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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2016

Stan Wawrinka

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

S. WAWRINKA/L. Rosol

6-2, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Rosol can be tricky, but you managed it pretty easily today. Was the serve a key today? 18 aces was impressive.
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, I play him few times. Always a tough opponent for sure. But I'm happy the way I'm playing so far.

Today I think the beginning I start really well, not only the serve, but returning almost every shot, making him play a lot, being aggressive, taking the ball early.

Happy with the match in general. Three sets, it's a good win again.

Q. In the tiebreak, at 3-All, can you talk about that?
STAN WAWRINKA: With the replay?

Q. Yes.
STAN WAWRINKA: The call was after his shot, but the umpire told me not, so we replay the point like normal should be.

But nothing was wrong really. I think I play better in the tiebreak, a little more focus, play aggressive during the rally, so was good.

Q. Can you clarify your health. You were saying to Jim Courier at the end you had been struggling with a problem earlier in the week? What's happened?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, I was a little bit sick. I was a little bit sick, but that's it. You know, if you came the last two press conference -- no? That's why. I was a little bit more sick with my voice so you could see, but you didn't.

I can tell you again I was just had a cold a little bit, but nothing serious, nothing big. As I say, as long as I'm feeling good on the court, that's the most important. The rest, if I don't have voice, if I feel a little bit sick, it doesn't matter.

Q. When you play someone like him who has such a big serve, once you have a break in hand, how important is it to keep that one-break advantage?
STAN WAWRINKA: Like Rosol?

Q. Yes.
STAN WAWRINKA: For me, I'm always trying to have more. It's not like I'm telling myself, Okay, my goal is to have one break and that's it, I have the set. You never know what happen.

I'm always trying to push more every return game. Always try to push myself to take as much as I can.

Today it was three sets. The last set was a tiebreak. Was a tough one. You never know what's happening, what's can happen. Again, I'm happy with the win, and now I can focus on the next one.

Q. Once you have a break, do you feel that extra pressure on your own serve to make sure you keep holding?
STAN WAWRINKA: No. No, I don't think so. For me I don't feel more pressure. I feel better with the break, that's for sure.

But, again, it doesn't really matter the score. I'm trying to focus the same. I'm trying to push myself the same. I'm trying to play better, get more return in. Doesn't matter the score.

Q. There's so much talk about your backhand and how good it is. How much do you feel your forehand has improved over the last couple of seasons?
STAN WAWRINKA: For sure a lot. For sure it's been a key for those big match that I won. In the last I was struggling in the important points, important moment with my forehand. Now I don't anymore. Now I trust my forehand, that's for sure.

So, yes, I been improving a lot my forehand. But I think also my backhand is improved.

Q. Milos, you've never lost against him so far. What are your thoughts on the match?
STAN WAWRINKA: He's tough player, for sure. Never lost, but always been some tough match. He's been playing really good since the beginning of the year, winning the first title in Brisbane against Roger in the final.

He's trying to improve. He's trying to go there. He's trying to win big title. It will be a difficult match, for sure. He's serving big. I play him in Abu Dhabi exhibition. I lost first match of the year. He change few things in his game.

I still think it depends a lot of my game, of what I'm going to do, of where I'm going to be on the court, the way I'm going to serve.

In general, I always find some solution to break his serve, even is really tough. We'll see. Hopefully I can be ready and be strong enough to take that one. But for sure it's going to be a really difficult match.

Q. How is your relationship with Nick Kyrgios these days after the incident several months ago? Do you get along now? Are you past that?
STAN WAWRINKA: We play exhibition in IPTL together in same team. Was okay. Nothing special. Here I didn't see him basically. I watch him play sometimes if it's a good match to watch. But that's it. We didn't see each other. We didn't talk together, so nothing special.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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