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By Chris Oddo | Friday September 11, 2015

 
Stan Wawrinka, Roger Federer US Open

Roger Federer and Stan Wawrinka are good friends but each is fine to put the friendship aside for a good, old-fashioned tussle.

Photo: AP

They are fast friends, faster than ever after putting a much-publicized squabble behind them and dashing off to win Switzerland’s first Davis Cup title together in 2014, but Stan Wawrinka and Roger Federer will have to play the role of bitter antagonists in Friday’s final semifinal at the US Open.

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It will be the first time that Wawrinka and Federer have met this late at a major.

It’s an opportunity that both Federer and Wawrinka relish, and though they are clearly very close—they even share the members of each other’s team as they travel the world racking up ATP titles and ranking points—these two sublime talents have no problem lacing up the sneakers and spending a few hours against each other on opposite sides of the net.

“Honestly, emotionally it's not so hard for me,” Federer said on Wednesday after defeating Richard Gasquet in three breezy sets and finding out he’d be facing his compatriot next. “I enjoy the matches, because always that means one of us moves on. For Swiss it's huge that we have two guys in the semis of the US Open, a huge tournament, biggest arena in the world. It's what it's all about.”

Wawrinka echoes those sentiments. Maybe several years ago he was buried so deep in the shadows cast by Federer’s greatness that he couldn’t bring his burgeoning game into the light. Maybe his confidence and desire were at one time influenced by the disheartening fact that he’d never be as good—or as beloved—as Federer, but not anymore. Under the tutelage of Swedish coach Magnus Norman, Wawrinka has undergone a drastic mental makeover and all the pieces of the puzzle have been made to fit into one cohesive, brawny, bad-ass tennis player that has won more Grand Slams in the last two years than Federer, Nadal and Murray combined.

Wawrinka reached two Grand Slam quarterfinals in his first 32 major appearances. Since then, he’s reached nine out of 11 and won two titles.

It’s a fact that’s not lost on Federer. “I don't think this is the first for anybody who has seen Stan play this way. We know he can do this,” were Federer’s words after falling to Wawrinka in straight sets in the Roland Garros quarterfinals this year.

In that match Wawrinka was able to smash through the wind and dominate Federer on slow, Parisian clay. But his challenge will be more daunting on Friday with Federer in fine form and the New York conditions more suited to the maestro’s game.

Although he’s gotten close, Wawrinka has never defeated Federer on a hard-court. He’s won three of 19 matches against his fellow Swiss, but all three have come on clay. But even on hard courts, Wawrinka is closing the gap. He’s taken Federer to three sets the last three times they’ve played on hard, and with his big-match belief burgeoning there’s reason to believe he can defeat Federer in New York on Friday.

“I think the past three years, for sure, I get closer to him,” Wawrinka said when asked about playing Federer on hard courts. “My level improved a lot. I'm playing better tennis. So I was always really close to him, if we look Wimbledon last year.”

There is a reckless element to Wawrinka’s game that makes him dangerous, and it will be interesting how Federer approaches the match. Will he wait and see if Wawrinka is perhaps flat before going on attack, not wanting to hand him anything easy? Or will he try to beat him to the punch by quick-striking and SABRing to get in his face and in his head? On clay at Roland Garros, with winds swirling, Federer never got on his front foot this spring. He lamented the fact that he wasn’t able to make inroads against Wawrinka’s second serve in that match, but on a faster surface and with much more confidence, Federer promises to be a very difficult player to deal with.

Wawrinka’s success, both against the rest of the tour and against Federer has changed the way his opponents approach playing him. There’s a lot more fear now—that he might get in the zone and never get out—and Wawrinka uses this to fuel his own confidence.

“I think now we [are] both nervous when we enter the court,” Wawrinka said, when asked how his mindset prior to playing Federer has changed in the last five years. “Before it was only me. I was nervous because I knew I wasn't at his level, for sure. And now I think we can see that he was also nervous every time we play each other the past few years. That's a big difference, because that shows how much he knows that I can play at his level, how much he knows that I can try to play my game and not just try to react about what he's doing.”

Despite being one of two players to own a Grand Slam title in 2015, Wawrinka wasn’t considered by many to be a factor in New York. He was winning, but not with great energy, passion or form. But on Wednesday when he crushed Kevin Anderson, Wawrinka looked like he could be poised for another streak of devastating tennis.

But a rested Federer, who has cruised through the first five rounds, growing in confidence with each passing win, has likely put his thinking cap on about the x’s and o’s of this match. With Federer’s serve so grooved, Wawrinka will likely be forced to play a lot more defense than he prefers. And, if that’s the case, Wawrinka better have a fantastic serving day or things could fall apart fast.

With the new wind-blocking roof structure acting as a buffer, the quality of tennis promises to be high. It will be a quick, just like Federer likes it, and it will be up to Wawrinka to find ways to slow the Federer express down.

No matter the outcome this all-Swiss semifinal promises to be a fast and furious battle. Two thoroughbreds, jockeying for position on a fast track. One legend, relocating his belief, the other, reaching his potential as he hits 30. And while losing will likely sting for one, the consolation will be having a good friend in the final.


 

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