Stan Wawrinka came within a whisker of reaching his first semifinal at Wimbledon last year, but he was edged out by Richard Gasquet in a five-set semifinal. Though he has struggled on grass over the years, the fact that Wawrinka fell to Fernando Verdasco in his first-round match at Queen’s Club on Monday doesn’t necessarily mean that the Swiss can’t continue to progress on the surface.

More: Wawrinka Adds Wimbledon Champion Krajicek to His Team

Practice, says Wawrinka, is essential. And now that he's out of Queen's Club early, there will be plenty of time to do that.

“Grass court, it's always a challenging surface for my game, for myself already,” Wawrinka said on Monday. “I need quite a lot of practice to play my best game. And I tried today with what I had, but I need more time I think to get my level there.”

Wawrinka, who owns a 17-11 career record at Wimbledon, and 26-22 overall on grass, is just 1-7 against the Top 10 on the surface with his lone win coming against David Goffin last year at Wimbledon’s round of 16. Can Wawrinka build on a win like that, despite his early exit at Queen’s? He thinks so.

With new coach Richard Krajicek joining his team this summer, Wawrinka hopes he can find and edge and produce his best Wimbledon performance to date.

“It's difficult to imagine going to semifinal,” Wawrinka admitted. “But I know I can do it. Again, as I say, it's been few years now that I find a way how to play my best tennis on the grass. Every year it's been better and better. Last year Gasquet was playing great. Lost in five sets. Tough one to lose, but I did a great Wimbledon. I think—yeah, I think I'm positive to hopefully play well again this year, for sure.”

Wawrinka was originally slated to play doubles with Benoit Paire in London, but after Paire picked up an ankle injury the pair pulled out. Now it’s up to Stan and his team to log in some hours on the practice courts between now and Wimbledon. “I know that with my game I always need more practice, more time on the grass to feel it a little bit better… I can take in the same time all those days to practice well, to do a good schedule before Wimbledon. I'm sure I will be ready.”