Tennis: Swiss steps from giant shadow into sun

Stanislas Wawrinka on his way to beating Florian Mayer of Germany. Picture / Brett Phibbs

Stanislas Wawrinka lives in a big shadow. Roger Federer's, to be precise.

Slowly, he is emerging to make his own way on the tough ATP Tour with the hope that he will again team with Federer in a Swiss Davis Cup team capable of making the big boys take notice.

World No 1 Federer is the biggest household name in Switzerland but he needs worthy back-up for his country to be competitive on the global stage.

Federer did not play in his country's 2-3 loss to the Netherlands in their World Group match last March, but he and Wawrinka were in the team who swamped Great Britain 5-0.

In that September qualifier in Geneva on an indoor clay court, Wawrinka beat Andy Murray in straight sets, after Federer had opened the tie with an easier win over Alan Mackin.

In reaching today's Heineken Open semifinals, 20-year-old Wawrinka, in his fourth year as a professional, is now one match away from a second ATP final.

In fifth seed Mario Ancic, the unseeded Swiss faces a formidable foe but he has been impressive in sweeping through his first three matches in straight sets, dropping just 16 games.

His 6-3, 6-4 quarter-final win over unseeded German Florian Mayer took just 1h 03m. He offered Mayer no break chances while taking a couple of crucial breaks himself.

In other ways it was uncharted territory for the Swiss No 2 and world No 54.

After being consigned to an outside court for his early Sovereign Singles matches, Wawrinka made a successful step on to stadium court yesterday.

"I played very well," he said afterwards. "I was pleased to again win in two sets. It is good to win in two sets.

"It is a good place to be at this time of the year and also to play four matches."

He is wary of Ancic.

"He has a very good serve," said Wawrinka.

"He will be very tough. I have never played him before."

Rejoining Federer on the Swiss Davis Cup team would be special. Their paths first crossed when Wawrinka, as a promising 16-year-old, got to practice with Federer, at the time No 6 on the ATP rankings.

While he is realistic enough not to expect to follow his countryman to such dizzy heights, Wawrinka will be in the top 50 when the latest rankings are released next week.

"I would like to go to the top 30 this year," he said.

"A win here would go a long way to kickstarting such ambitions."

In his second match of the day at the ASB Tennis Centre, he and countryman Yves Allegro bowed out 3-6, 6-7 (3-7) to doubles top seeds Simon Aspelin and Todd Perry.

That match signalled a return to an outside court - the last time this week - for Wawrinka.