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U.S. OPEN

September 9, 2015

Stan Wawrinka

New York, NY, USA

S. WAWRINKA/K. Anderson

6-4, 6-4, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Great performance. You were able to step it up at the right moment?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, for sure the best match of the tournament for me. I was really happy the way I play. I was focused on doing what I wanted on the match. I was trying to be really aggressive on the return and make him play a mix or some slice, some aggressive play from the baseline.

Q. Seemed like the crowd loved you there. Was it a good switch to go to Armstrong?
STAN WAWRINKA: We wanted to play on Ashe, but I think it was the better thing to do if we wanted to play all matches today. It was tough with the rain this afternoon. Was some long match with the womans.

At the end of the day, for me I don't really mind, you know, where I'm playing. I'm trying to be focused on the match, and I was ready for both.

Q. When you think about the US Open trophy, what is the importance to your success in this tournament of the belief that you could be holding that trophy at the end of the tournament?
STAN WAWRINKA: Don't really think about the trophy yet. I'm too far again. When I arrive here I'm trying to focus beginning of the tournament, first match. I know it's boring, but that's the only way. You can see how I was playing at the beginning. I wasn't playing the best, but I was trying to get through the first week.

And now I play my best tennis so far in quarterfinal. Beating Anderson was great match for me. I'm in semifinal. I know it's only two match left but it's some big challenge ahead of me. I'm far away from thinking about the trophy. I think you can think about the trophy, for myself, when you are in the final. Not before.

Q. But you have won majors before. What about the belief? How did that change the belief that at the end of a major you could be the one holding that trophy?
STAN WAWRINKA: I just know that I can do it, for sure. I did twice. That's it.

I know I can finish by winning the tournament, but I'm really far from that yet. So far I'm going to enjoy first tonight and the quarterfinal, because was a great performance for me. I'm really happy the way I was playing, the way I dealt with the way I improve and start to perform tonight.

Then tomorrow I will start to be ready for the semifinal against Roger.

Q. You know him a little bit.
STAN WAWRINKA: A little bit only.

Q. All three of your wins against Roger have come on clay, including the French, but you played him really tough in the ATP finals, winning a set there. Do you think you're getting closer to him on hard courts?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think the past three years, for sure, I get closer from him. My level improved a lot. I'm playing better tennis. So I was always really close from him, if we look Wimbledon last year.

I will for sure need to play my best tennis. He's playing really well so far. He loves to play. He know how to play. He had some amazing match. It's going to be a big challenge. I think I'm ready.

Q. Before the start of the tournament you said Roger would be the only one who could play that SABR shot, and tonight you did it.
STAN WAWRINKA: I have to see how close I was from the line, but I'm still not at his level, for sure.

But, you know, I think -- I'm not trying to do what he's doing. Just the reason why I improve so much the past few years it's also because I'm looking a lot what the top guys doing, Novak, Roger, Rafa.

I always try to see why they are so good. I'm not trying to do what they are doing. I'm just trying to see how they improve, how they can play so well, how can they play so fast, how they can do the passing shot and everything.

For sure we all see what Roger is doing right now. It's quite impressive. He's doing it against everybody.

I saw him play also against Anderson in Cincinnati, and I was surprised how close he was returning. But it's actually a good way against Anderson to be closer than behind, because you completely cut the time from him.

I was trying to be really close from the line to don't give him so much time.

Q. How different is your mindset now going into matches with Roger than it was, say, four, five years ago?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think now we both nervous when we enter the court. Before it was only me. I was nervous because I knew I wasn't at his level, for sure.

And now I think we can see that he was also nervous every time we play each other the past few years. That's a big difference, because that show how much he knows that I can play at his level, how much he knows that I can try to play my game and not just try to react about what he's doing.

Q. There was a small controversy about your personal life before the French Open and you went on and won the tournament. Obviously coming into here you had some weeks of controversy again away from the court. I'm wondering how you have been able to manage those distractions and manage to play really good tennis?
STAN WAWRINKA: Great question. Just trying to focus on my tennis. When I'm on the court, there is nothing else to think. Just trying to play my best tennis.

Q. How are you able to do that?
STAN WAWRINKA: That's my job.

Q. You mentioned on the court, you know, that Roger has invented this new shot. Do you feel like Roger has kind of reinvented himself this summer, that he's captured something that's helping him play like he used to?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think he's trying some new things, for sure. He's feeling really good at the moment.

I think probably what he did between Wimbledon and Cincinnati with his fitness trainer was something really good for him. You can feel he's fresh and enjoy. He always enjoy. We love to watch him since more than ten years. More than that. He always do shot that no one can do. That's why he's the greatest.

Q. What do you admire most about him as a player? What has helped you beat him?
STAN WAWRINKA: As a player, I think it's the way he's playing. It's just nice to see how he's moving. You think he's flying on the court.

Honestly, I watch him a lot in Cincinnati. Even here. He's moving better than ever. Everything he's doing, it seems so easy when we watch him. But as a tennis player, when you play against him, you know how difficult it is.

Q. How have you beaten him?
STAN WAWRINKA: By trying to play my game, to play really aggressive. Don't give him so much time. Trying to push him, push him back. It's going to be tough because I know he's serving really well since the beginning of the tournament. I'm not going to have so many opportunities. He's playing really aggressive.

That's the way he's going to try to play against me. That's for sure. But I will have to play really, really fast, to be the aggressive player, if I want to have a chance to beat him.

Q. Friday's match will be a different circumstance, but obviously Roger, wherever he plays, is a fan favorite, and he will have many, many people hoping he reaches the final. Contrast that to the experience of Paris where, you know, there was this assumption of a great moment for Novak and you were able to rise to the occasion of that remarkable moment. How are you thinking? Do you kind of like no expectation, or do you rise to it?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, I like to play when there is a big crowd. Doesn't matter if they cheer for me or for the opponent. I'm used. We're all used to, when we go on court with Roger, he's the crowd favorite. That's for sure.

Doesn't matter. It's normal. Everybody loves Roger. He's the best player ever. He's on court and off court a really good guy.

I just love when there is a lot of people watching us. Doesn't matter if they are going to support him or support me. I think it's always good to have a good atmosphere on the court.

Q. Roger said on the court that when you beat him in Roland Garros he was happy for you. He said it was not the first time feeling that. It would be the same for you?
STAN WAWRINKA: Beat me? Hopefully not. I'm always happy for him. You know, I'm the first fan since many years. Always watch his big match. Always happy with him, with all the titles he got.

So tomorrow it's always the same. We are good friend. Really close friend. We always laugh together. Friday we're gonna laugh together in the locker because we have locker next to each other before the match.

We are going to go into the match trying to win. Doesn't matter how, but try to win. Then after the match it's back to normal.

Q. I'm sure you're tired of answering questions about Roger, but when you see him playing as well as he is at 34, does it make you think differently as a pro about the length of your career, what is possible in terms of if you pay the right attention to conditioning and fitness and you have luck with injuries and so on that you can play competitively later on through your career?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, for sure. He show that it's possible. I'm lucky to have the same fitness trainer as him, so I'm doing right schedule. I'm doing some good work so far. And again, if I look at myself, I'm playing my best tennis. I start to play my best tennis at 29, so hopefully I can still play for few years.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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