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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 26, 2009

Victoria Azarenka

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

S. WILLIAMS/V. Azarenka
3-6, 4-2 (ret.)

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What happened?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I started really feeling sick in the morning already. I woke up at 6 a.m. and I was throwing up all the morning and just felt weak.
Once I got to the court, I went to see the doctor, I felt a little bit better. Throughout the first set, a little bit of the second, then I just had no more energy to go.

Q. The flu?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't know. They kind of said it's kind of a virus because I had a fever pretty high.
We don't really know what is that.

Q. With a virus, you were playing good tennis in the first set.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, definitely. I mean, that's very disappointing for me that I played that well and I couldn't handle a little bit more 'cause, I mean, it was really close games. Could have been up 2-0 in the second. Never know, maybe I would still keep going with the same energy.
But, I mean, whatever happens, happens. Just have to accept that.

Q. Did you feel close to fainting?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, yeah. I mean, I just kept going. I was trying to keep going as much as possible. But there is nothing you can do. The last step with me, I would fall over.

Q. Must be encouraged by your performance in the tournament thus far, despite all that.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I mean, I've been playing good tennis. I'm really happy with the way I played, the way I moved, the way I handled myself on the court. I mean, there is still a lot of opportunities for me to go. I just have to accept that, and sometimes there's not much you can prevent that, but hopefully I will next time.

Q. Did the doctor advise food or something to drink to see you through that match?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, before the match, I mean, I couldn't eat anything pretty much. I pushed myself and I had a little lunch. So, I mean, there is not much you can do. Just drink and try to get some food for me.

Q. In the second set you won the first game, and the second game you had four game points for a 2-Love lead. Do you suppose if you would have converted one of those four points you would have wanted to stick around?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, maybe. That's what I said. If I would be 2-0 up, there's always a better motivation and everything. I could hang in there. But it was really tough for me. I mean, there's not much I could do about it.

Q. Was the heat a factor? You went into the shade between every point.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I tried to do that. Tried to help as much as possible to feel better.
But, I mean, it didn't help me much.

Q. Has this happened to you ever before?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No.

Q. How do you feel now?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I still feel pretty bad. But I'm getting better.

Q. When you left the court for the injury timeout, did they try to give you some medications?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, the doctors didn't want me to keep going, but I wanted to keep trying and see how I do. But it was probably not a very good idea because it just gave me even more trouble after.

Q. What happened when you came off the court? I heard you were placed on a drip.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: A what?

Q. What happened when you came off the court? I heard you were on a drip at one stage.
THE MODERATOR: Something like an intravenous in your arm to give you hydration.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No, I didn't have anything like that.

Q. Do you think the rules should be changed for this kind of situation, especially this late in a match, if it's not your fault, to give you more time to recover?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I don't know if there can be any rule because of that. I mean, somebody can just fake it. I don't think there should be a new rule of that. It's whatever happens, whatever happens. You just have to live with that and keep going.

End of FastScripts

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