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SONY ERICSSON OPEN

April 1, 2011

Victoria Azarenka

MIAMI, FLORIDA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you talk about your pants? There are a lot of holes.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I kind of just ripped them. They were new a while and just lasted. They were a little bit short, so trying to win the final to afford a new ones.

Q. You did that yourself then?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No. Just kidding.

Q. April Fools. Are you into fashion?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, a little bit, you know. Actually I would say quite a lot. My mom is a designer, and so she gave me good advices to really find my personal style.
Actually I don't really have a personal style. I would say it's more like different styles all the time how I feel on my mood.

Q. What does your mom design?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: She was doing everything, you know, clothes, but she stopped.

Q. 6-3, 6-3 against Clijsters, 6-Love, 6-3 against Zvonareva. Do you have something special these days to win so easy?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I would try to find something that I was eating, but I've been eating the same from first round, so that couldn't be it.
I don't know. I felt pretty good, you know, last two matches. My first matches were tough, so it gave me a little bit confidence to go through that battle. I was happy to be on the court.
Yesterday I was very focused throughout the whole match. So it was tough to play, but that's what I had to do.

Q. You were talking after your last match about your happiness on the court -- or everywhere. What do you put that down to? Why do you think that's happened?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, after Doha I took a little break and I started to think a little bit of what I wanted to do with my life. Because it was a tough moment, you know, the beginning of the season.
I realize that I really love the game and I have to change few things and just try a different way. It works out for me. I feel happy on the court. I feel really ready to battle any day.

Q. At Indian Wells I understand that your coach kind of urged you to stop with the hip injury. Said if you stop you'll be good for Sony. Is that story true? And if so, are you grateful that he had you stop at that time?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Definitely, because was no point to play. Was a lot pain. It was just beginning of the match. If it would be end of second or third set it would be maybe a little bit reasonable.
But I had to play against Caroline who makes you run a lot. It was just impossible to do. It wasn't worth it to try couple more games.
It was definitely good advice.

Q. Did you agree with him at the time or the decision to stop at the time, or did you try to fight it?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, for me it's tough to agree and to give up because I hate to do that. I'm going to fight until the last ball. But I looked at it that it was smart thing to do, and I had to be realistic.

Q. It's going to be a battle of two people who fight to the last ball tomorrow. You had a good win against her the last time you played, but what are your sensations about the final tomorrow?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Definitely Maria, she's a great champion. She has a lot of experience. As you said, we had really tough battles previous matches.
Well, what I have to do is try to play my game and really be focusing on me. It's a final, I'm playing against Sharapova, so really to have bring my game together.

Q. Can you talk about the last time you played? I know you've beaten her twice. What did you do well in those matches?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, as I just said, I have to be aggressive, try to come in myself, because that's what she likes to do. She has big serve, big groundstrokes, so I have to try to take away this from her.

Q. Is Maria a friend of you on the tour?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah. I mean, we're not really hanging out or going for dinners, but we're friendly. You can't really call friends-friends, but friendly.

Q. How much does what you've done here excite you for the clay court season and what you might do there? If the result works in your favor, you could be back to a career-best place in the rankings. It's looking positive.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I cannot say that, you know, I'm not looking forward to it, the ranking and everything, but it's not my main priority. Right now I'm just excited on how well I've been working, how well things are going. I'm just excited to see how far it can take me.
Really excited about clay court season. Last year it really failed for me with my injuries. But, you know, this is new year, new things, and I'm just excited.

Q. You have a French team around you.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yes, and I know you're French as well. (Smiling.)

Q. There is a French touch in your game and your attitude?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Is there? You're asking me?

Q. Yeah.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No, not really. Maybe sometimes a little bit of French sense of humor.

Q. What's a French sense of humor?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: It's a really bold one.

Q. Do people recognize you in Key Biscayne or around the area here?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, definitely, you know, especially somewhere like outside the courts when you go off practice court.

Q. Do you have any question about your grunt and the one of Maria?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think she's louder. (Laughter.)
But, yeah, every time we've been asked that, and, you know, there's nothing you can do about it. I know, Neil, you're going to have to wear earplugs.

Q. I have a supply with me.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Good.

Q. You seemed to be a little bit angry yesterday with the public, with the noise they did.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Was I angry?

Q. Yeah.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Did you see me angry?

Q. After the match you answer a question and you said to the public...
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No, I just said thank you to them. It's fun. You know, it's like somebody's wearing Rafa's bandana or somebody's doing my noise. It's kind of cool.

Q. What is the atmosphere here like for a final? You've been in one here. What's it like?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, we'll see tomorrow about that. But it's really nice, you know, the excitement here, how many people come, especially tomorrow is going to be a weekend, so even more.
It's very nice fans here. I really appreciate that a lot of people are coming. Especially, you know, like yesterday, they stayed out so late to support. It's remarkable.

Q. How much does it help to have this day off?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: It's fun. You know, I have some time to chat with you guys. (Smiling.)

Q. Is it an advantage to have won this tournament two years ago?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Um, I don't know if it's an advantage, but it's definitely a good thing. You know, it was before, so I'm not really looking back of what happened, because for me I only look present and forward.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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