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MUTUA MADRID OPENMay 6, 2015Victoria AzarenkaMADRID, SPAIN S. WILLIAMS/V. Azarenka THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. How would you summarize the match for us? VICTORIA AZARENKA: It will take a minute. I think overall it was a great match. I think the one negative part about today I can take is the result. I felt like I played a pretty high level. I was there on every point. Today just didn't go my way in the end. But overall I think I should take more positives out of today. Q. You definitely should, because you were at the start of a very enduring rivalry with Serena before the injury took you out. You must take a lot out of being on court that long and pushing her that hard. Just a shame that your serving let you down right when you really needed it. VICTORIA AZARENKA: It just happens. It wasn't just the serve. She did play really well on this moment and really on this last match point, the matter of winning or losing was less than one centimeters. I wouldn't say it let me down. Just sometimes it just doesn't go your way. But I have to, as I said, be positive. I have to look at the things I've done well and try to build from here. The most important for me is to show my best tennis at the French Open. Q. Is that something you've gained a lot more with Wim Fissette this year, being able to look back and be a lot more positive after these outcomes, especially as you're coming back? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, yes and no. I think his method is he's really positive and encouraging. That really works great for me. I've done a lot of work on myself to be able to reflect a little bit better on good and bad, you know, things, and not just on the court. So that's kind of a lot of self‑work that happened last year. Q. From 5‑1 the break of the first set and 6‑5, 40‑Love in the last set, would it be fair to say emotions got the best of you in those moments? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't think it was too much emotion. I think I need to be more in those situations again. I haven't played Serena since‑‑ I don't even remember when was the last time. Probably US Open. Q. Yes. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah? So it's been such a long time to be in that kind of atmosphere really. She's not a player like really anybody else, so always you have to step it up. For me, it was a little bit of a new‑old experience again, and I felt I did handle myself well. I just needed to do a little bit better. Q. What was the game plan going into the match? Anything different? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Guys, I just want to ask a question. Do you really think anybody will tell you what the game plan is? Q. No, but... VICTORIA AZARENKA: How ridiculous is this question. Because you're going to write about it and I have to play against somebody again. I'm not just going to try to tell you some BS. Just going to pass on it. Q. Okay. You looked quite in control. Obviously there was a moment in the second set where it was tough, but then you came back. Having seen you through the years, you looked really in control. I felt, Wow. What was it do, you think that suddenly‑‑ because there was a moment when that final millimeter of getting the ball just in started to leave. What were you thinking in those moments? VICTORIA AZARENKA: You just don't. I think I went know for my shot. Looking back at it, I'm not going to think‑‑ I'm not going to regret it in a way because I went for my shot. If I wouldn't go I would probably be sitting here, Should I have gone or not? But I did, and it didn't go in by a centimeter. Next time I'm going to do the same, and hopefully it will land that one centimeter in. Q. It was your first time playing Serena since your return. Is it possible during the match to enjoy the battle, the good tension during the match? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Of course. I enjoyed every moment out there. You know, not going to lie. It hurts to lose like that. But in the end of the day I have to be able to reflect on that and really look at what I have done good, what I need to work on, and be realistic. That's what I'm going to do. I'm going to be tomorrow or next day on a tennis court playing the next tournament in Rome and try to improve with every day. Q. Serena won 23 matches this year. Do you feel that you're the toughest opponent that Serena has to face? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think it's a question for her. Q. But do you feel like that? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't really think about it like that. Q. Serena told us that on that famous last point when you came close to an ace, she thought if were going to challenge it you were going to double fault. What would you say about that? She raised her finger and you went forward and challenged the call. Did that put you off, that moment? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't know. I mean, I can find many excuses, but I won't. So I don't know. As I said, I went for my shot. I went for my second serve. Didn't go in. It's fine. Next time, as I said, I'm going to go for my shots. Q. As you know, rankings can be deceiving at times. Do you see yourself as a top player at the moment, or do you feel you're a bit lower down? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Sorry? If I see myself as a top 10 tennis player now? Q. At the moment you're 31 in the rankings. They're deceiving. Where do you see yourself at the moment? Do you think you can be as good as the top 5, top 3, or do you feel lower down? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I can definitely tell you I don't feel like lower than 30‑whatever I'm ranked at at the moment. Ranking to me is always a reflection of your progress, of how well you do, how much you improve. For me right now, that's where I'm at. It's not something where I'm satisfied with being. Right now I'm still focused on improving my game and playing as many matches as possible and winning big tournaments. The ranking will come after that. Right now, because of my ranking, I just keep getting the toughest draws. But that's okay. Q. Do you feel like a top‑10 player? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't understand. I'm sorry. Q. Do you feel inside yourself that you're a top‑10 player no matter what the ranking says? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't know. I don't really rate myself that way. I just believe in myself that I can play against anybody and have a chance of winning against anybody, so that's how I try to look at it. Q. Obviously you had a big injury that kept you out most of last season. Do you feel with coming very, very close to beating Serena that you're back on the right track to getting back to the level you were previously? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I feel I've been on the right track for a while. Just the process is that of improvement. I feel like with every tournament I do get better and better. I had a great three matches here, and I just need to improve from here. But I think it's going in the right direction since pretty much beginning of the year. Q. Indian Wells you were wearing bright, mix‑matched fruit, and at night clashing colors. Happy with Nike's choice for the European season? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I'm pretty happy. I'm always pretty happy. It's an eggplant probably color. Or plum. I don't know. Q. Yeah, we think more blueberry actually. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, well, there you go. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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