INTERNAZIONALI BNL D'ITALIA

September 17, 2020

Victoria Azarenka

Press Conference

V. AZARENKA/S. Kenin

6-0, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you just talk through the match? What do you think was the key to posting such a dominant scoreline?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I think the consistency was the key to the scoreline. I feel that I played really smart tennis today. I was able to use a lot of court. I was able to use a lot of different pace. So I'm very happy with that.

But the key to the scoreline was definitely being able to maintain the level that I started with.

Q. In terms of going into that match and preparing to play Sonya, obviously you had practiced together with her, played doubles together, you know each other really well. Do you think that played into it at all in terms of the familiarity of her game and you being able to game-plan against it?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't think so, because it kind of can be double-edged sword because she kind of knows my game, as well, more (smiling).

But I feel that I was really more focused on what I can do today on the court rather than what she does well. So I think that was more of a difference today, whether I was able to insist on my level and insist on my pace. So I think that was more important today.

Q. I was wondering if you're in the process of unlocking something about your serve, because I saw it's 89% of first serves made today. Must be nice to go through a match where you only have four second serves to hit.

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, that's good stats. I didn't know that.

I don't know. I think, as I said, I think I used my serve smart today. I think I went for bigger serves when I needed. I went for a variety when I needed.

Yeah, I think it was pretty good. I wasn't feeling that great on my warmup today, so that worked out in the match (smiling).

Q. You have been asked about meditation a little bit. Could you have ever imagined a scoreline like? Do you visualize before a match how you expect or want it to go?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I never would visualize a result like a scoreline. I think that's unproductive. I think that puts unnecessary information into my brain.

But, no, I would never -- I wouldn't do that. I just focus on my, more my energy. Today I needed energy, actually. I was trying to get it from everywhere (smiling).

Q. Is that hard without the fans obviously, or do you find sometimes it's easier to focus because there is no distractions?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I just miss fans because I feel like we are meant to play in front of them. You know, I feel like we are entertainers, as well. So that's what I miss.

In terms of distraction, I don't really allow myself to be distracted. I feel pretty focused on what I need to do, and so I don't think that the fans would distract me.

I think it's easier to get maybe energy from people, but I think the most important is to be able to find it yourself, and I have been able to do that today well.

Q. You mentioned earlier that you're using the whole court and using a variety and saw you with the slice as well. Curious how your variety has kind of developed other the years. You have always had a lot of different shots in your arsenal, and sometimes it seems like you have used it a lot and other times you have relied on your ball striking. How do you feel about it now?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: I feel that I'm able to kind of manage my, let's call it, arsenal of the shots that I have better. I feel that I have always been able to generate different shots and play with different speed and find different angles, but I don't think I was confident that I was going to be able to do that in the match or confident that I'm using it in the right shot.

To be quite honest, sometimes you're scared to try things that maybe it's a little bit out of your comfortable zone. You know, when you're relaxed, it's easy to play free, to make whatever you want to do. I'm just not afraid to try things that I know I can do well and then see what happens.

So I think that's what I use more. Obviously with years I developed more a little bit of a better tactic and a better vision of the game, because sometimes, especially when you're young, I feel like if you're winning, you kind of want to stick to that.

I feel that throughout my career maybe it wasn't able to show with the results in past couple of years, but I have always been eager to learn to improve, to develop, and I think that's really good. I think that that's important to be able to go up another level, and I feel that I have with my game, with my tactics, as well.

Q. I just wanted to ask you about what you said earlier about unnecessary information during a match. I just wanted to know where you draw the line? What is necessary and what is unnecessary to you going into a match to know, so to speak?

VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I think unnecessary information is something that is out of your control, and necessary information is something that you have to do, that's something that you have to execute, and that's what you can control.

So it's really as simple as that.