Wawrinka: "I Found A Solution"
Wawrinka: "I Found A Solution"
The Swiss star was relieved to survive a five-set tussle over Lukas Rosol
No defending men’s singles champion at Roland Garros has ever lost in the opening round, but Stan Wawrinka looked like he might become the first after finding himself down two sets to one on Monday against Lukas Rosol.
The No. 3 seed admitted to struggling with his form and the inspired play of his opponent, but found a way to win when he wasn’t playing his best. He saved two break points at 2-2 in the deciding set and went on to prevail in the marathon encounter, 4-6, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
“I didn’t play my best tennis in general. A lot of mistakes. But he was playing really well and going for his shots,” said Wawrinka. “He didn’t miss much until he started to get a little tired in the fourth set. Before that, I was always under pressure. I’m still looking for my game because the conditions didn’t allow me to play the way I wanted to.”
The Swiss star has experience to draw from this fortnight in trying to defend a Grand Slam title, having experienced the same pressure at last year’s Australian Open. Although plenty of attention is focused on Wawrinka as he tries to win a second Roland Garros title, he said he doesn’t feel any added expectations this year.
“For me, it’s not a big deal to come back after winning. I come like it’s a new tournament, a new Grand Slam, a new year,” said Wawrinka. “When I entered the court, I had all the memories of winning from last year. But after that, I was there to beat Rosol and play a first round in tough conditions, so I was focused on my match.”
Wawrinka admits he will need to improve his form in order to continuing moving forward this year at Roland Garros. But by surviving his match today against Rosol, he’s happy to have the chance to try and do that.
“It’s never the best to start with a five-set match and not play your best tennis. You always want to play good tennis and win matches in three sets,” he said. “It wasn’t easy for me to get into the match, but I found a solution. Now I have a chance to keep improving for the rest of the tournament.”