Difficult to win a third Slam, says Stanislas Wawrinka

Abu Dhabi - It was a weapon that he used with such ease that even the mighty Djokovic felt powerless to stop the Swiss onslaught despite taking the first set in that unforgettable final on the red clay of Roland Garros.

 Stanislas Wawrinka is always going to be remembered more for breaking Novak Djokovic's heart in Paris than that sublime one-handed backhand that he produces with unmatched regularity.
It was a weapon that he used with such ease that even the mighty Djokovic felt powerless to stop the Swiss onslaught despite taking the first set in that unforgettable final on the red clay of Roland Garros.
After taming Rafael Nadal in the quarterfinals, the stage was set for the Serbian world number one to complete his career Grand Slam in Paris. He had revealed at the start of 2015 that the French Open crown was his biggest aim.
But little did he know that his clay dreams would be shattered by Wawrinka - of all people!
"My mind went blank after that final," Wawrinka told us at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship in Abu Dhabi when we asked him about that glorious Parisian afternoon in June.
"It took me some days to realise that the French Open was something really big for me. It was amazing actually. I didn't expect to win the French Open. So to do it by playing the best match I have ever played against Novak Djokovic was really something special."
Despite having two Grand Slams in his bag - he won the Australian Open in 2014 with wins over Djokovic in quarters and Nadal in final - in the golden era of tennis, Wawrinka is modest enough to admit that it will be difficult for him to win a third Slam.
"Yes the last two years have been good for me. I was back in the top 10 and then in the top five. I won two Grand Slams in two years. But it's tough for me to predict if I will win a Grand Slam again knowing how difficult it is to win one," the world number four said.
"The challenge in the Grand Slams is really big. But yes my goal is to play my best tennis in the Slams. I know I can beat the top players if I play my best tennis."
Wawrinka is also working on becoming more consistent in big tournaments. "I won a major and a few tournaments in 2015. So the biggest challenge for me in 2016 will be to play my best tennis in every tournament. I will try to win tournaments and try to play as well as I can. I did beat the top players in 2015. Hopefully I can do it once again this year."
The Lausanne-born player says he will be happy if he can match his more illustrious compatriot Roger Federer by remaining competitive in his 30s. "Hopefully, yes. Hopefully I can play for many more years. But again, I'm going to try to play as much as I can that's for sure. Where I'll be in a few years, which ranking, what level? I really don't know. I will always push myself to be at my top and we'll see where it will be," said Wawrinka who will turn 31 in March.
Will he team up with Federer in the doubles event of the 2016 Rio Olympics? "I don't know. We haven't decided yet," said Wawrinka who won the doubles gold with Federer for Switzerland in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Wawrinka's semifinal opponent at the Mubadala event will be either Kevin Anderson or Milos Raonic. "They two are two of the biggest servers in the game. It's always difficult to beat them. They have big shots, but they also do have their share of weaknesses. So you need to find out how you can play well against them to beat them. It's going to be interesting."
rituraj@khaleejtimes.com