Stan 'The Big Match Man' Eyes First London Title

Nicknames stick with Stan Wawrinka. He answers to the catchy “Stan The Man” and Roger Federer aptly coined him “Stanimal”, while watching Wawrinka roll through the 2014 Australian Open.

But perhaps the most accurate nickname for Wawrinka, who heads to the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals for the fourth consecutive year, is a hybrid of his two popular monikers: “Stan The Big Match Man”.

Few players on the ATP World Tour have been more clutch than Wawrinka in big matches, and the World No. 3 will try to tap into that prowess at The O2 in London from 13-20 November, where he’s searching for his first championship at the season finale.

He will play only the best players in London, a perfect scenario for Wawrinka, who somehow brings his top level against the game’s greatest. Facing World No. 1s in finals, the Swiss is 3-0. He beat Rafael Nadal in Melbourne in 2014. Wawrinka thwarted Novak Djokovic’s Grand Slam plans last season when he beat him at Roland Garros. In September, the 31 year old prevailed against Djokovic once more at the US Open.

“He just steps in. He loves to play in the big matches. He comes up with his best game,” Djokovic said after falling to Wawrinka in New York. “He’s so solid from both corners. He’s got a good slice and an amazing one-handed backhand, all corners. Big serve. Moves well. He’s a very complete player. Sometimes if he feels right he doesn’t miss much and makes a lot of winners, and it’s hard to play him.”

Belief propels Wawrinka in the big matches. “When I start to play well in the final at a tournament, I know that I can beat anybody,” he said in Shanghai.

Wawrinka also gathers momentum throughout a tournament. By the time he’s playing in a final, if everything has gone well, he’s nearing top form. But the Lausanne native has also done well at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals, a tournament, with its round-robin format, that poses the best against the best on Day One.

On each of the three occasions Wawrinka has played in London he’s advanced to the semi-finals. But he hasn’t made the final yet, falling in the last four to Federer twice and Djokovic once.

Perhaps this is Wawrinka’s year? Federer will miss the year-end championships for the first time since 2001. Djokovic last won a title in July, but new World No. 1 Andy Murray, his Group John McEnroe rival, is in strong form.

Wawrinka has also been producing exceptional performances this season. He’s 4-1 in finals this year, with his only loss coming against #NextGen star Alexander Zverev at the St. Petersburg Open in September. During his past 12 finals, Wawrinka is 11-1, a run that dates back to June 2013 when he lost to Frenchman Nicolas Mahut on the grass in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

“I take confidence every time I win a match,” Wawrinka said in September. “Put the fight on the court and you will have a chance to win.”

Stan’s Finals Stretch