Stanislas Wawrinka Australian Open 2014 Pre-final Press Conference Interview Transcript
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Q. How disappointed are you that it’s not going to be a Swiss final tomorrow?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Yeah, for sure it will have been amazing to play Roger in the final, to have an all Swiss final.
But watch the match. I’m happy to play Rafa, you know. He’s a really good friend. We practice a lot together. He’s amazing champion.
So it’s going to be a great final for sure to play him.
Q. Stan, how do you overcome an extra day off? What do you do to fill your time?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: No, was great. Yesterday I just came to have some fitness, massage, relaxing a little bit. I had easy afternoon off completely.
Watch the match yesterday night, and today I had one hour of practice. So nothing special, you know. Just trying to be ready for tomorrow.
Q. Are you the sort of guy that likes rhythm, day on, day off?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: No, no. You know, one more day off was great for me, especially after two really tough match against Novak and Tomas. So I think was great for my body.
I had a chance during the tournament to have one walkover and I had three days off and was not a problem. I think in Grand Slam it’s important whenever you can to try to recover and to be fit and ready.
Q. Did you watch the match last night?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Yes.
Q. What can you take out of it for the final?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Nothing from the match, because I know Rafa since long time and I know how he’s playing.
Yeah, I watch the match. I think he’s playing for sure some of his best tennis. Especially when you have to play night session here it’s a little bit slower. He can really play his game and try to play aggressive.
Yeah, I play him so many times, lost so many times, but going to try again. I know what I have to do: I know that I have to play aggressive, serve really well, and trying to always push him.
We’ll see how I can do that tomorrow night.
Q. Saw that you went to the Bond exhibition on your Twitter. Who is your favorite Bond?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Good question. (Smiling.) I like all the Bond in general, but big fan and really enjoy to watch the Pierce Brosnan.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about tomorrow. It’s going to be your first final. What will you do? Are you going to be excited? Calm down, listen to music?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: No, I’m excited for sure. I’m really happy, excited. I’m going to be nervous for sure.
But tomorrow it’s going to be I’m going to keep\my routine: Try to come early to practice, take time to have dinner here, then listen with some music, being alone a little bit like I had before the semifinal.
When I’m nervous I like to take time some for me with my music and just relaxing a little bit. So that’s quite simple. Going to keep my routine.
Q. What do you listen to?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Everything. I have a lot of music in my iTunes, and I just put random music.
Q. Have you had any contact with Roger after last night?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: A little bit, yes.
Q. What did he say?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Private things. We had some texts.
Q. Did he give you some encouragement for tomorrow?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: I’m sure he’s going to cheer for me. I hope so.
Q. Talk a little bit about your relationship with your coach and maybe some of the small ways in which he’s helped you.
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: We have a great relationship. He’s a great guy and really good coach. I’m really happy to work with him. We start in April only. We not doing full time. He came in Switzerland in off season for ten days, and I then I was alone until Chennai, came here before.
So we have a good rhythm together. He’s really good because during ever practice, even every warmup, he’s always behind me and trying to push me and show me how to improve, how to keep going.
He always wants more, so it’s great for me that I have someone behind me always to try to show me the way how to be a better player.
Q. How do you say you’ve changed as a player and a person under Magnus’ influence?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: Especially as a player. I have more confidence on myself. I know that when I go on court I can beat almost everybody, even in the big stage like in Grand Slam semifinal now.
So for sure it’s a lot about confidence, especially with my game that I’m playing quite fast from the baseline, trying to always be aggressive. So I take a lot of risks sometimes, so it’s important to be really fresh and relaxed in my head.
Q. You have a tough record against Rafa. How difficult is it to handle this?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: The record is not what I’m looking. That’s what is it against Rafa. I don’t care about having lost 14 times, I think.
But it’s more about playing Rafa. He’s the No. 1, the best player. His game is quite tough for me, especially with one hand backhand. But I did some good match last year against him, close one. I find few things that I will try tomorrow.
Again, I’m playing my best tennis here; physically I’m ready. I had two days off, so that’s perfect for me before final. Going to try everything.
Before to beat Djokovic was the same. I was losing 13, 14 times before that.
Just the fact that I’m always trying and I always think that I can change all the statistic, that’s positive.
Q. Is there anything in particular that you and Magnus have worked out for Nadal?
STANISLAS WAWRINKA: We’ll see. We’ll see. We going to talk tomorrow, like always, before the match. We going to talk about the match that I play against him last year, because I’m sure I can take few things, especially Shanghai or London. We will see tomorrow.
Source: Australian Open
