The two had met at the quarterfinal at last year’s US Open, with Stan’s tournament ending there after an extremely close and heated full-set outing.
This match once again saw both Stan and Kei exchange explosive strokes, but it was Stan who managed to get the edge this time around, boasting impeccable form on the court. Armed with his powerful signature single backhand, the world No.4 struck the ball exactly where it needed to go. Stan the Man fired away 20 aces and 46 winners across the match’s two hours and nine minutes, winning in straight sets after a high-pressure tiebreaker, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(6).
Stan won last year’s Australian Open using his VCORE Tour G, and he carries the same racquet in his hands as he heads into the semifinals. He had this to say about his racquet, “The racquet gives me more spin. I think this racquet is good for the players who want to play aggressively from the baseline like me. This racquet gives us more control when we want to be aggressive.”
Stan will face either Novak Djokovic or Milos Raonic in his semifinal match on Friday.
2015 Australian Open Tournament Results
Men’s Singles (Quarterfinal)
[4] Stan Wawrinka (VCORE Tour G, SHT-PRO)(SUI) def. Kei Nishikori (JPN) 6-3, 6-4, 7-6(6)