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BNP PARIBAS OPENMarch 14, 2012Victoria AzarenkaINDIAN WELLS, CALIFORNIA V. AZARENKA/A. Radwanska THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. That was a particularly emphatic win. Was there a little bit of a hangover after things that were said that the past by her or not? Was it just you going out there and playing a great match? VICTORIA AZARENKA: No, I mean, I just had a very good motivation because I knew she's a very good player. I have to play a very good match and show excellent tennis to beat her, so that's what I was mainly focus on. I hope I was a good example of woman's tennis. Q. Do you feel like you give her fair competition she asked for? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I what? Q. In her last conference, she said you're playing fair play on court and off court. Do you feel like in today's match you give her fair competition she ask for? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think I always give a fair competition. Actually, don't have any other comments for that. As I said before, for me was the same. She's the same person, same great player as she was before, and I have tons of respect to her game. That's what I was just talking about. You know, I had very good motivation because I knew she's excellent player, so I have to come up with a great match today. Q. Also both matches in Australia were three‑setters. Does that show you're getting better than in January? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I hope so. I mean, it's different condition, different match, so I don't really like to look back into previous. Of course you take couple things there and there, you know, to add to your game. But, you know, it's always different. Doesn't matter the previous record. Q. You seem a lot more relaxed, comfortable than maybe in the past. Are you kind of getting used to this No. 1 thing? Could you just talk about yourself now and your maturing process, how you're feeling. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Um, well, you know, my philosophy, if you can call it that, or my strategy, is always try to be better every day, you know. It doesn't matter how good it's gonna be. It's just to try to be better, you know, and give everything you can on that particular day. Doesn't matter if it's practice, match, fitness, whatever it is. So that, you know, kind of gives me, I don't know, mental advantage for myself to be‑‑ to know that no matter what, I did my best and I tried my best. So I'm just, you know, trying to enjoy every moment I play, and, you know, trying to be better every day. That's it. Q. On the No. 1 thing, I mean, whenever you're the best in the world at anything certain pressure comes. Do you feel pressured? Do you feel obviously a lot of players have had real difficulties and faltered, or do you feel comfortable and really confident? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Um, I don't really like to look at any other players, because, as I said before, they have their own way. They have their own path; I have my own path. So I'm just trying to focus on what I have to do, you know. If I feel more pressure, I don't know. I feel more responsibility, definitely. I feel like there is going to be more motivation from the other side to beat me. I cannot relax. I have to always try to improve. That's what I feel. That's the great challenge what I have to take, and that's what I like to do. You know, I like to compete. So that's it. Q. When it was 6‑Love 4‑Love I think you made two unforced errors against the fifth best player in the world. Does that give you some sort of suggestion as to where the levels of your game are at at the moment? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I didn't know the statistics. Q. I think it was one in the first set. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Oh, okay. Was a double fault? (Laughing.) Q.I'm not sure. VICTORIA AZARENKA: You know, I was just really focused on every moment, on every point I played, on every ball I was striking. I didn't really think about the score, because there is no really point getting to that. Q. Reflecting on that, the fact you just made two errors in what ten games against the No. 5 player in the world is quite a significant level at which your tennis is at at the moment. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, for sure. I played really good today, you know. I think I was executing my shots brilliantly, and I was going for whatever was coming at me, you know. So I really had a clear mind and clear game plan of what I had to do. Q. What do you do off court to stay mentally tough? Do you do yoga or meditation or anything along those lines? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Dance. Q. What kind of dance? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Any kind of dance. I just like to dance. Q. You know, Martina Navratilova will be on the TV show Dancing With the Stars. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I heard that, and I think it's really cool to see, you know. I saw already a few pictures of her training, preparing for the show. So I can't wait to see it. I think it's gonna be exciting. Q. Is that something you would do in the future sometime after your career? Would you consider doing that? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I doubt it (smiling.) Not on the show. I do it for my own enjoyment, just to make me happy, to make me relaxed, I don't know, to enjoy my life. That's it. The show is the show. Q. Are you a fan of it? VICTORIA AZARENKA: If I'm a fan? Q. Of the TV show. Have you seen it before? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I think it's a great concept. It's very interesting to see some people who absolutely don't know how to dance, and then after a few weeks they are get some amazing moves. So I think it's pretty cool if you enjoy it. So great concept, I think. Q. What is the message in today's T‑shirt? A lot of words. Can't see it. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Three words. "Best is best." Q. You said you like to compete. If you could go back and compete, play against any woman player in the past that you've never faced, who would you get a lot of joy out of? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, definitely my idol is Steffi Graf. I would love to play against her. Martina Navratilova I think it would be amazing to play against. There are so many legends, you know. I would love to play Hingis again. You know, I only played against her once, and it was absolutely amazing experience for me. But there are so many legends, you know. Q. Talk about Steffi's whiplash forehand. That's an incredible shot. Do you think you'd be able to defend that and deal with that? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't know. It's a silly question because I actually played against her once when I was a kid, but it was in doubles, and I don't know. The game I think changed a little bit, so I don't know. But I'm sure she still hits the ball really clean and really powerful. Q. Can you talk about this potential semifinal. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah. I don't know who that's going to be. Q. Li or Kerber. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I haven't played Kerber in really, really long time. I think the last time we played was juniors maybe. Li Na is obviously a great player and very tough to beat. I played against her in Sydney, which was very close match. I mean, we'll see who's gonna win today, but both are gonna be dangerous and difficult for sure. There are no easy matches in semifinals. Q. Do you think you'll watch some of that match tonight just to get a better feel for Kerber's game, where she's at? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Maybe. I don't know. My coach will watch. Me? I don't know. Q. When it's 6‑Love 5‑Love do you start thinking of closing out a double bagel, or what was going through your mind? VICTORIA AZARENKA: No, I was just focused on every point, really. I mean, I think she played an excellent game at 5‑Love, you know. She hit some incredible backhand. I was really actually stupid enough to challenge it. I saw it was clearly in (smiling). I gave it a try. No, I was just thinking on trying to, you know, play every point, and that's it. Q. Did it cross your mind that you could close... VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, of course I was aware I was 6‑Love, 5‑Love. It's impossible not to have it in your mind, but I wasn't really thinking, Oh, I have to win 6‑Love, 6‑Love. That's it. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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