Stan Wawrinka – Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You started the week saying you were trying to find your game and you elevated it every match. Do you feel that you reached the level that you’re happy with?

STAN WAWRINKA: Not yet, but I’m in finals so there is one more match to play my best tennis. That’s the most important.

For sure if you look from the beginning of the week I was not playing great at all. I was trying to find a way.

But that’s when I can still improve and I’m happy I did this week, not playing some great tennis, frustrated during matches but still fighting and trying to find solutions to win more matches during the week to play better.

No, but I start to feel way better already yesterday. I feel that on the court I start to feel better. I know what to expect. I’m moving better. I’m a little bit more relaxed and my strokes are going better.

Q. Were you surprised by the way it finished?

STAN WAWRINKA: Yes and no. No, because when you see during the match, you can imagine that it can happen something because he wasn’t really there from the beginning, wasn’t serving his best.

You never know what to expect, because again, as you see when he broke me back at 3-4 he was playing really well. That’s why I was focused on myself. I wasn’t expecting anything. I was trying to play my game, to stay tough, stay there, trying to win every point and that’s it.

Q. When you see somebody having an injury timeout on the court and having their back stretched out, do you almost try to ignore it because it might interfere with your thinking?

STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah. Myself, I try to stay in my match. For sure you always look and you always check for what he’s calling the physio. But also I know if it’s — I know that sometimes I call the physio because I had back blocked and he unblocked and then it was okay.

That’s why when my opponent is doing an injury timeout I’m just trying to focus on what I’m going to do after, not on what he has.

Q. I know yesterday you said you would look at this like every other match, but when you stepped on the court did you feel any tension in the air at all?

STAN WAWRINKA: No, no. The tension was there because it’s a semifinal and I don’t want to lose. I want to win. I want to play better tennis. I want to be in the final and have a chance to get the trophy.

That’s why I get the tension. But the rest, to play him I don’t think wasn’t, from my side, anything special.

Q. Can you talk about your potential final opponents separately, Feli or Marcos?

STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, it’s going to be interesting semifinal, completely opposite game. They both playing well so far this week. Feli is really aggressive player, serving big. He loves to play here. He always played well I think here in Dubai because it’s fast, because he can really play his aggressive style.

Marcos since the beginning of the year is playing better. He’s saying he’s happy with his fitness, with his game. You can see the way he’s playing. Yesterday he was playing really well against Bautista. It’s going to be interesting match.

I’m going to try to watch a little bit and be ready for the final, because for me most important is to focus on myself. I know that I need to play the best I can, hopefully the best match of the week, and try to get the trophy.

Q. Without giving away too many secrets, what parts of your game aren’t you happy with at the moment?

STAN WAWRINKA: I think it was many little thing. First arriving from indoor. I didn’t play here for many, many years so I didn’t know what to expect. Everybody was saying it’s fast, it’s going fast, need to play aggressive. But until you play, you cannot really see.

The first match was terrible from my side. I was late on everything. I did so many mistakes from just normal shots.

So now it’s all the pressure, the tension that you want to get some confidence, you want to get some win.

Now, in general I feel good. Yesterday and today I know when I start the match I was feeling well. I do some stupid mistake, I do some things that I’m not happy with it, but that’s part of the tour. That’s part of a lot of times during the year.

But so far I think tomorrow it’s going to be a good final.

Q. You see what happened to Novak?

STAN WAWRINKA: Yeah, I saw.

Q. What is your opinion?

STAN WAWRINKA: No opinion. I don’t know. It’s unlucky.

Q. You said you came here alone and you like being alone once in a while. Was there anything good or bad in the week this week? And after a match like today’s, do you like to talk to someone and do you miss that?

STAN WAWRINKA: I’m good with that. As I say, I decide to come here alone. I know why I do that and why I want it.

I’m happy with my routine so far. It’s great to be in the final. That’s the best feeling. After the match I’m talking with you guys, so it’s enough. (Laughter.)

No, then I’m going to do my shower, ice bath, treatment, and everything. That’s it. That’s good. That’s good enough for me.

Q. Are you going to tell Magnus you don’t need him anymore?

STAN WAWRINKA: No, no. It’s easy to have a team around you. It’s not because you win. It’s the work you do every day. Sometimes it pay off when they are not here.