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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY SUNCORP

January 8, 2016

Victoria Azarenka

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

V. AZARENKA/S. Crawford

6-0, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said you were curious about how you would handle it yesterday. How do you think you handled it?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Pretty good. I think it was pretty solid match for me, especially the first set. Basically the whole match. Just think I should have been a little bit more in control in the end.

She was going for, you know, everything. So, yeah, I need to be a little bit more aware of that.

Q. How do you think she handled it?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think she needs -- she has a lot of power, and, you know, she needs to add some more stuff.

I think I was really impressed by how calm, and actually even in the end she tried to still try to find a way and try to fight. So that was pretty impressive. Obviously she had a great tournament. I wish her good luck. She obviously has a big game.

Q. Going into the first tournament, you spend all this time training in the off-season and now you're in a final; played very well through the week. Is there a sense of relief in the first tournament back that all that hard work seems to be translating so quickly?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No. I mean, I don't really think about it this way because I'm just trying to stay focused. There is one more match, and then you can just reassess how the tournament went and what was working, what is something still needs to be worked on.

Right now I'm just trying to stay focused and not to overthink. I think sometimes it can be a trouble when you overthink too much.

Q. What did Wim or Sasha or YouTube tell you about Sam? Hadn't seen her play before. What was your game plan going into this?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I knew there wasn't going to be any long rallies for sure. I knew she's a big hitter. I'm pretty aggressive player myself, so I think the important and the key today was to really take the opportunity not give her that first strike.

I think I've done that really well, especially with my return.

Q. What are your memories of the US Open match with Angie?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: It was long. It was long. It was a lot of great rallies. She played amazing. I think I played really, really well. It was actually really fun to play against her.

We always bring the best out of each other, I think. I mean, I hope we do. It was pretty amazing match, so I hope we can put on a good show. I think the final deserves that. You know, playing here, it's going to be fun.

Q. Do you remember, I think it was 2012, WTA Championships against Angie. It was like three and a half hours. Long one, 7-6, 7-6, 6-4.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Two sets?

Q. Three sets. Really long.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah. You know, I wish -- I mean, I remember the match. I just don't really try to look back too much. Whatever happened in the past, I don't really live there anymore. Tomorrow is going to be new story.

Even though we had so many great battles, it's going to be another one. Just trying to get excited about that.

Q. She's very steady I would think, Angie.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah. She's German.

Q. Oh, that's what it is?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Not to say it in politically in correct way, but I think it's kind of a trademark from Germany: steady and stable and tough.

Q. Do you remember back here I think 2009; you were 19 years old; won this tournament; crushed Bartoli in the final?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Why are you taking me down the memory lane?

Q. You never seemed to be nervous back then at all.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: If I never got nervous?

Q. Yeah, at that point when you were 18, 19.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I'm pretty sure I was pretty nervous, because I played like five finals before that and had match points and didn't win.

So it was there was definitely nerves, but I think I -- you know, pressure actually gives me -- of course I get nervous and stuff, but it gives me motivation and I like it.

That kind of keeps me on my toes; gets me excited; makes me want to overcome that.

Q. You haven't won a WTA title for two and a half years. I know you don't want to think too far ahead, but have you though about what starting this season off with a title would do for your confidence?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I'm pretty confident.

Q. That would surely help.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Definitely, but I'm feeling pretty good right now. I'm not saying anything besides that. It's irrelevant. Tomorrow is a match. I'm looking forward to that. I never jump ahead.

It can seem so close, yet so far. Done those mistakes before, and I'll stick to being present.

Q. Where does your confidence come from?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: That's a good question. I think confidence is that I'm doing what I want to do, not thinking what people are going to think about me so much. Because I know I guess my self-worth. I started to love myself. I didn't do that before. I started to embrace whatever flaws that I have, and that really brings happiness, confidence.

I'm not talking about confidence on the court, because that's just something that comes with the results, but being confident out there as a person I think is way more important.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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