I am still waiting patiently 4 years later for my man Stan Wawrinka to do what he did with ease back in 2015 - defeat his Swiss counterpart playing the game Stan knows how to play best. Trouble is ever since Wawrinka swept past Federer in straight sets before going onto win the French Open, Federer has had his number on all seven occassions. He knows Stan's game inside out that if Wawrinka plays anything but his most aggressive tennis, he is tamed and taken apart.
Source - Getty Images - Wawrinka vs Federer
Wawrinka - Federer embrace after Federer's Victory at Roland Garros this Year
Many a Stan fan will remember 2015 for the year he destroyed both Federer and Djokovic at the French Open - not many players can claim to have done that in a single tournament, particularly a Grand Slam. After defeating Federer in the QF (
64 63 76) Stan went on to destroy Djokovic 46 64 63 64 in the final. How many players can beat Djokovic 3 sets to 1 in a Grand Slam final? I think you would struggle to find such impressive stats - not a single tie break!
In fact Stan, Roger and Novak are the only players to put a single dent a piece in Nadal's record at Roland Garros since 2005.
Yesterday in Cincinatti whilst Federer was showing Argentine Londero a masterclass in forecourt tennis Wawrinka was hustling for victory against Bulgarian Dimitrov. Having had two match points at 5-2 in the third, Wawrinka would need an eventual tie break to seal the victory. That was 30 minutes later, showing both a weakness but also a strength in his game. While maybe exposing what is still a rusty side to his game post knee operation he also showed remarkable patience in not getting the least bit frustrated when getting broken on serve three times since those first two match points. In the tie break again having been mini breaks up he allowed Dimitrov back into it before closing it out with more lights out tennis when it counted.
It's almost inevitable that Stan will get past Rublev and set up an all Swiss clash with Federer but has Stan now got what it takes to defeat his fellow Swiss? Judging by Federer's first match vs Londero it's going to take Stan at his best again to stand a chance. Federer produced some of the best volleys of the year at the net to defeat Londero, especially his drop volleys where he took all the pace off what were decent attempts at passing shots.
Federer and Wawrinka have already met twice this year. Once earlier on a hard court at Indian Wells where Federer won comfortably 6-3, 6-4 before he would then go on and make it two at the French and exact revenge on Wawrinka's 2015 win by claiming victory in four sets - 76 46 76 64. The stats don't lie and it's likely Wawrinka will fall to Federer again in Cincinatti allowing Roger a famous all Swiss hat trick in a year. But as a Stan fan, here's hoping I am wrong!
I will leave you with highlights of both Wawrinka and Federer's win over each other at the French in 2015 and 2019