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U.S. OPENSeptember 2, 2012Victoria AzarenkaNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK V. AZARENKA/A. Tatishvili THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. What's up? We thought he was Sam's fan. VICTORIA AZARENKA: He's just a big tennis fan. I'm a big music fan. So goes together. Q. Have you done the shuffle yet? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Not yet. I need to practice first. I already got a free lesson. Q. How did you find the match? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I think the match was pretty good. I think she played really well. There was a lot of long points. I'm happy with the way I played, but I'm such a perfection that I always want to do better. There were a few things I felt like I could have done better, could have been more aggressive and step up a little bit more when I had the chance. But in the end I found that rhythm that I was looking for, and that's important. Q. You said it was your first match on Ashe the other day. Had you been hoping for your second? VICTORIA AZARENKA: First night match on Ashe. Q. Had you been hoping to get another match today on Ashe? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I wasn't hoping. It was a little bit weird situation when you don't know where you're going to play. They need to finish by 4:30 exact or otherwise you're moved. I was like 4:25, 4:26. I was like, Come on, Andy, and he finished seven minutes later. Q. They told you 4:30 was the deadline? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, 4:30 and not another minute later. Q. You were just having a wink, right, waiting for the Stosur match to finish? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I fell asleep. Q. What do you need to improve for the Stosur match? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think it's going to be a completely different style of game. I know her very well; she knows me very well. We played many times. I'm sure she's very motivated because she's done so amazing last year. I think that desire she has is definitely going to carry her through, but I'm expecting a really tough battle, as usual. You know, quarterfinals are never easy. It's my first quarterfinals here, so I'm excited as well. Q. You nearly came head‑to‑head with her going out there. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Actually, I didn't know I was going to play against her. But, yeah, we crossed by because I think she was spend a little bit more time on the court after she finished her match you know, because there were a lot of fans and she had to sign. Yeah, we just crossed right at the entrance of the court. Q. What has been being able to perform so strongly in the Grand Slam events earlier this year done for your confidence level here? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, in French Open I didn't do so well, to be honest. But I think, you know, Grand Slam are different tournaments. You kind of have to make sure that you know how to pace yourself. I don't take it as a two‑week event; I take it as a three‑week event because you always come a little bit earlier. It takes a long time. So it's important to make sure that you know what you do every single day, the best way you prepare for the match. So Grand Slams are just very different from any other tournaments. Q. Did you get more of a rhythm down in terms of how you pace yourself? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I feel like there's more experience from last year that I kind of took. I learned more about my body, you know, what I need to push a little bit more, I need to rest a little bit more. I feel like I find better balance and adjusting throughout the two weeks on what I have to do, how I have to practice. Me and my team, I think we're doing a good job with finding that balance every time. Q. As more of the veterans are retiring, are you starting to feel more and more like a veteran? VICTORIA AZARENKA: You know, it's a funny thing. I'm only 23 years old but I play seven years on tour already, so it seems so long. I was like, 2006 I was already playing. Oh, my God, it's been a long time. I don't think I'm old yet, so I will not consider myself as a veteran. Q. What about being the No.1 seed? Do you feel like you're the favorite here? Should you go on and win this title? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I don't feel of myself as the first favorite here, because I think there are so many great players in the draw still. I feel like Serena is definitely, you know, the favorite here. You know, she's been doing amazing this summer, plus being American playing in New York. Also Sam as being defending champion is definitely a favorite, as well. Maria is playing well. Who else is in the draw? I don't even look at the draw, but definitely a lot of players who can definitely pull out the win. Q. Sam is really confident with her serve at the moment. Does that make her extra hard to beat on this surface? VICTORIA AZARENKA: We will see in the match, but Sam definitely has one of the best serves out there. I have no idea how she kicks so high. I try during practice, but never works out. But it's definitely big asset, that's for sure. Q. You're No.1; you're among the favorites. Is it kind of less pressure for you that way, being among the favorites? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I feel like there's more expectation from people because I don't try to put that pressure on myself. When I go out there I need to enjoy playing. If I start putting pressure on myself I don't enjoy. It's not fun for me. I better just go home. I try to just make sure that I prepared the best as I can for my match and that I have that, you know, passion and desire to go on court. And after, the result for me really will take care of itself. It's going to be hard no matter what. I cannot always win. It's important not to have a regret once you step off the court. Q. You look so focused when you go out there. You have the hoodie on. VICTORIA AZARENKA: I'm dancing all the time. Q. When do you switch on? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I feel like, as you said, everybody has their own way to get into that zone, into that state of mind when you feel like you're ready to be in that bubble for the match. Once I start to warm up before the match and go through my routine, I'm already in the zone. I don't see anybody except my coach honestly, because he throws me the balls. But I have that state of mind that I'm so focused. Honestly, if somebody passed by I just don't see it. Not because I don't want to see it, I just don't see them, so... Q. Are you going to have to swap boxes in the next match? REDFOO: I'm just a big tennis fan. I think it's going to be a great match. I'm really looking to see, you know, who has the better shuffle. I'm going to work with her on her shuffle. You know, her left foot goes a little rogue. You know, the shuffle actually came from tennis. I don't know if you guys know, but it comes from the split step and the recover. When you hit a forehand and then you got to cross over, that's where it comes from. That's really what I'm looking for. I'm looking for the footwork, to see who I'm going to put in my next video. Honestly, that's why I'm here. VICTORIA AZARENKA: It's going to be kind of like an audition. Q. Can you confirm your song Shots is about Martina Hingis' net play? REDFOO: I don't know if I can confirm that. I have to talk to my manager, my publicist. No, the song Shots is a great song to get pumped up to. VICTORIA AZARENKA: I'm just remembering the time when I listened to the song, when I was listening to it before the match, because, I don't know, it's really ‑‑ REDFOO: ‑‑ aggressive. VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think it's really fun. Actually, my manager likes to dance to it, too. See, she's embarrassed. Q. It's clearly about tennis? REDFOO: Well, it is. It is. VICTORIA AZARENKA: But somebody at the bar will think differently. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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