Stan Wawrinka in 2020: attack on the top 10
Stan Wawrinka has two matches at the Diriyah Tennis Cup for the coming season. After two defeats in a row, the Swiss was eliminated without winning the set. In 2020 he plans to return to the absolute tennis elite.
by Lukas Zahrer
last edit: Dec 13, 2019, 07:00 pm
“My serve is not working so well yet. In both matches he let me down with the big points, ”Wawrinka struggled after a 6: 7, 5: 7 against John Isner on Friday. In the second set, he was already leading 5-2, but then he never succeeded in a single game. “My baseline game was pretty good. If I have time, I can build pressure. With a good server like Isner, there are only a few rallies. ”
Wawrinka travels back to his coach Magnus Norman's academy near Stockholm this weekend, where he will do the rest of the preparation for the next two and a half weeks. “The major part of the physical build-up is complete. I now have to work on my tennis with my trainer. I still have a lot of work ahead of me, but also enough time to get it done, ”he said on tennisnet demand.
At the end of November, Wawrinka announced the separation of its long-time companion Yannick Fattebert. The Swiss supported his compatriot for many years, now Wawrinka is starting the new season with Daniel Vallverdu and Norman. Pierre Paganini is responsible for the preparation of the fitness program.
Stan Wawrinka: start of the season in Doha
For the new year, Wawrinka "already has a few ideas" about his goals. The biggest is "a return to the top 10". “I would like to be there at the end of the year. I know what it takes to win the big tournaments. Now I'm trying to do the right things for it. "
And further: “I believe that good results and good tennis are in me. Hopefully I can win some titles again. The last one was a long time ago. That would be at least the first step. ”Wawrinka won the last of his 16 tournament wins on the ATP tour in Geneva - in May 2017.
Wawrinka will start his season at the ATP 250 tournament in Doha. He canceled participation in the ATP Cup in Australia at an early stage - even before Roger Federer retired and took Switzerland out of the tournament .
Wawrinka is aiming for a lean game plan for the future. "I've never been a player who competes in too many tournaments," he said, explaining: "The older you get, the less tennis you need to improve performance. Again, I need more time to regenerate. "
After Doha it goes to the Australian Open, where the 34-year-old won his first of three Grand Slam titles in 2014. "There are many good memories coming up," said Wawrinka when asked about the triumph. “We watch so many matches and train so hard for this moment. It was an incredible feeling. I enjoy the Australian Open the most of all tournaments. ”
# # IMG2
Wawrinka eliminated - struff in the "small final"
In the second round of the consolidation round, Jan-Lennard Struff took his first win in the tournament. He took on Michael Mmoh, an American with Saudi Arabian roots, and won 6: 4, 6: 1. Originally he would have faced Lucas Pouille, but the Frenchman withdrew due to problems with his elbow. Struff meets Wawrinka conqueror Isner on Saturday.
In the semi-finals of the main field, Daniil Medvedev beat David Goffin 6: 3, 6: 3. Fabio Fognini continues after an entertaining two-set victory over Gael Monfils. The Frenchman told of a minor injury after the match that made his appearance in the exhibition fight in Abu Dhabi wobble.
Semifinals in Saudi Arabia: Results from Friday
| time of day | Player 1 | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11 a.m. | Stan Wawrinka | John Isner | 6: 7, 5: 7 |
| followed by | Michael Mmoh * | Jan-Lennard Struff | 4: 6, 1: 6 |
| not before 3 p.m. | Fabio Fognini | Gael Monfils | 6: 4, 6: 4 |
| followed by | David Goffin | Daniil Medvedev | 3: 6, 3: 6 |
*: Lucas Pouille had to withdraw due to an elbow injury.