TENNIS US OPEN – 3rd of September 2014. 3rd of September 2014. K. Nishikori d. S. Wawrinka 3-6, 7-5, 7-6, 6-7, 6-4. An interview with Stan Wawrinka
Q. You started pretty well in the beginning. What happened then?
STAN WAWRINKA: It was a good start, but — I was playing well, for sure, but he wasn’t really into the match yet at the beginning. I think what’s happen he start to play better. He start to be more aggressive. He start to try to took out the time I needed to play against him. Yeah, I wasn’t playing my best game, for sure. I had some up and down. I was quite not happy with myself, but I think also because he was playing good. I think even if I had a lot of chance, after the match like that for more than four hours with so many up and downs, with tiebreak, with everything, it’s tough to come back on every point. But, yeah, for sure I could have broken in the second set. I think I had one game with some big chance at 3-3 or something like that, and that could have changed completely the match. Was a little bit hesitating with my game more because he was playing better. More because he was putting a lot of pressure on me.
Q. Were you surprised he was physically all right after the match ended?
STAN WAWRINKA: Me? No, for sure he was quite good. He finish really late two days ago, but it’s one match out of the tournament. So normally after two days or a little bit less you’re there, you feel good, especially when you win. So I wasn’t surprised because I know how is he. From outside he looks really dead, but we know on the court he can play, and he play long like what he did today. If even at the beginning he looks like he’s going to die on the court, but he’s there. Physically he’s there. Even at the end of the match even. We were both quite tired in the fifth set. I try not to show. I still think that I was the fresher on the court, but he handle well. He was really going for his shot in the fifth set. I had some chance to break him. Maybe I should go a little bit more, maybe I should try a few different things, but didn’t happen that way. That’s life.
Q. After the good win against Robredo, did you feel that you even had it in you to win the whole tournament? How was your feeling before going into that match?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, I focused on that on. You know, for sure when you start to be in quarter, when you start to advance in the tournament, normally I play better. Normally I feel better. But I was focused on the match. You know, it’s a really long way to win a Grand Slam, even if you’re in quarter, even if you’re in semifinal. It’s better not to think too much about that, especially when you see who is still playing in the draw. I was ready for the fight. I was ready to play. I’m a little bit disappointed with myself, with the level I had today. I don’t think I played a great match. I think I was a little bit hesitating with my game. I didn’t find a way to take control of the rhythm of the match big time because he was playing well, but I still think that I should maybe try something different. But it’s tough.
Q. It looked like you couldn’t serve as hard as you normally do, especially in the fourth or fifth set. Was it…
STAN WAWRINKA: No, for me was just a change in my game. I realized that I was trying to make him run even more, so I was trying to always open with my first serve, trying to put a lot of first serves, not give him so much time to have second serve to really come in. Was just a decision I took to change a little bit. Except the last game I was really in control of my serve on the fourth and fifth set. I had really two bad game on my serve. Was the second and the last game.
