Wawrinka ready to banish French Open horrors
By Tom Hayward LONDON - Stanislas Wawrinka put his tennis rackets away for 12days after a shock first round defeat at the French Open but was happy to get back into action at Queen's Club on Wednesday. The Swiss, who won this year's Australian Open, crashed out in straight sets to Spain's Guillermo Garcia-Lopez at Roland Garros having arrived with some tipping him for a title run. While a massive jolt to an otherwise impressive season, it allowed him to re-charge his batteries and prepare for the start of Wimbledon in a more relaxed way than the usual dash from European clay to British grass. "It was more than one week, 10 days," world No.3 Wawrinka told reporters at the Aegon Championships where he played only five games of his second round match against Marcos Baghdatis before his Cypriot opponent retired injured. "It was a really, really bad match (in Paris)," he added. "I did a lot of things in the wrong way over there in Paris. "I had time to realise and try to not make it again. So far I'm happy to be on grass courts. I'm happy to be here. I'm playing well. I have more than two weeks to get ready for Wimbledon." Wawrinka said he had spoken to his coach Magnus Norman about his French Open debacle. "I think I know more or less [the reasons for defeat]. I prefer to keep it private, because I have been talking with Magnus and my team, parents, a lot about that. "I think I'm ready for the rest of the season." Wawrinka was forever one of 'the best of the rest' untilwinning his maiden grand slam in Melbourne earlier this year against world number one Rafa Nadal. Now however, as a grand slam champion, Wawrinka must learn to cope with the pressures that come with being one of the main favorites at every tournament. "I have been on the tour since the Australian Open for many tournaments so we'll see (if his opponents approach him differently). I think I need to look at myself to be ready. "I know that if my level is there, I can do some great results even in Wimbledon, but we'll see." Wawrinka will arrive at Wimbledon with much to live up to but for the time being he is just concentrating on sharpening his game on the lush grass of Queen's Club where he is the top seed, above reigning champion Andy Murray. "I'm not thinking about Wimbledon or winning my next tournament. It's a long way to go. You have to be ready every day, and that's what I'm doing. "I'm trying to give everything everyday." Wawrinka will be up against American Sam Querrey on Thursday. (Reporting by Tom Hayward, editing by Martyn Herman)
