Here’s the Stanislas Wawrinka 2014 Wimbledon Interview Transcript following his quarterfinal loss to good friend and compatriot Roger Federer.
Q. Roger suggested that you might have had a fitness problem after the first two sets. Is that correct?
STAN WAWRINKA: Not really. I was feeling not great, but nothing that I want or need to talk about that after the match.
I think was tough match, tough match loss for sure. When you play against Roger, when he’s playing well here on grass, you have to play your best game to have a chance to beat him. I try my best. I was playing good at the beginning.
But, yeah, it’s a tough, tough loss.
Q. You don’t think that problem affected your performance at all?
STAN WAWRINKA: I don’t know. I’m not asking that question.
I just know it was tough to play three days in a row, especially when you played the third against Roger. You have to be more than 100% ready physically, but mentally also.
Cost me a lot of energy at the beginning of the match to play that level.
I don’t know. I think I was playing good also. It’s tough to play him. Was serving well, really well. Was tough to read his serve. The second set was really, really important. I did few mistake in the tiebreak.
Then at the end of the day he deserve to win. He was playing better today.
Q. How is it to play a countryman and a friend in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon?
STAN WAWRINKA: It’s always tough when we play each other. In a way it’s really nice because I’m playing my best game; we’re playing for the first time in the quarterfinal of Grand Slam Wimbledon.
But it’s never easy to deal with that. It’s better when we played in a final or something like that. But you need to accept. You need to go on court and try to win.
Q. What is special?
STAN WAWRINKA: That we know each other since many years. We good friends. Yeah, a lot of things.
Q. Overall it was a very good tournament for you, don’t you think?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, no, for sure.
Q. Considering you were the Australian Open champion and then you had a few tournaments that didn’t go your way. Then Monte-Carlo. Seems you’re playing very good tennis.
STAN WAWRINKA: Was for sure a good tournament. That’s not the question. First quarterfinal here. My level was really there. It was still a really good fight today. I try and give everything on the court.
I think it’s okay to lost on grass against Roger here. Just after the match it’s always tough.
Q. Will Roger win it again this year?
STAN WAWRINKA: I hope so, but we’ll see on Sunday.
Q. Is he playing well enough?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, for sure. When Roger is in semifinal of a Grand Slam, he’s ready to win it.
Q. Did you sense that the crowd were very much with Roger, who is a favorite here? Does that bother you at all?
STAN WAWRINKA: No. I think it’s quite normal. I think you don’t see one tournament when the crowd is not behind Roger. So that’s something quite classic. I think it was great, great atmosphere over there.
Q. I think it’s fair to say you know Roger really well. Throughout these years, what do you think has changed in his game? What does he present right now versus what he used to a few years back? Can you specify?
STAN WAWRINKA: It will be a long answer. I’m not sure I really want to talk about that now. We all see what he’s doing since many years. The game changed. The other players changed also. He’s adapting a little bit since the beginning of the year with his new racquet.
But, yeah, that’s not the thing I want to talk about.
Q. There’s been a record number of tiebreaks in this tournament in the men’s draw. Why do you think that is? Grass is supposed to be slower, more even.
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, I don’t think the grass was slower than last year or why we had that much tiebreak. I don’t know. That’s a good question. You have to see the statistic and see who did the tiebreak.
You have some big server like Kyrgios, Raonic playing, López, Isner. So that’s always a lot of tiebreak playing there.
Q. How much has it meant to you to be Swiss No. 1, and how would you feel not being Swiss No. 1?
STAN WAWRINKA: I really don’t care. For me doesn’t mean anything to be No. 1 in my country or not. I just want to be the best player I can, and that’s it.
I’m happy to be No. 3 in the world so far since Australian Open, and trying to stay there or to improve where I can.
