Stan Wawrinka beat Jo Wilfried Tsonga 7-6 (7-2) 6-4 6-3 to reach the semifinal at the Australian Open. He remains on course to win his second title in Melbourne three years after his first ever Grand Slam trophy.
“It’s not easy to play against Tsonga. The beginning of the match was quite tense from both sides. We were a little bit looking too much what the other will do, waiting a little bit the other to do something on the court. I think conditions were not easy. Conditions were quite fast today and it was a bit windy, flying a little bit. It was important to serve well. It was not easy to control. I started to move a bit better, to be a bit more aggressive from the first shot. I think that’s made the difference.”
Wawrinka won the most important points at this year’s Australian Open and this helped him win five consecutive tie-breaks.
“So far it’s been good but you never know what’s going to happen after. I think today was the best match of the tournament. I had great focus all the match. I found a way to break him a few time salso. I am really happy to get in the semifinal again. It’s a great result. I will enjoy tonight and get ready for the next one”
Wawrinka set up a blockbuster all-Swiss semifinal against Roger Federer, who beat Mish Zverev in straight sets.
“It’s going to be a great match. Last time I think I got killed in the US Open. He was playing way better than me, moving really well, really aggressive from the court. It’s going to be an interesting match. He is playing so well since the beginning of the tournament. He had a little bit some hesitation in the first two rounds, but since then he is really flying on the court. It’s great to see him back at this level. Hopefully I can manage to play a great match.”
Wawrinka feels more confident after winning three Grand Slam titles than when Federer was ahead of him in the ranking.
“I am more confident with myself. When I step on the court, it doesn’t matter who I play. I know what I have to do if I want to win. It’s always to play against Roger because he is so good. He is the best player of all time. He has answer for everything but I managed to beat him in a Grand Slam, so we’ll see. The most important thing is that I step on the court and I play my best tennis.”
Wawrinka has benefited from his successful relationship to Coach Magnus Norman, who has contributed to Stan’s Grand Slam titles and his rise in the ranking.
“I am really happy to have him in my team. I think he is not only an amazing coach but an amazing coach. For sure he found a way how to change my career. Since he arrived, I have won three Grand Slam titles, finished in top four for three years in a row. It’s always to have someone who can push your limit. I think I enjoy to have him here as a coach, as a friend. We have a lot of things hopefully for many more years. It’s great to be in the semifinal and see what I have done in the off-season. It was good work that I am feeling well on the court, that I am strong enough to beat some tough players and make another semifinal. I don’t want to stop here. It’s going to be a tough match.”
Federer leads 18-3 in his 21 head-to-head matches against Wawrinka and won their previous two matches in the US Open semifinals and in the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals in London in 2015. Wawrinka won for the last time against his compatriot in the quarter finals at 2015 Roland Garros.
“The match against Roger which stands out most is the final we played in Monaco. Winning a Masters 1000 title was something special, especially a few months after winning my first Grand Slam title. It was a tough final. It was three sets. I have great memories of this match. When I step on the court, it’s always something special because he is the best player because of everything he has done in his career, because the way he is playing, because he is Swiss, because he is a really close friend, because of everything we have been doing together, Davis Cup, Olympics. It’s always something special. The most important is that I try as much as I can to focus on myself, that I step on the court to try to win, to try to find a way to win the match”
After Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic were knocked out from the Australian Open, Wawrinka is one of the strongest favourites to win the first Grand Slam title of the season.
“For me being in the semifinal, if you look on the paper, it’s only two matches, but it’s really far from winning. I have been in the semifinal a few times. I lost them. I start to think about winning a Grand Slam title if I get to the final. That’s the only moment I start to think about the trophy”