Wawrinka happy after making quick work of Almagro at Mubadala World Tennis Championship

Swiss swiftly moves on to semi-final match against world No 1 Novak Djokovic

Stan Wawrinka, right, shakes hands with Nicolas Almagro after defeating him during their match at the Mubadala World Tennis Championship at Zayed Sports City on January 1, 2015. Delores Johnson / TShow more

ABU DHABI // Stan Wawrinka is looking forward to testing himself against the world No 1 Novak Djokovic after mercilessly brushing aside Spaniard Nicolas Almagro 6-3, 6-2 in just 61 minutes on Thursday night for his first win in three visits to the Mubadala World Tennis Championship.

Wawrinka made his first appearance at the tournament in 2010 but failed to get past Robin Soderling. He returned last year, high in confidence following a run to the last four at the US Open, but lost both his matches.

Still, the Swiss reckons those two matches against David Ferrer and Andy Murray last year played a big part in preparing him for his stunning conquest in Melbourne, where Wawrinka defeated three-time defending Australian Open champion Djokovic in a thrilling quarter-final clash.

“I have always considered this tournament as a perfect preparation,” Wawrinka said. “It is freezing in Switzerland and you are practising indoors. Coming here, you know you can practise the whole day and play matches against players like Almagro and Djokovic. So it’s the perfect way to prepare for Australia.”

Wawrinka, who meets Djokovic on Friday, was barely tested by Almagro, a player whose ranking dropped from No 14 to No 71 in 2014 because of a shoulder and then a foot injury.

“It was a great start,” the Swiss said. “I don’t care if it was a short match. I am really happy with the way I was playing today in my first match of the year. It’s a good win. It’s never easy to win your first match here, so I am happy to start well here because I feel the conditions are perfect.

“It’s not too hot and you get used to the conditions you are going to face in Australia. So it is really not about the result, but about the way I am playing and what I have been doing in practice. For my first match, I am happy and I got Novak next.

“I feel it is great to play him. Even though this is not a grand slam or a Masters 1000, but only an exhibition, it is good to test yourself and see where you are. Again, it’s not about the result but about getting into the year.”

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