Wawrinka crowned king of Monte Carlo
Originally published on 21/04/14
In the first all-Swiss final on the ATP Tour for 14 years, Wawrinka came from behind to defeat his friend and rival 4-6 7-6(5) 6-2 to become only the third player in four years outside of the Big Four (Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray) to win a Masters 1000 title. It was only his second victory in 15 meetings against the 17-time Grand Slam champion – his only previous win coming in Monte Carlo back in 2009.
"It's always special to play Roger," said Wawrinka. "We know it's always a strange match, especially being in the final here. He's my best friend on the tour. We respect each other so much. I'm just trying on the court to win the match. Before and after, we are still very good friends. During the match, we just try everything to win. Today I'm really happy to take that one.åå
"I can see that when mentally I'm there and I'm fighting, I can play tennis, I can beat [anyone]. I did an amazing job. I'm really happy after winning my first Grand Slam to win a Masters 1000 so quick. I didn't expect to. When I came here, for me it was more like a test. I knew I was playing good tennis, but I didn't expect to win because the draw was so strong."
"Of course, I'm very happy for Stan," said Federer, who recorded his 100th Masters match win with his semi-final victory over David Ferrer. "It's a huge win for him after winning his first Grand Slam this year, also to win his first Masters 1000. To take the opportunities when they're there, that's key in a tennis player's career. So I'm very happy for him."
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