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ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2016

Stan Wawrinka

Paris, France

S. WAWRINKA/T. Daniel

7-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. He's quite a different opponent to Lukas, the way he hits the ball. How different was it for you facing him? What were your thoughts overall in the match?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, he's playing different style, for sure, more from the baseline, a lot of long rallies, topspin, forehand.

Was a good match. I'm happy to get through in three sets. For sure it was some up and down, could have been better, but winning three sets, it's always good, and in general I think it's been a good day.

Q. Did you expect such a tough first set today?
STAN WAWRINKA: I always expect a difficult match, for sure. I think he was playing well. I had a lot of opportunity to break, to take the lead. I didn't. He start to play better. I was a little bit struggling. I was a little bit hesitating sometimes with my game. That's why I did so many mistakes.

But again, most important for me here today is to win, and that's what I did in three sets. Happy to get in the third round.

Q. A lot of top players don't play a tournament the week before a Grand Slam, but do you feel in a good rhythm? I mean, that's six wins in a row now with the title last week. How do you feel?
STAN WAWRINKA: So far, I feel great, for sure. There is a lot of positive for me winning Geneva, taking a lot of confidence from that week.

I normally also don't like to play the week before Grand Slam. That's not normally what I do. But when they came with the tournament in Geneva, it was something important for me to try to do it. It's home. It's a big change in your career when you have a tournament at home.

That's what I did. I change a little bit the rest of the schedule to make it the best schedule possible for French Open, and so far I think I'm feeling good. I had a tough first round, winning five sets wasn't easy, but was really positive because the fight was great. Mentally I was there, also.

It was a tough three-sets match, but I think I did the job I had to do. I'm happy. I think I'm playing better and better.

Q. I know your life doesn't revolve around Roger, but I think it's the first time in your career you have ever been in a slam without him. Just wondering what that feels like as a fellow Swiss? And also, have you had any communication with him while you've been here?
STAN WAWRINKA: For sure it feels strange for every player here and every fan of tennis for Roger to pull out before the tournament. In the past sometimes he losted before me, but to pull out before the tournament, it's tough. It's never easy, for sure. It's something different, for sure.

I had a little bit, yeah, a little bit of talk with him, for sure. He was happy after my first match. He saw the end, apparently.

Hopefully he's gonna be fit and ready for the grass court and maybe do something big there.

Q. I think you've got a good record against Jeremy. You play him next. What's your thoughts on playing him?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, he's a dangerous player, again. He's playing really fast and heavy, big serve, heavy stroke from baseline and always trying to use his forehand. He's playing at home. Normally he loves to play here at the French Open. He plays some good match.

I will have to play better. It's again the same. Really depends how I play, how I feel. I know what to do against him.

If I can put my game there, I have all the solution in my game.

Q. It's only the second round, and obviously, you know, you come in here not playing your best level, I think, overall, but is your mentality at this point just to try to get to the second week and put yourself in a position to have another really deep run here? Or you're just trying to take it one match at a time?
STAN WAWRINKA: There is no easy way to get to the second round and to get final in Grand Slam. You have to take match after match.

If you look the first two match, for sure I'm not playing my best tennis, but I know I have my best tennis in me. I have been practicing well. I feel well the ball.

So I'm not -- I know it can come anyway. For me, most important, I'm taking match after match, trying to win every match if possible.

I know I can do it, but as you can see also some other players, big one, it's a Grand Slam. It's tough. You cannot think already about the second week, think about, Okay, I'm going to try to be in quarter and then we'll see what happened? No. Every match is difficult. I almost lost in the first round, but I'm still here and I know I can play well here.

So that's what I'm trying to do.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. When you play a French player, is it always a bit special or is it not particularly different? Is there anything you do, anything special you do?
STAN WAWRINKA: I guess it depends who I am playing. When you play a French player in Paris, it is always a bit different because the French are at home. And I'll be playing Jeremy I think for the first time in a Grand Slam tour, especially in Paris.

It will be interesting. We know each other very well. We see each other quite often. I think it will be a fun match.

Q. How important is it for you to win in three sets?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, I always try to win in three sets. But you know what? At the end of the day, I'm here to win. Three sets, four sets, five sets, I do whatever I can to move on to the next round.

Of course it's preferable to win a match in three sets, but when I enter the court, it's not the one thing I'm obsessed about, winning three sets to save energy. Matches are difficult. I'm there to win, whether it's the first round.

And the same thing is true for other players. You know, there can be surprises. There are some very big opponents who are here to win. When I play a match, I play it to win.

If it takes four hours, five hours, fine. I'll do it.

Q. I've noticed you were friendly at the end of the match. You handed out some goodies, gave some signatures, autographs. Do you also give away your tennis racquets?
STAN WAWRINKA: Unfortunately, not. I'm trying to be cool with fans when I have a minute. I'm happy to sign whatever I have to give out, especially the kids. It really makes them happy.

They ask me for racquets, but I need them to play (smiling).

Q. You won here last year. Is there anything you're doing different this year than you have done the last year? Are you superstitious in terms of food, for example?
STAN WAWRINKA: I'm not superstitious. This is a new year. It is a new tournament. Hopefully I can do something really big. But I'm absolutely not superstitious.

I'm just trying to get the job done. I want to be a good player when I'm on the court.

Q. Generally, you like the public. You like to play with the public. We have seen this in the first two matches. The fact you will be playing a French player, don't you think the public might turn against you?
STAN WAWRINKA: Oh, they will probably. The public will support Jeremy. But that's normal. He's a French player, so they should be supporting him. That's part of the game.

But, you know, whenever I have played French players, I have always had a very supportive public. It won't be the first time. So it doesn't really bother me.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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