	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

TEB BNP PARIBAS WTA CHAMPIONSHIPS

October 26, 2011

Victoria Azarenka

ISTANBUL, TURKEY

V. AZARENKA/S. Stosur
6-2, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Victoria, please.

Q. Was that pretty much the start you wanted? It seemed pretty smooth.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I didn't really expect to play that well my first match, but I'm glad that I could manage and be really dominant from the beginning to the end.
It was important to stay consistent, because, you know, if you give Sam a little bit of chance, she will really go for it.

Q. How would you describe the way the court is playing, speed-wise and bounce-wise?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Um, well, it's similar to where I played last week. Maybe to compare to some different outdoor tournaments it's a little bit slower, but for me, it's very similar.
The bounce is high. Sometimes it's low. It depends on how you really accelerate the ball.
But I really like the arena. I think it's constructed really well, and it makes the court, even though it's really big, it doesn't seem that big, the space.

Q. How did you feel yourself after a hard week, after last week?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I felt good. I had some good matches, you know, was important to get some competition. I haven't played in a while since Beijing of the injuries, so I don't know. I went there to prepare here, and it went well.

Q. What was the plan for this match from your side?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: The plan? Tactic?

Q. Yes.
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I'll keep it to myself, probably. (Smiling.)
But, I mean, it was important to really not give her a chance to attack, because if she comes up with this big firing forehand, you know, it's really difficult to stay in the match.

Q. I know this has come up before, but Caroline Wozniacki has said a few things about the noise that people like yourself and Maria make. She says that some players do it deliberately, and she wishes they would stop. Has the tour mentioned this to you, anyone from seniority spoken to you about this issue?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No, and Caroline never spoke to me about that, either. It's not -- I don't really have a comment actually about that. I'm the way that I play since I was actually eight years old, and it's became the part of my movement, part of my game. So I cannot change it and I'm not gonna.

Q. So short of a rule being brought in, that's gonna be how it's gonna be for you?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: It's not about the rule. You cannot stop people from doing what they do on the court. I mean, it's not -- you're not trying to distract anybody. It's just normal.
For me, I do it during the practice, during the matches. If some people do it only during the matches to distract, maybe it's bothering. But I do it all the time. It's just a part of me, a part of who I am.

Q. But what if an opponent made a complaint, which they are within their rights to do? Then what would be your attitude to that?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: I would just say, Mind your own business, I guess. I hope you can beat me. That's it. (Smiling.)

Q. If you had to stop doing it, could you do it?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: No.

Q. Really?
VICTORIA AZARENKA: Really. That's what I have been trying to tell you, but you keep asking me the same question, just trying to turn it around. And you're not gonna get another answer.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297