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ROGERS CUP

July 29, 2016

Stan Wawrinka

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

S. WAWRINKA/K. Anderson

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's been a good week for you and for some of the other 30-something players on the tour. How do you manage to fight off all these young pups that are coming up through the ranks these days?
STAN WAWRINKA: Oh, I focus especially on myself, try to keep improving in my game, try to keep finding solution how to win match.

I'm still enjoying what I'm doing, and that's the most important, to keep the passion of what you're doing. That's help you to go out on the practice court every day.

I enjoy what I do. I love to come in tournament, to travel, and to keep trying to win matches in tournaments. So that's the only reason why I can still be where I am now.

Q. What's easier than, say, five years ago for you because of your experience? And what becomes harder as you get older?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, I think for me if I look my career, in a way is easier now with the confidence that I have, with what happened the last two years. For me I never expect to have that career, to win that matches, to be that high. I can only enjoy. Doesn't mean it's easy, because I don't go down. I want to keep winning, keep trying to stay where I am in the ranking.

So I'm hoping all for that. For me, there is only positive if I look in my career.

Q. Some reflection on the match today? Seemed like you were in the zone for most of it.
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, it was a really good match, I think. I start really well the first game. Showed me that I was ready, aggressive, moving really well. It's one of the best match of the year I played, I think, in general, everything.

I was calm. Serving really good. Mixing a lot. Especially in moving well, in general. I think I was reading the game well, good in defense, find a way how to come back and attack.

Yeah, it was a really good match for me.

Q. I assume you weren't very happy with your Wimbledon. What did you do between then and now to try to find your game for the hard court season?
STAN WAWRINKA: I took that extra time to have a bigger block. I had maybe four, five days off just after. Then I start big fitness preparation with a little bit of tennis before coming here early to have more tennis here.

I was really happy. I had some great time with my fitness coach, Pierre Paganini. Put some hard work. Was really good. I was feeling well when I arrive here.

It's already good and positive what I'm doing here, but I hope it's going to help me for the rest of the season because it's a tough schedule.

Q. What's your system for balancing Pierre with you and Roger? Do you split time? Do you ever do sessions together?
STAN WAWRINKA: I don't know. It's been more than ten years. We always find a way. We don't live in the same place, so we don't practice together.

But Pierre is amazing for that. He always find the right schedule for both. I think we are both really happy with what Pierre did for us.

Q. Just wondering if you ever have the chance to eat in the players restaurant upstairs? If so, what's the food like?
STAN WAWRINKA: (Smiling.) Yeah, I eat most every day there. In general, it's a really, really good tournament here, here in Toronto and Montreal. They are a little bit similar. They are really doing a lot for the players. I think we are all happy to come back here.

The food is good here. You have pasta, most any pasta if you want, or you have a buffet of anything you want. It's really good.

Q. You'll be playing the winner of the match that's on now. How do you prepare for that? Do you go away and now watch what they're doing, or do you leave that to your coach? What's the plan?
STAN WAWRINKA: My coach is hopefully watching and not drinking a beer upstairs. (Laughter.)

But, no, my plan is -- most important is I'm doing the press, I'm doing the TV, then I'm going to do the physio, massage. If I can look a little bit on TV in the player lounge or even in the locker or during the massage, I will look, for sure. Not only because I play the winner, but in general I like to watch tennis and to watch the other players.

And then, you know, I played few times Nishikori, few times Dimitrov. We practice a lot so we all know what we are doing. If I look, it's more to see how they play each other.

Q. You worked with Richard Krajicek during Wimbledon. Given that experience, would you ever bring him or another coach on again? What was it like?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, it was great. It was really positive experience. He was amazing player. I think he bring a few things in the team. We were all really happy.

Maybe one day we will work again, no? Maybe someone else? I don't know.

But, you know, the plan was to do until Wimbledon, and now to be a little bit back to normal with Magnus, with Yannick, with Pierre, and see a little bit -- you know, I'm happy with what I have. So far I'm really happy. I know I can still improve. I know we can keep doing some great things. But who knows?

Q. You're into the semifinals here for the first time. With such a long summer ahead of you at the Olympics and then US Open, how important is it for you to play well here?
STAN WAWRINKA: It's always better. It's always better to play well here. But in the past, I never really played great here but I did well also US Open. So there is no rule for that.

For me, I'm really happy to see that straight from the first time out on hard court my level is there, physically I'm feeling good, and that I can play some great tennis here.

Now I'm really happy with today. I'm going to enjoy today and get ready for tomorrow, because I don't want to stop here.

Q. I just want to ask about your one-handed backhand. Did you always have a one-hander growing up, or was there any particular player or coach that influenced you to hit that shot?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, until 11 years old I had two-hands backhand. My first coach, Dimitri Zavialoff, I was working with him from young to 25 years old, who asked me to change to see if it was better for me. That's how I changed to one-hand backhand.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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