not to show anything. I was suffering on the court, but Im happy and proud with what I have achieved today.Wawrinka is known as the Stanimal, a nickname bestowed on him in honor of his muscular build and the sheer weight of his shot. When his groundstrokes hit the court, you can feel it in your molars. His serve is a heavy cannon, and while his movement isnt always smooth, hes deceptively quick.Wawrinka, now 31, is routinely underestimated because he lacks the day-in, day-out capacity to dazzle in the manner of Swiss fellow countryman Roger Federer or Djokovic. Strength -- rather than artistry, athleticism or fiery temperament -- is Wawrinkas strong suit.Thats not only rare in a world-class player, it also doesnt always have immediate eye appeal. Wawrinka is moody, and when hes not feeling inspired, his game pops rivets and screws, and it bursts apart.These shortcomings all shed light on why Wawrinka is sometimes different from the elite cadre known as the Big Four. But even before Wawrinka won, Djokovic described him as a big-match player.And small wonder: Going into this final, Wawrinka was 10-0 in his most recent finals, which includes his stunning upset of Djokovic in the 2015 French Open final, as well as his triumph against Rafael Nadal in his first major final at the Australian Open.Wawrinka now has as many Grand Slam titles as Andy Murray?at three. Wawrinka also accomplished something Federer never has: He has beaten Djokovic in two Grand Slam finals and did so in the period of Djokovics most fluent mastery.Wawrinka said hes thrilled with his career but knows he hasnt won enough important titles or been to nearly as many major semifinals and finals. As for any aspirations to the No. 1 ranking, he sounded a similar theme.My best ranking was No. 3 in the world, Wawrinka said. Its simple. Im way too far to even think about being No. 1. Im winning four tournaments a year. Im really happy with that. Four tournaments, one Grand Slam. Its amazing. Its huge. Its big. But Im way too far to be No. 1.Still, Wawrinkas win could be a game-changer in mens tennis. He is nothing less than overpowering. We now know that his ability to produce his best tennis on a critical occasion isnt sheer luck but a previously unmined aspect of his psyche.As Djokovic said, He just steps in. He loves to play in the big matches. He comes up with his best game.Federer will be back in yoke and fresh for 2017, but hell be 35 years old and coming out of extensive rehabilitation on a damaged knee. It looks more and more like Nadal has lost some vital component of his competitors makeup, perhaps permanently.Murray had a terrific 2016, but he has never been as consistent as the other three members of the Big Four. Djokovic won two majors this year and completed a career Grand Slam. But that aura of invulnerability was tarnished over the course of the summer, and now Wawrinka put a significant dent in it.Wawrinka keeps insisting he doesnt belong among the elite Big Four, but Djokovic understands that all bets are off on that one.He deserves to be in the mix, no doubt about it, the world No. 1 said. Stan won three Grand Slams now, three different ones, and Olympic medal. [Hes] been around for so many years, and he plays best in the big matches. I mean, he definitely deserves to be mentioned in the mix of top players. Julio Urias Jersey . According to a report from the Vancouver Province, the Lions are expected to replace former DC Rich Stubler with defensive backs coach Mark Washington. Kirk Gibson Jersey . -- Canadian Andrew Wiggins got the ball on the wing, made a nifty spin move and then let go with a soft floater from about 10 feet that swished through the net in Allen Fieldhouse. http://www.authenticdodgersgear.com/dodgers-matt-kemp-jersey/ . "Trying to breathe," he said with a grin. Bernier stopped 42 of 43 shots on Monday night, including all 22 in a hectic middle frame, his heroic performance propelling the Leafs toward an undue point in their final game before the Christmas break. Clayton Kershaw Jersey .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Jackie Robinson Jersey . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Albert Pujols isnt ready to wrap up his second season with the Los Angeles Angels. The $240 million first baseman said Thursday he wants to return from his partially torn plantar fascia when healthy, no matter where his struggling club sits in the standings. Although any chance of a return is still a few weeks off, Pujols is encouraged by the absence of pain in his left foot since he went on the disabled list Sunday. "Its still a long way until the season is done, so I dont want to say that Im done for the season," Pujols said while standing in the tunnel outside the clubhouse at Angel Stadium, his left foot in a walking boot. The Angels have determined Pujols wont need surgery on his foot, which has bothered him all season. The three-time NL MVP partially tore those sore muscle fibers last weekend after running out a single in Oakland. Many assumed the sluggers season was finished with the Angels mired in their second disappointing season since the longtime St. Louis star joined the roster. Pujols could use the extra two months of off-season to rest his foot for spring training, when hell be 34 years old with eight seasons left on the third-largest contract in baseball history. Not so, Pujols claims. Although hell be in a walking boot for another three weeks, he hopes to return when cleared. "Stuff like this, youve just got to rest it, and hopefully it gets better," Pujols said. "I know its going to get better, because over the weekend I was feeling good. And pain-wise, to tell you the truth, from a scale of zero to 10, its probably about 1. I was playing at 7 or 8 in the season, so its really something thats just going to take some time, and Im just going to see how it feels every day." Pujols said he wants to return for the final weeks even if the season is essentially over for the Angels (48-58). Los Angeles has lost six straight to fall 14 games out of first place in the AL West, its playoff hopes already flickering with two months left in the season.dddddddddddd "I get paid to play this game," Pujols said. "I was already playing (at) 45 per cent (effectiveness) this year. Even if I feel 55 per cent that I can come back and play, Im going to be out there and playing, because I love this game and I grew up playing this game, and Im going to do the best I can to help this organization win." The Angels, 11 games out of the final AL playoff spot, opened a seven-game homestand against Toronto and Texas on Thursday night. Angels manager Mike Scioscia could use Pujols bat in the lineup, but hes more cautious about the possibility of seeing Pujols in uniform again this season. "Right now, its a significant injury that Albert has," Scioscia said. "How fast it heals or how it happens is not in anybodys hands. Weve just got to evaluate it and see where it is, but I know when Albert feels he can play baseball, he wants to play baseball. Obviously, its too far down the road to really even contemplate." Pujols injury forced him to start at designated hitter in 65 of his 99 games this season. Hes batting .258 with 17 homers and 64 RBIs, likely meaning hell finish with fewer than 30 homers for the first time in his 13-season major league career. Pujols has never played in fewer than 143 games in a major league season, but the slugger with 492 career homers still hopes to add a few more in the final weeks, even if the Angels are headed to their fourth straight year out of the playoffs. "Theres no doubt he was at times struggling with some of the basics you need to hit (and) play the field," Scioscia said. "We took him off the field just to keep him comfortable in the batters box. We can see it, we can estimate, but Albert felt it every day. In the batters box, we could tell he was hurting." Wholesale Hoodies NFL Shirts Outlet Jerseys NFL Wholesale Cheap NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Wholesale Jerseys Cheap Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '