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U.S. OPEN

August 27, 2018

Stan Wawrinka

New York, NY, USA

S. WAWRINKA/G. Dimitrov

6-3, 6-2, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously a very difficult first-round opponent. How satisfied do you feel to get by?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, for sure was a tough match. I knew it would be a difficult match. Playing first round in a Grand Slam, you need to be ready for it. You need to play best tennis from the first point.

We played already in Wimbledon, so it was a surprise again to play each other. But I'm really happy first with the victory, that's for sure, but with my level in general. I think I have been practicing well.

I have been playing some good tournaments, Cincinnati, Toronto, and keep improving there day by day. I arrive here a week early to practice, get a lot of time on the court, and I'm happy with today's match.

I think it's a great start.

Q. Describe how you're feeling physically in terms of stamina.
STAN WAWRINKA: I think generally I'm feeling really good on the practice court with some really good level of practice. Physically, tennis-wise, I'm happy with where I am right now.

Again, it's been a long year since my surgery. For me, I need to keep working day by day, keep trying to improve, keep being patient and see what's gonna happen this year.

So far it's a great start here, but I'm just happy where I am right now. My level, my tennis, my fitness and everything. Doesn't matter what will be the result after tomorrow or longer. If I can stay longer, I'm happy where I am and I need to keep pushing in that direction.

Q. Two years ago you won here. Do the memories sort of come back, back on the same court again?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, I think the memory I'm more coming back, the first time I came here last week, one week ago for practice, seeing, looking around a little bit. Two years ago was something very special, of course, amazing memories after the final. Was really busy until I left here.

So it was great to come back, that's for sure.

Q. How much did the match at Wimbledon give you confidence today, going into this match knowing you had beaten him pretty recently?
STAN WAWRINKA: I think it gave me some mental confidence. That's for sure. Because I always struggle against him before that, and to realize and see that I can beat him on the grass court in Wimbledon, Grand Slam, it gave me a lot of self-confidence on that.

I knew it will be completely different here, but I like the conditions. For me I knew also before the match I was playing well. My game level is there. So I'm happy with how it went.

Q. Are you a contender at this tournament with the level of tennis you're playing now?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, I think I'm still far away to put myself there. I think if you look the last few months, if I separate just my level, just the way I'm playing, the way I'm moving like in practice match or in a match, yeah, for sure my level is really high. I know that, and I'm confident with that.

But I also have a lot of things, there is a lot of question mark of how my body will be right, how mentally I will be right. Also, few weeks ago I was still struggling a lot.

So I'm improving day by day. I'm improving tournament after tournament, match after match. And I can see that the last tournaments, it went really high, from struggling in the match, to competing at really high level. So I'm really happy with that.

So I'm also aware that I can have some trouble, still some up-and-downs and things like that. So, for me, most important is to keep my line, keep doing what I'm doing.

This year is kind of transition year. I don't put myself too much pressure. I want to really play well, win as much as I can, get better ranking, finish the year well. Finish at Bercy and build on that for next year.

Q. I'm curious if you're aware of the serve clock at all or if it made any difference?
STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, for sure. I think it start this summer in all the tournaments. I think it's great. I think it just give a rhythm simple and clear for everybody: for the player, for the TV, for the fans. And I think it's going really well.

Q. The first tournament in over a year that you, Andy, Roger, Novak, Rafa, Delpo and all that are together. Does it feel nice to have the gang back together, or would you rather the other guys were somewhere else?
STAN WAWRINKA: No, I think it's great (smiling). I think it's good. I watch a bit of Andy after my match. I think it's great to see him back playing, fighting, and be happy and winning match on Grand Slam.

The other players were watching Roger and Rafa winning everything while they were injured. I think it's always good. I have always been a fan to watch the top guys playing, if possible, playing against each other in the final, final, whatever. It's always amazing match. I think it's great also for the fans, for the tournament what's gonna happen in the next two weeks.

Q. Today there was a match where there was Duckworth, with five surgeries. Murray had three surgeries. You're coming out of a surgery, also. Did you think when you were a young kid that tennis was so demanding, so complicate, and everyone needed doctors and surgeries?
STAN WAWRINKA: Well, I think I have been quite lucky in my career to have only small injury until last year, you know, to get my first, except few years ago. But to get my first big surgery at 32 after winning three Grand Slam in the career, I think in general I have been quite okay with that.

For sure, when you're an athlete, you know that you can get injury. You know that you have to push your body to the maximum, to the limit, to try to improve, keep going there, especially if you want to be at the best you can be. You need to push the limit. And sometimes it breaks.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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