Stan Wawrinka hopes to keep his strong bid at the Shanghai Masters 2016 when he battles France's Gilles Simon in the third round of the ATP 1000 Masters event on Thursday.
Wawrinka has already achieved success this season, recording a career-best four tour-level titles topped with a third Grand Slam singles title captured at the US Open. But the third-seeded Wawrinka is still determined to play at his best, which could eventually lead him to winning big tournaments like the Shanghai Masters.
"At the beginning of the season for me, it was to qualify for London," Wawrinka said, reports the ATP's official website. "My goal is to do the right thing, to practise well, to be strong and tough with myself mentally, to fight in every match. That's the only way I can give myself the chance to win big titles."
Wawrinka showed just that during his opening match in Shanghai against British qualifier Kyle Edmund. The three-time Grand Slam winner won 80 percent of first-serve points and broke Edmund three times in a swift match that earned Wawrinka a 6-3 6-4 victory.
"I feel good. I arrived here quite early. I had two days again struggling with my back but two days since I feel really good," he said. "On the court I think I was playing good today. Moving well, also, that's the most important thing when I have some back problem, and I feel more or less 100 per cent."
Wawrinka next faces Simon, who defeated China's Di Wu 6-2 6-2. Wawrinka leads Simons by 4-2 in their FedEx ATP Head2Head matchup, winning two of their last three outings. Their most recent meeting was at the Monte Carlo Masters earlier this year, where Wawrinka did quick work of the Frenchman in the opening rounds of the tournament.
The winner between Wawrinka and Simon could face either Canada's Milos Raonic or American Jock Sock. The fifth seed Raonic was also off to a hot start at the tournament, winning against Italy's Paolo Lorenzi 6-2 6-4, while Sock managed a three-setter win against Spain's Feliciano Lopez, 6-3 4-6 6-4.
Live streaming info and score updates
Watch Stan Wawrinka vs Gilles Simon live via TennisTV. Live scores will be available during match time at the ATP's official website.
Video courtesy: YouTube/ATPWorldTour