Stanislas Wawrinka has won the Australian Open men’s singles title by beating Rafael Nadal 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 in the final in Melbourne.

Stanislas Wawrinka defeated an injured Rafael Nadal in a dramatic Australian Open final to win his first grand slam title.

Wawrinka was a huge underdog having never won a set in 12 previous matches against Nadal, but he played superbly to break that sequence and was in control of the second when the world number one suffered a back injury.

Remarkably Nadal managed to win the third set but Wawrinka eventually got his focus back in the fourth to clinch a 6-3 6-2 3-6 6-3 victory.

Wawrinka won his first ever set against Rafael Nadal to take an early lead in the Australian Open final.

World number one Nadal had won all their previous 12 matches in straight sets but it was first-time grand slam finalist Wawrinka who clinched the opener 6-3.

The hope for the 28-year-old Swiss was that three of their last four sets had been decided by close tie-breaks, and he has never played better tennis than these two weeks.

He ended a 14-match losing run against three-time defending champion Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals and finally believes he belongs at the top of the game.

Nadal had looked supreme in defeating Wawrinka’s countryman Roger Federer on Friday but the soon-to-be Swiss number one has the power to match the world number one.

It had taken Federer until the third set to create break points but Wawrinka did so in only Nadal’s second service game, and took the first with a fine forehand.

All the pressure was on Nadal, and he looked like he was feeling it, dropping the ball far too short and inviting attack from his opponent.

And Wawrinka was attacking at every opportunity, a superb backhand down the line showing Nadal that the high forehands that had so nullified Federer would not have the same effect.

Nadal had to fight off another break point to hold for 2-4, and he transferred some pressure onto his opponent by forcing him to serve it out.

Nadal sensed his moment and missed first serves cost Wawrinka as he dropped to 0-40.

But the Spaniard did not make another return and an ace from Wawrinka gave him the set.