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NATURE VALLEY INTERNATIONAL

June 25, 2018

Stan Wawrinka

Eastbourne, England

A. MURRAY/S. Wawrinka

6-1, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Give us your verdict on the match.
STAN WAWRINKA: Tough to say really something about the match. I think I wasn't really finding my game today. I think first thing it's good to see Andy back.

For sure, a player like that it's good when he's healthy and playing on the tour. Hopefully he can keep building on that and keep being healthy on the tour, keep coming back where he was before, because he's a great champion and I think we all like to watch him.

For me today it was tough match, tough to find my game. I was a lot hesitating with what I wanted to do, the way I was playing. So when you play a little bit between your game against Andy, it's very tough.

Q. How have you been playing in practice on grass?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, I find it quite good in general. Most of the practice was great level. Now it's time to put it on the match, and that's why, when sometimes it's a little bit tricky, like today, if you think too much about what you are doing in the practice or too much about the way you're playing or what to do, then for sure you get some hesitation. That's what happened today.

I need to keep pushing myself in practice court, even thought it's been really good, and I have been practicing really well and try to put that on the match.

Q. Obviously you have played Andy quite a few times. Just wondering if you could sort of talk about what level he is at compared to sort of other times, his movement?
STAN WAWRINKA: A player like Andy will never lose his tennis, that's for sure. Being out of the tour for so long, then it's about putting the physical aspect again back on the match.

I think today he was playing and moving well, for sure. It's also first round, so it's tough to really say where his level is because also he didn't need more today. I think in general his game will always be there.

Now it's going to be hopefully good to see him healthy and build on that, and see how he's gonna improve the next few weeks.

Q. What will you do from here?
STAN WAWRINKA: I'm going to practice for Wimbledon. There is one week before, so I'm going to keep practicing for me. I need to keep doing the right thing, keep pushing myself, keep trying to improve.

Even though practices are good and strong, I need to keep pushing on that. If it doesn't pay in Wimbledon, it will pay in the summer any time. I know that sooner or later I will find a way how to put my level back on the match, get the confidence back also with few wins.

I know what it takes to win big tournaments, and I'm doing the right things. Now it's about time. It's about being patient with yourself and accepting even when it's tough. When you feel like that on a match it's always tough to accept everything, especially when you know how you're playing in the practice. But again, I need to keep doing the right thing, keep pushing myself, hard work, and it will pay off.

Q. The knee was okay again?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, the knee is good. Is good. Is improving. More time I spend on the court, better it is. Again, I need to keep doing that.

Q. Is it just a matter of confidence in your shots now, then?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, it is. It is, for sure. For sure, if I compare my level in practice and compare my level in matches, it's big difference. That's what I have to find a way, to find it back. For sure winning matches will have. But for that, you need to play a bit better in matches.

And again, there is no magic. Only have to be patient with yourself and working out, because I have been there before and I know what it takes to be there. So I'm ready to keep doing it.

Q. Yourself, Andy, Novak for a time, you have all been out with injuries. Do you find coming back the game has moved on, there are new players around making a difference now rather than just Roger and Rafa at the top of the game?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, I think they are both still top of the game right now. They have been out since last year US Open. And since then only Roger and Rafa have won big title anyway. The players one year ago were the same player, Zverev, Dimitrov, Thiem and everything.

You know, me, the challenge is to focus on myself and to find my game, not to focus on the other player, who is there, who is not there. For sure there is a lot of players to beat if you want to be back at the top, but so far I'm not there at all. So I need to -- I need to do what's good for myself.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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