Stan Wawrinka will look to achieve his best Grand Slam finish in six years on Saturday.
The Swiss, playing his final year on the ATP Tour, has enjoyed an incredible start to his last Australian Open campaign.
Wawrinka defeated Laslo Djere in his first-round match and came out on top against Arthur Gea in a tough five-set marathon to reach round three at Melbourne Park.
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His next opponent is ninth seed Taylor Fritz, against whom he holds a winning record of 2-1.
Wawrinka received a wildcard for the Australian Open, which former American player John Isner suggested was a great decision.
John Isner discusses Stan Wawrinka’s run in Melbourne so far
Speaking about the three-time major champion’s win over Gea on the Nothing Major podcast, Isner said: “I’m not shocked he was able to get through this one.
“I mean, his first match was pretty tough. He got through it in four, but he’s got to be running on fumes now. But, you know, this is why he’s still playing, right.
“I don’t think he expects to make a quarterfinal run in this event. These are the moments he’s still training for. All these challengers he’s been playing.
“You guys remember he came over before the US Open, he thought he’s going to get a US Open wildcard and he played a Challenger in Mexico. He’s played so many challengers.
“Over the last year and a half, he has just been building up for a moment like this in a second round of a Grand Slam, making the third round in that atmosphere.
“His swansong Australian Open. This is what he’s been building up for for so long now and it’s absolutely incredible to see him come through in five sets.
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“He’s just in incredible shape at 40 years old. You’ve got to hand it to him. He’s strong as an ox out there.
“He’s playing to the crowd, and the crowd is loving him. The Australian Open, of course, got it right with this wildcard because he, to this point, is the story of the tournament.”
The last time Stan Wawrinka made the fourth round of a major
Over the last five seasons, Wawrinka has struggled to go far on the very biggest stages in tennis.
His best result at Grand Slams has been a third round finish, which he achieved at both Wimbledon and the US Open in 2023.
The last time Wawrinka made it to the fourth round of a major was during the 2020 season, when he reached the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
There, Wawrinka knocked out fourth seed Daniil Medvedev to make it to the last eight, but was ultimately beaten by Alexander Zverev.
He will now have the chance to reach the fourth round at the Australian Open for the eighth time in his career.
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