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WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 20, 2015

Victoria Azarenka

CINCINNATI, OHIO

A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA/V. Azarenka
6‑1, 0‑3 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just describe the injury? Obviously the scoreboard was going well for you early on in the match. How did it start getting worse and why did you decide to stop?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Obviously very disappointed. You know, I was coming into the tournament unfortunately not actually at the best with my leg. It was at the beginning more of a protection but it was a little bit there.
So I managed to play through and kind of adjust, but today I started to feel like getting a little bit worse and, you know, such a short period of time before the US Open it's a little bit dangerous. I had to unfortunately make that decision.
It hurts a little bit because I have been playing so well, you know. Obviously I felt like I had that match in control, but sometimes these decisions are the best ones.

Q. At what stage of the match did it really start to go?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Actually, at the beginning of the match. I went through a couple of dropshots, and it just gradually started to get more and more.
You know, I didn't feel like taking the biggest risk. So I tried. I really did try to adjust and tried to make some points short, but at this level when you're absolutely not moving, it's a little bit difficult.

Q. Did you feel anything prior to the match, or did this just happen in the early stages of the match?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: It happened a couple of days before the tournament. Actually before my first match I didn't practice, and that actually helped to kind of manage that.
But playing back to back, especially after last night ‑ it was kind of late ‑ I didn't feel like I had an opportunity to recover too well.
But, you know, it is what it is.

Q. You were playing well and it seemed like, given how you played in Toronto and how you played here in Cincinnati, you played enough matches to get a sense of where your level is at before NewYork.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: We will see. I'm not too worried about my game at the moment. I just need to take care of this thing. I don't think it's going to be a big deal, but it's definitely something I have to manage.
You know, just reset my mind. I have been having some of the issues the last couple of weeks, but nothing that I can't overcome. I'm going to be ready for the Open.

Q. How much did experience play into the deciding to stop this match?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, yeah, definitely experience was something that ‑‑ you know, I don't like to go out of the tournament this way. I believe that if you step on the court it's the best way to finish the match, but these are decisions that unfortunately you have to make and try to think for yourself what would be the best decision kind of looking ahead a little bit into the next couple of weeks.

Q. So you're just going to play it by ear? Wait for it to settle down until you practice again? What's your outlook now for getting ready for the US Open?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I mean, I definitely have to make sure I have nothing serious. I have done one of the tests right now. I want to do all of the scans I possibly can to just have the most information and make a game plan.
Today I think it's just a little too close to see what I'm going to do in the next couple of days, but probably definitely two or three days just take it easy and try to manage the best as possible.

Q. Do you go right to NewYork from here? Obviously the Open is a little ways away. What's your game plan between now and then?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I'm going to go there earlier. I don't know if I'm going to go there tomorrow, but definitely starting next week, for sure.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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