LONDON: A defeat at the hands of Sam Querrey at The Queen’s Club has done little to deter a resilient Stan Wawrinka as he prepares for his next challenge.
The three-time grand slam champion came up short during what was a roller-coaster clash between the two players on Wednesday. Wawrinka has a love-hate affair with the grass. He is a two-time quarter-finalist at Wimbledon, but in recent years has struggled to get wins on the surface. Last claiming back-to-back victories on the grass back in 2015.
“It’s for sure frustrating to lose, but I have to look the right thing, the right way. I think the level is there. I think I’m moving quite good on the grass.” Wawrinka reflected.
“I was feeling good. I had a lot of chances in the first set. I felt I could have made it better.”
Wawrinka is still on the recovery from an injury that ended his 2017 season. In August he underwent surgery on his right knee. Since then, his comeback has been far from smooth with an additional three-month break earlier this year to continue his rehabilitation. His current win-loss record this season stands at 5-8.
Despite the numerous blips he has encountered, the former world No.3 is seeking solace from his matches on the tour. Even the ones he loses.
“There is a lot to take in the right way, and I’m sure if I can keep doing the right thing day by day, building on this and keep trying to improve, the result will come. I need to be patient with that.”
A matter of time
It remains to be seen if Wawrinka can return back to his best. Due to his first round exit at the French Open last month, he finds himself ranked outside of the top 200 for the first time in over a decade. Meaning that he may have to rely on the generosity of the bigger tournaments to gain entry into their main draws. It is a daunting prospect, but one that he is ready for.
“All I know is that I personally feel really good with the way I’m practicing, the way I’m moving and the way I’m playing my game.” He states.
“Now all I need is to keep playing matches like today, two days ago. Try to win little by little to get the confidence back, get used to play all those important points and feeling the right way mentally on the court.”
Grass-court tennis has a reputation for being tough for those recovering from injury. The low ball bounces on the surface means that players have to apply extra pressure on their knees. Rafael Nadal is one player who has previously encountered problems with the grass.
Regardless of the potential issues, Wawrinka insists that he is ‘100% confident’ with his knee. Easing fears about any potential repercussions of playing during this time of the year.
“Since I arrived on the grass, I’ve had a good surprise. In Paris it was tough to keep the level. After Paris I did two strong weeks of physical practice, a little bit of tennis but mostly physical. When I arrive here (in London), I felt great.” The three-time grand slam champion explained.
“I believe that I’m strong enough now to play my best tennis. Is it going to be enough? We don’t know.”
The next challenge for the 33-year-old will be Wimbledon. It is statistically Wawrinka’s weakest grand slam tournament out of the four. He has won 18 out of 31 matches at SW19, which is a 58% winning rate. At the other three majors his rate is over 70%.
“When I came back in Geneva, I wasn’t, for sure, ready to play five hours in the same level physically. But there is only one way to do it. It’s to keep working out, to keep playing tournaments, keep fighting. And then you put everything back together.” He concluded.
The Wimbledon Championships gets underway on July 2nd. It will be Wawrinka’s 53rd appearance in the main draw of a grand slam.
