Last Setback of Australian Open: Wawrinka beats Nadal

Wawrinka beats Nadal to claim his maiden Grand Slam title

This year, Australian Open has been a competition of setbacks. As the days went by, top seeded players like Djokovic, Murray, Federer, Hewitt and Serena Williams, Sharapova, Azarenka, Ivanovic kept getting ousted from he race.

But the greatest setback was to come today when eighth seeded Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka beat world no.1 and 13 Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal in a very uncompetitive match by  6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 and claimed his maiden grand slam. It was also his first Grand Slam title final.

Nadal (R) with the Australian Open winner Wawrinka and 14-times Grand Slam winner Pete Sampras pose during the prize ceremony at the Australian Open 2014 tennis tournament in Melbourne January 26, 2014. (REUTERS)

Nadal wasn't himself today right from the outset - his blistered hand deterred him to play the game everyone wanted him to. And so he lost the match with just one set to his credit. 

The 28-year-old becomes only the second Swiss man to win a Grand Slam singles title after 17-time champion Roger Federer. Wawrinka is also the first player in two decades to beat the world number one and two in a Grand Slam tournament and will move up to third in the world rankings from eighth. He also has the 'honour' of being the first to beat Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal in a Grand Slam tournament.

Pete Sampras was there at the Rod Laver Arena to see his record of 14-Grand Slams being equalled for the second time - it was Federer who surpassed his record and continued to collect Grand Slams to a figure of 17. But it was unfortunate to see Nadal losing the opportunity right at the start of the new year.

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Radwanska knocks out Defending Champion Azarenka from Australian Open

Just like Wawrinka ousted defending champion Djokovic from the fourth round and sailed into the semis, another stunning setback came hours from now when women singles two-times defending champion 2nd ranked Victoria Azarenka suffered defeat at the hands of 5th ranked Agnieszka Radwanska from Poland and lost the race for the championship.

Right from outset, Radwanska was aggressive and determined to ease past the 'screaming queen' and won the first set 6-1. Although, Azarenka recovered and rebounded to win the second set 7-5, she simply could not get win a single game in the third set and lost 1-6, 7-5, 0-6.

The win takes Radwanska to her first Australian Open semi-final at the expense of the two-times defending champion. She plays Dominika Cibulkova from Slovakia in the semi final.

Azarenka's defeat brings an end to her 18-match winning run at Melbourne Park dating back to 2012 - which means the top three seeds are out of the women's draw after Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova were beaten earlier in the tournament.

In the other quarter finals matches, another set back came when 30th ranked E. Bouchard from Canada beat 14th ranked Ana Ivanovic 5-7, 7-5, 6-2. Although, Ivanovic was instrumental in the osuted of world no.1 Serena Williams, she could not cash on her golden opportunity to move on at least to the semis.

4th ranked Chinese Na Li is still on course and beat Italian F. Pennetta 6-2, 6-2 to reach the semis. She now meets E. Bouchard from Canada in the semi final.

Meanwhile, 20th ranked Dominika Cibulkova (Slovakia) beat 11th ranked Simona Halep (Romania) 6-3 6-0. She plays Radwanska in the semi final.

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100th ranked Czech Lukas Rosol ousts Nadal from Wimbledon Race

The biggest setback of the ongoing Wimbledon tournament came Thursday night when the seven times Roland Garros winner world no.2 Rafael Nadal lost to 100th ranked Czech Lukas Rosol in the second round of the tournament.

The biggest Wimbledon 2012 setback: 100th ranked Czech [above] beat world no.2 Rafa [below]

It seemed that the Czech had his batteries fully charged. While Nadal did rob him of the first and fourth set, the Czech had his goalposts clearly marked - to oust the Spaniard from Wimbledon.

Having lost the firts and fourth set 6-7(9) and 2-6, he won the second, third and fifth sets seemingly with much ease and won the match 6-7(9) 6-4 6-4 2-6 6-4.

Nadal must be awe stricken over his defeat at the hands of a 100th ranked player - perhaps green grass is not homely for the clay master. Nadal who was looking forward to the finals, must be under great shock for having been ousted in just the second round.

There has been no other set back Thursday as almost everyone who mattered won their second round matches:

Andy Murray (GBR) def. Ivo Karlovic (CRO) 7-5 6-7 (5) 6-2 7-6 (7)

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA) def. Guillermo Garcia-Lopez (ESP) 6-7 (3) 6-4 6-1 6-3

David Ferrer (ESP) def. [Q] Kenny De Schepper (FRA) 7-6 (1) 6-2 6-4

Juan Martin Del Potro (ARG) def. Go Soeda (JPN) 6-2 6-3 1-6 6-4

Andy Roddick (USA) def. Bjorn Phau (GER) 6-3 7-6 6-3 

So its good bye to Nadal from Wimbledon - but here I must quote Boris Becker who once said when losing:

“I didn’t start a war. Nobody died. I only lost a tennis match, nothing more."