Stan Wawrinka overcame a lot more than a wounded Rafael Nadal en route to the Australian Open title Rafael Nadal of Spain looks on as Stanislas Wawrinka holds the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after winning their men's singles final. STANISLAS Wawrinka did not just beat a wounded Rafael Nadal in a sometimes tumultuous, inevitably eerie Australian Open final. He beat the history of modern tennis. That, not the crippled Nadal's anguished expressions, is what should be recalled. We should remember Wawrinka's ferocious strokes and endearing intensity, not his opponent's obvious distress. THE LOSER: Rafa loss writes its own script We should remember Wawrinka became the first player other than Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray to win a grand slam final since 2009, when Juan Martin Del Potro won the US Open. And that Federer, Nadal and Djokovic won the 18 slams before that. Stanislas Wawrinka kisses the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup after winning his men's final match against Rafael Nadal. In this golden era there are no gimme slams. This was a victory achieved, not donated. In this match, and six others, Wawrinka displayed the qualities of the grand slam champion he became. Most honourably Wawrinka found the nerve to make the kill. Because like the wounded bull he was, Nadal would not submit. He bravely defied the pain and made the Swiss think hard - almost too hard - if he belonged on the top shelf. Some will attach an asterisk to Wawrinka's victory. They will recall Nadal patting the ball into play from the service line, unable to arch his aching back. They will recall the tears of frustration that filled the Spaniard's eyes during changes of ends. They will feel guilty they jeered Nadal as he returned to the court after a six minute treatment time-out in the second set. After all, unlike Nadal's first round opponent Bernard Tomic, the Spaniard's incredible feats of endurance demanded the benefit of the doubt for the world No. When the extent of the injury was apparent you could not help feel sympathy for Nadal as he pushed on through the pain. Lying face down on the court receiving massages that would do little to alleviate his pain while the painkillers kicked in. Testing Wawrinka's nerve by flailing away and, against the odds, taking the third set to push his opponent. A trainer works on the back of Rafael Nadal of Spain. Yet, despite the strange hush that settled over the crowd, anyone who saw the final - and the tournament - will tell you the right name was etched on the trophy. Warwinka won this Australian Open on the court, not in the medical room. Grand slam tournaments are, after all, feats of endurance. Wawrinka survived searing heat, a brutal draw and still had enough petrol in the tank to reach the line. In that context, Wawrinka won this title when he held his nerve in the fifth enervating set of the quarter-final against Novak Djokovic. That night Wawrinka conquered both his most dangerous opponent and his self-doubts. That confidence was evident in the first set of the final. In the way Wawrinka dominated the exchanges even before Nadal clutched his back early in the second set. It was not a start you could have anticipated given the respective records. The grand slam final rookie Warwinka assured and aggressive, Nadal tentative and waiting for errors that did not come. From Wawrinka we saw the tenacity that had taken him into the top 10, not the raw nerves of a man thinking this might be his first and last chance at a slam. It was only with Wawrinka serving at 5-3 in the first that Nadal realised he would need to find top gear to overtake a player he had only ever seen in the rear view mirror. But he failed to capitalise on any of three break points and, against all expectation, the set was gone. Stanislas Wawrinka of Switzerland poses with the trophy after defeating Rafael Nadal. Winning a first ever set against Nadal emboldened Wawrinka who had been like a pole vaulter in this tournament, exceeding his personal best in each match then setting the bar to dizzying new heights. For Nadal, the effort required to tame Warwinka would take a heavy toll as he writhed in anguish. Then, with Nadal seemingly on the point of surrender, another twist. Wawrinka struggling with sudden self-doubts as Nadal's back loosened. So a final question in Wawrinka's head: "Do I belong on this list, with these modern-day greats?" After an anguished mental debate, Wawrinka's mind finally told him he did belong. So did the scoreboard. That, not Nadal's injury, is what we should remember.