Wawrinka set to return to tennis after pause

The Australian Open champion and world number four laid out his schedule during an appearance at the Swiss Open, the event which he was to have played this week as top seed.

Stan Wawrinka will take aim at the North American hardcourt season with a start at the Toronto Masters beginning a week from Monday, the Swiss said on Friday.

The Australian Open champion and world number four laid out his schedule during an appearance at the Swiss Open, the event which he was to have played this week as top seed.

But the 29-year-old who fell ill before Wimbledon and lost a quarterfinal to friend and rival Roger Federer at the All England Club, reluctantly withdrew from the home event due to accumulated fatigue.

Now, after three weeks spent mainly recovering at home, Wawrinka is keen to tackle the ATP once again.

“I need to be ready for the last few months of the season,” he said during his visit to the alpine village. “It’s a long series and it will be tough for sure. It will be another big challenge. I’m trying to be fit and do everything possible not to be injured.” Wawrinka will travel to Canada within days for the Toronto Masters, followed the next week by a similar event in Cincinnati.

After the U.S. Open, which begins August 25, he will concentrate on his country’s Davis Cup semi-final in Geneva against Italy.

“I’ve had some rest and that’s important. I also did some work with my fitness trainer but not a lot on court just yet. I started tennis only a few days ago. I’ll leave next week for Toronto.” The Swiss knows that duplicating his career-defining performances which began as he beat Rafael Nadal for the Australian Open title will be hard to match: “It will be tough to do better than that for me, but we’ll see. I’m taking it step-by-step in each tournament. I want to be ready for every event. If my level is there, I can have some good results.” On court, Spanish fourth seed Fernando Verdasco finished off a second-round match interrupted on Thursday by rain as he beat German Jan-Lennard Struff 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3).

Argentine Juan Monaco booked the first of the semi-final places with a 7-6 (7-1), 6-1 quarterfinal defeat of two-time tournament winner Thomaz Bellucci of Brazil.