Stan Wawrinka confirms he will be a starter in the Australian Open

AFTER six months out of tennis because of knee surgery, Stan Wawrinka has waited until 48 hours out from the Australian Open before deciding to play and is playing down his expectations.

Stan Wawrinka talks to the media ahead of the Australian Open. Picture: AP

AFTER six months out of tennis because of knee surgery, wary Stan Wawrinka has waited until 48 hours out from the Australian Open before deciding to play the first major of the season.

Wawrinka’s Open participation hovered in the balance because of fitness concerns heightened by Wednesday’s late withdrawal from the Tie Break Tens event.

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“First thing was last-minute choice to come here for a week to practise without knowing if I

would be able to play or not,” the triple grand slam champion said.

“But I think was the right choice after few months being home, practising a lot to get my knee a little bit better.

“I’m happy with the week I had. It was important to get push, to practise with the top guys, to practise a lot more than normally because it’s the first week I had the chance to play points and practice at a high level.

“I know I’m not at the level I want to be yet because it’s a long process to get there. But I’m happy with the way the knee is handling.

“For me, I think the fact that I’m here and I’m going to play the first one, it’s a big victory.

“It’s the best that I could have dream when I had the surgery, is to be here sitting in front of you and to say, ‘OK, I’m going to play the first match.’

“That’s something really good from my side, especially from the knee. The knee is getting way better. I still have a lot of work to do physically and also tennis-wise to be to my top level.”

Stan Wawrinka has a hit at Melbourne Park earlier in the week. Picture: Getty Images

Seeded ninth, Wawrinka will face Lithuanian Ricardas Berankis on Tuesday in his first match since Wimbledon.

The 2014 Open champion has modest expectations.

“I’m going to take the time I need for that,” he said.

“I need to start somewhere anyway. I think here was a good start. It’s a good place to start, to get pushed, to see also mentally how I’m going to react, how I’m going to feel when I’m going to be playing matches.”

Wawrinka revealed he had faced a host of elite peers over the past week — and barely won a set against Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and others.

“Big, week, I practised with Rafa, I practised with Novak, with (Tomas) Berdych, with (Gael) Monfils, with (Grigor) Dimitrov.

“I didn’t win many sets, but that’s not the most important. I did way more hours in one week that I’ve done the last few months, and against a way better level of intensity.

“That’s my goal, was to come here, to practise three, four hours a day, to see how the knee can keep it.

“Also I know that physically I’m not at my level at all, but it’s OK.

“My main goal is first to get to the level I want to be physically and also tennis-wise. I know I need few weeks, month. I don’t know, I will see. That’s my first goal. Then I will decide what will be the next goal.”

Wawrinka hasn’t played since Wimbledon last year. Picture: Getty Images

Wawrinka revealed his split from coach Magnus Norman was less than ideal.

“It was already a tough, tough, tough moment for myself, to be out, to get surgery, to know that it will take at least six months to be back at a place where I can play tennis again,” he said.

“It was, for sure, tough to hear from him that he will stop at that moment.

“As I already said, when you in a tough place like that as an athlete, you want the people who knows you the best to stay around you, to stick with you.

“You want your team, your family to be here. They will help you the most to get back where you want to be.

“For me, Magnus, he was my coach, but he was a friend, even closer than a friend. It was tough to know that he will not be here to start again with me. I was more sad than angry at him.

“At the end of the day, I will always be grateful for all the work we’ve done together the past many years, winning grand slam with him.

“That’s what I want to keep from our relationship.

“But for sure, that moment, when he came to tell me it was maybe not the best moment to have your coach stopping with you. But it’s like that.”