	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

MONTE-CARLO ROLEX MASTERS

April 14, 2016

Stan Wawrinka

Monte Carlo, Monaco

S. WAWRINKA/G. Simon

6-1, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. You practice a lot with Novak. In your view, what went wrong yesterday?
STAN WAWRINKA: Not much, you know. Was first match on clay for him. He wasn't playing really well. I think he had a tough rounds in the States to win back-to-back Indian Wells, Miami, was quite impressive.

I think now he will have time to rest and get ready for this clay season. I don't think it's going to change anything for him. He's going to be as strong for the next tournament he's going to play. His main goal is French Open in the next few months, so I'm sure he's going to be ready for that.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. A bit better this time? You were hitting well, you were powerful. But the score, doesn't it seem a bit tough?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, on my side it was an excellent match, a lot better than yesterday. From the start I was very strict with myself. I had to keep my tactics, be patient, attack him whenever I had the opportunity.

Of course, the level of game was good. The games were very tight. That's why the score is so drastic.

Q. Is that your best match since when?
STAN WAWRINKA: I don't know since when, but since a long time.

Q. What is your level right now?
STAN WAWRINKA: It is very high. I played very well today. My concentration was very good. This is important against Gilles. From the start I needed to dominate and be very present on the court. I succeeded in doing that.

That shows my level of game. It is good. This doesn't guarantee any result for the future.

Q. We saw you complaining about your serve. Would you improve anything?
STAN WAWRINKA: If I look at the score in the match, there's nothing I want to change in the match. The most important thing for me is to win the match, whatever the score, and however I play.

Of course, I practice hard. I do good things during practice. Only the result is important. If I want to change some things today, it would be the serve. I can adapt it. But I don't want to change anything in a match like that against such a good player.

Q. In the first set, Nadal saved 15 breakpoints. You might play him. Why is he so vulnerable right now?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, he saved those breakpoints. This proves he's playing extremely well. He's playing against a player he beat before. He won titles. He's fifth in the race. He plays well.

We'll see what he does. It's the first tournament on clay for him, so why is he beatable right now? I don't know. If you look at the past year, we can see his level has slightly decreased. But a champion like him is still able to win big titles.

Q. What do you think about Thiem?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, he already is at the top. He's young. He has many years ahead of him to keep improving and trying to win big titles. As to which level he will go, it's difficult to say.

Q. Did you see Novak's game?
STAN WAWRINKA: I looked at it for the most part, but there's not much I can think about it. He was hesitating. He tried to play well, but he was not really into the match.

As far as I'm concerned, I believe it's not going to change anything for the rest of the season. He spent a lot of energy in Miami and Indian Wells. He came early here. He practiced. He was playing very well in practice.

But we could see that mentally and physically he was a bit tired. That was his first match on clay. I think now he will be able to rest and practice and he will be ready for the big challenge: the French Open. That he lost first round will not change anything. On the contrary, it might help him rest a bit earlier.

Q. And what about your next match?
STAN WAWRINKA: I will have to play well if I want to have a chance to keep winning. Either of them are extremely good players on clay. Well, Thiem had several matches on clay, and Rafa is always tough to play on clay. He's a left-hander. It's always complicated to play against him.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297