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Stan Wawrinka under best-of-three
The purest five-set warrior — for better and worse
3actual titles
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2under best-of-three
-1
Stan Wawrinka is best-of-three's most fascinating case study: a player who both lived and died by the extra sets more than almost anyone. He won famous five-setters; he also lost from two sets up.
The verdict
Across 3 actual major titles, best-of-three would leave Stan Wawrinka with 2. 1 would slip away — knocked out before the final, with the title simply vanishing (no re-bracketing means nobody else is crowned).
Every title, year by year
142014 Australian OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
152015 French OpenTitle held — survives best-of-three.Kept
162016 US OpenKnocked out in the Round of 32 by Daniel Evans (4-6 6-3 6-7(6) 7-6(8) 6-2) — the title vanishes.Lost
Take away the marathon and you take away the very thing that made Wawrinka a three-time major champion — and, occasionally, hand him back a match he'd let slip.