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Wawrinka relying on Federer’s team


 

Originally published on: 12/06/12 00:00

Look in the stands during some of Stan Wawrinka’s matches and you could be forgiven for thinking it was his fellow Swiss, Roger Federer, on the court. Wawrinka is working without a current coach of his own but is receiving plenty of help and support from Federer’s entourage.

Federer’s two main coaches, Paul Annacone and Severin Luthi, and his fitness trainer, Pierre Paganini, all assisted Wawrinka during the French Open. Paganini and Luthi, who is Switzerland’s Davis Cup captain, have been associated with Wawrinka for several years, but the world No.23 was delighted to receive additional help from Annacone.

“He's a tennis coach who loves tennis and he loves to watch other players play,” Wawrinka said of the American.  “Considering I don't have a coach, he really helps me a lot.”

He added: “Pierre has been my fitness coach for years.  He doesn't always come to the tournaments, so it's very important for me to have him there. It's important for him as well to see me play, not only when it goes well, but in difficult matches.”

Wawrinka, who enjoyed one of his best wins of the year when he beat Gilles Simon in five sets after more than four and a half hours at Roland Garros, thinks he is a better player than he used to be. “I do believe I have improved,” he said. “I play better, I do more things.  If I look at the previous years, maybe I was defending too much and I was playing long matches, waiting for the others to give up.

“This year I'm doing things differently against a player like Gilles Simon. The match was long, and I wanted him to crack up physically. But I also attacked him a lot, and that's the reason why he grew tired. I accepted the risk of making errors, because I knew I had to attack.  And that was the solution to defeat him.”

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Tim Farthing, Tennishead Editorial Director & Owner, has been a huge tennis fan his whole life. He's a tennis journalist and entrepreneur as well as playing tennis to a national standard. He also helps manage his local club and volunteers for his local tennis organisation. He's a specialist in content about the administration of professional tennis and tennis coaching for all levels.