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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2017

Stan Wawrinka

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

S. WAWRINKA/A. Seppi

7-6, 7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In your opinion, what was the difference between you and Andreas today?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, was a tough and close match, that's for sure. Three tiebreak, almost three hours. Was very close.

I think we both play really well. Tough conditions. Good conditions, but quite fast. So it was interesting to play against him.

I think I find a good way how to be aggressive, to mix the speed on the court today on important points, important moment, and to take advantage of that.

Q. Was it a matter of who was more patient today, hanging in there and waiting for the little opportunities that might come up?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, for sure. For me was important to stay there all the time, to show him every game, every point I'm going to try something. Even if I didn't have a lot of opportunity to break or take the lead, I was always trying to put my game, trying to stay tough. He was doing the same.

So was really close match. But I'm really happy, I think, with the level, and to have won in three sets.

Q. How would you assess your performance? Are you feel like you're improving every match?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, I think this match was the best match of the tournament so far, that's for sure. Again, I'm not really worry about trying to improve every match, trying to play better or not. I know that my level is there, that physically I'm feeling good. So most important is to win, to still be in the tournament.

I'm really happy to make the quarterfinal again. It's a big result. I'm going to enjoy tonight and get ready for the next one.

Q. Andreas said the longer a tournament lasts, it's getting more and more tough to beat you. What makes it so tough to beat in the latter stages of the tournament?
STAN WAWRINKA: Probably my level, confidence. Mentally I know I can beat any player on any day. It's tough to say. I'm just focused on myself. I think in general, my level, when I'm at the top of my game, I can beat any player.

Q. There's been some big upsets in this tournament today. Andy Murray just has gone out. What are your thoughts on that?
STAN WAWRINKA: It's a big surprise for sure. That's for sure. It show that it's not so easy as we can think, or when we see the draw, to just win, keep winning all the time.

He's No. 1 in the world. He's been amazing last year, especially the way he finished the year by winning every tournament he was playing.

But still, every match you have to enter the court, you have to fight. You play against some really strong player. It's tough to just win or be in the final in every tournament for any player.

Q. Novak out. Andy out. Do you feel more pressure now?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, I don't know why I should feel more pressure. I'm just in quarterfinal. Again, it's big surprise that they not in the draw anymore, but my next match is the quarterfinal. I'm not thinking about semi or final, that I will not have to play Andy or Novak. That's the last thing in my head.

So far I have a big match in quarterfinal. It's for sure opening the draw on the other side with Novak not here. It's going to be interesting to see who is going to get there. But you have some big players there. You have Nadal. Roger is playing now against Nishikori.

I just think it's interesting tournament.

Q. Can you talk about your next round.
STAN WAWRINKA: Both are strong players. Evans is playing really well. I play him in US Open. I save match point there. I thought he was a really good player. He's showing it since the beginning of the year that he's going to be a tough player this year.

Tsonga always been there. Always been around the top 10. He was No. 5 in the world. He made the final here. He made the semifinal in each Grand Slam.

It's going to be just an interesting match.

Q. Do you really feel like your level gets sharper as you get to the end of the tournament? You seem to thrive in the five-setters.
STAN WAWRINKA: Sometimes, yeah. Not all the time. Not all the time. I just know if I look the result in the Grand Slam last three or four years, I've been there most of the time. I have been playing really well. I made some semifinal, won three Grand Slam. I know where is my level.

But again, here is a new tournament. I'm only in quarterfinal. I need to be ready to play a strong match.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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