It will be an all-Swiss affair when friends and familiar foes Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer square off in the Australian Open semifinals on Thursday. Federer emerged from a quarter of the draw that included Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori.
Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer will be facing each other for the 22nd time in their careers when they battle for a place in the Australian Open title match on Thursday night.
Federer is dominating the head-to-head series 18-3 and he has never lost to his fellow Swiss on a hard court. All three of Wawrinka’s victories have come on clay; twice at the Monte-Carlo Masters (2009 and 2014) and once on the way to his 2015 French Open triumph. They have not met in more than a full year, as Federer most recently prevailed 7-5, 6-3 in the semis of the 2015 World Tour Finals.
Last season was a tough one for the 35-year-old, with a knee problem sending him tumbling all the way out of the top 16. That left him at the mercy of the Aussie draw, and he found himself in the same quarter as Andy Murray, Kei Nishikori, and Tomas Berdych. Federer got past Berdych (straight sets) and Nishikori (five) before avoiding Murray, who was stunned by unseeded German Mischa Zverev. The 17-time Grand Slam champion promptly ended Zverev’s run 6-1, 7-5, 6-2 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday.
“Against Roger it’s always special because he’s so good,” Wawrinka noted. “He’s the best player of all time. He has answer for everything. But I managed to beat him in a Grand Slam, so we’ll see. Most important is that I step on the court and I play my best tennis…. He’s playing so well since the beginning of the tournament. He had a little bit some hesitation in the [first two] rounds, but since that he’s really flying on the court.”
Wawrinka has progressed in similar fashion. The world No. 4 struggled against Martin Klizan (five sets) and Viktor Troicki (one point from going to a fifth set), but posted more convincing wins over Steve Johnson, Andreas Seppi, and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on his way to the last four. Wawrinka is through to the semis Down Under for the third time in his career and he is ultimately looking for his second title (2014) and fourth overall at a major.
“I think [Stan] and [Rafael Nadal] know my game (better than anyone else),” Federer commented. “Stan and I practiced so much together. With Rafa, I only practiced once in my life, whereas with Stan, I can’t even keep count anymore. Yeah, I guess those two guys know me very well.”
What Wawrinka knows is that his game does not match up well with that of his countryman. He does not have the heavy topspin to pound away at Federer’s one-handed backhand, which Nadal does with consistency. His backhand down the line can be combatted by Federer’s signature running forehand. Most importantly, Wawrinka lacks belief; he is well away of his futility against Federer on every surface other than clay.
This is not necessarily the 17-time major champion’s “last best” chance to win a major, but it is certainly an amazing opportunity. He won’t let it go to waste–not against Wawrinka at least.
Pick: Federer in 4
[polldaddy poll=9645867]
[polldaddy poll=9645868]
Feds injury timeout to halt momentum was master stroke
He will be full of confidence after winning two 5 setters
The quality of this match was very poor though. Filled with errors.
However that means Fed can peak in final
Congrats to Fed. So three veteran multi slam winners through to the final(s); Rafa please join them and plays in the final on Sunday. Make it one better than Fed on comebacks by winning the title.
Stan just making too much careless mistakes in the final set. He had Fed on the rope a few times but Fed just served well and hung tough.
If it is Rafa in the final, I like Rafa’s chances for the title; he is a better big match player than Stan. If its Dimi then I think Fed will win his no.18th slam.
stan have beat the nightmare of Rafa Novak djokovic in two GS finals and even to Rafa in one final.. im sure Stan is a great big match player…dont take merits from Fed
he was tough today…but not tough enough
Are you serious? You want to compare Stan to Rafa? Rafa could beat Fed in slam finals, Stan couldn’t beat Fed in a slam SF.
Fed’s merit was to tough it out in the fifth. He could have finished the match well before the fifth set but played poorly to lose the third set. Stan really didn’t do much to win the third.
Also i think it is time law of averages catches up and fed wins a gs final after losing three in a row.
Another thought could we have the teverse of 2009 fed winning in five rafa in three in the semis and fed defeating rafa in five in the finals?
Don’t think Fed could last a five setter and beat Rafa in it. Like I said, Rafa has good chances of winning if he makes it to the final.
Fed not as good as in 2012 and 2014, he has to finish matches quickly, lapses like in the third set today can be very costly in the final.
Fed’s mental is not really there if he plays Rafa.
First serve % will drop to below 50% compared to his first serve when playing others.
Stan never plays to his potential against Fed, he has a mental block that will last his whole career (which is disappointing).
Nadal will destroy Fed in the final. I predict 3:0 or 3:1.
Looks like the bookies will be giving 2/1 also
First, Rafa is not in the final yet so we should all be focused on Dimi! If Rafa is aggressive and stays focused, but also firing FHs and dictating points instead of let Dimi do that, he should be fine. At this stage of the tourney every opponent is dangerous.
I disagree Dimi will be more relaxed or have “nothing to lose” attitude! In fact he has everything to lose. This is his chance to reach his first GS final so he will be nervous. Rafa should capitalize on that and avoid his usual slow start!
As for Fed I totally agree Wawa is his puppet and has huge inferior complexes and mental barrier when facing Fed. Even when Fed lost two sets I kept telling people around me that Fed was gonna win at the end.
Fed is high on confidence. Playing well! Add to it great draw, faster surface to suit his game, night matches, two days of rest before the finals…what more can he ask for…
“Fed is high on confidence. Playing well! Add to it great draw, faster surface to suit his game, night matches, two days of rest before the finals…what more can he ask for…”
None of this accounts for the mental edge Nadal has over him and the lefty to right-handed single backhand advantage.
Fed crumbles against players he doesnt have the mental edge over.
The bookies are giving money away @ 2.50 for Nadal to win the final.
Fed Jnr will be the first and then Fed Snr.
Agreed. But one match at the time for Rafa and his fans! We had too much of the painful times and can’t afford to get ahead of ourselves…
Mark, I agree with you that the mental edge has always been a huge factor for Fed vs. Rafa in slams. I wonder how Rafa will do mentally in terms of not having been 1 win away from a major title in over two and a half years. I would think that it is won’t make much of a difference. Rafa is arguably the most mentally tough player of all-time, so I don’t like to compare him to other people. But history has shown that sometimes people can want something so much that they actually think too much and it affects them negatively. That being said, I would like to think that this won’t happen to Rafa. I just can’t help but be a little worried about it for Rafa when he hasn’t been his close to the big title in so long (for his standard). What do you think about this?
If Rafa reaches final nerves will grapple both of them. One chasing no 18 that he has been waiting for 4.5 years and other double career slam which is a huge milestone in itself .
So Fed ended up winning in the end. I only stay up for Rafa! I thought he would get through. Now it’s up to Rafa to do his part.
I am not going to talk about Rafa and Fed until Rafa beats Dimi! First things first! We know Rafa’s big advantage in the H2h with Fed in slams. History will be made no matter what in the final.
I have to believe that Rafa can see the finish line and will show that mental toughness and fight.
Vamos Rafa. Do your best and take care of Dimi.
Nadal is in a zone. I watched the highlight against Raonic again just now. Nadal is hitting winners like he did in the 2008 Wimbeldon Final.