Wawrinka’s thumbs up

STAN Wawrinka admits he was on the verge of pulling out of the Australian Open before a last-minute hit-out convinced him to return from his six-month injury lay-off.

The triple grand slam champion hasn’t played since undergoing surgery on his injured knee following a first round defeat at Wimbledon.

Speculation about his fitness intensified after he pulled out of Wednesday’s Tie Break Tens fast-format exhibition event at Melbourne Park.

With his first match scheduled for Tuesday, Wawrinka has revealed he was undecided about committing to the Australian Open until he got through a practice session yesterday.

“It’s the most important for me to be careful with the knee. That’s why I waited (until) the last minute to decide if I was going to play or not,” he said.

“There’s always a little risk, for sure, especially starting after six months in a match.

“You’re going to get more tight, you’re going to get nervous, you’re not going to feel as comfortable in a match as in practice. But the knee is staying there, so that’s the most important.”