Davis Cup: Leandro Riedi - "Stan Wawrinka is a champion"
Leandro Riedi , 21, and Dominic Stricker , 20, form a pair of young players who will bring a lot of joy to Swiss tennis fans. We spoke to Riedi in Trier before the start of the Davis Cup match against Germany.
by Jens Huiber
last edit: Feb 03, 2023, 01:35 pm
tennisnet : Mr. Riedi. You put on a great streak on the Challenger Tour last fall, winning tournaments in Helsinki and Andria. You are already 127th in the world rankings. In Melbourne, however, you lost in the third qualifying round. How do you rate this result after a few days?
Leandro Riedi : Sure, that was a huge disappointment. But I have to see it differently. Because the eight weeks before that were unbelievable. Qualifying for the Australian Open would have been like a dessert. But in the end it was all a bit much for me, mentally and physically. My opponent (the Czech Dalibor Svrcina, editor's note) was simply better in the end.
tennisnet : How do you base your success on?
Riedi : Mentally, I took a step in the right direction. And very well trained too. I knew that progress would come one day. But the key was mental.
tennisnet : Have you had points of contact with Stan Wawrinka in the past, who is here in Trier as Switzerland's team leader?
Riedi : I used to train with him once or twice. But I haven't seen Stan like this before. That's very cool.
tennisnet : You lost to another teammate, Dominic Stricker, in the junior final of the 2020 French Open. How do you get along with each other?
Riedi : We clearly have a mate relationship. We've been training together since we were 14 years old. Of course we're competitors on the field, but otherwise I sometimes visit him at the weekend. That's a very good friendship.
tennisnet : In Italy in particular there are many Challenger tournaments that offer younger players opportunities to enter the professional circus. How do you see Switzerland positioned in this regard?
Riedi : I no longer have this problem thanks to my good ranking. But: I think Switzerland is doing a great job there. In the last two years, three challengers and even more futures have been added. I like it very much.
tennisnet : How do you see the encounter with the German team this weekend?
Riedi : All five players from our team are ready to play. Stan is a champion. If you need me in doubles, then I'm ready. In singles too. And I've played a lot of doubles with Dominic.