India, Jan. 23 -- Not all swansong seasons in tennis have to be about flowing tributes, moving speeches and glowing flashback montages.

Sometimes they can simply be about what the player represents: a battle-hardened warrior still up for an unwavering fight over a farewell wave.

Three hours, 11 minutes and two sets to one down into his Australian Open second-round slugfest with a Frenchman nearly half his age, 40-year-old Stan Wawrinka had a set point to stay afloat. Arthur Gea's serve down the T was met with a chipped return, which Gea smacked for an inside-out forehand.

Deep behind the baseline, Wawrinka sprung a few steps to his left, bent both his burdened knees from over 20 years of the pro grind, and unleashed a single-handed bac...