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CHINA OPENOctober 5, 2012Victoria AzarenkaBEIJING, CHINA V. AZARENKA/R. Oprandi THE MODERATOR: Questions in Chinese, please. Q. I will say that in the first several rounds in China Open you have a very relaxed performance and the single‑largest opponent of Williams didn't participate in China Open. Now do you have much more confidence to win the title in China Open? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I wouldn't say it was easy, because even though the score is like that, sometimes it doesn't really say the whole story about the whole match. I felt like, you know, I was playing well, and that's what gave me an advantage to go and play and have that scoreline after the match, but it wasn't easy. It's never easy to go in the tennis court and win the match even though the score is like this. Sometimes it's important to stay tough and have that concentration to make sure that you can win every ball and every point. Concerning Williams sisters, or Serena‑ I don't know who you meant in particular ‑ I don't really think of it that way. I'm just here to play the tournament and anybody who is across the net. As mentioned before, if she would be here, I would be happy to see her and play against her, as well. THE MODERATOR: Questions in English. Q. So looking ahead, you haven't played a seeded player yet. How do you keep your focus in the tournament when it hasn't been as much of a test? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I don't look at it that way. I mean, you have to give a lot of credit to my opponents who beat those seeded players, you know, because it's not easy. You know, like Romina, she beat some really, you know, top players and reached probably her first quarterfinals at a major tournament. I just give credit to my opponents because they must be showing some great tennis. After that, you know, we will see ‑‑I don't even know who I play next. Q. Bartoli or Navarro. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Both of the girls are very tough opponents, very different styles of games, but I don't know. I'm just trying to go out there and do my job and don't really think about the rankings or the, you know, the score lines. It's just important to win matches in the end of the day. Q. Is it hard at this time of the year to kind of still stay focused on tennis? All the Grand Slams are done and stuff. You don't think about the end line and vacation? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I always think about vacation. (Smiling.) It is tough, but I think everybody's a little bit tired, you know. It just feels like, you know, there is couple more tournaments there and there are, you know, couple more weeks, but they seem to last so long that you kind of don't feel that finish line yet. Especially, you know, having Istanbul right in front, it feels like, you know, you still have to be very much prepared. I'm actually really excited to go back there because I had such a good time. Here, I'm also showing some finally good results in China Open. I'm really excited and motivated, you know, to finish the year strong. Q. Can you talk more about Bartoli who might be your next opponent in the semis? I think you guys have a little bit history with each other because she beat you in Istanbul last year and again in Miami this year, which is your first loss of this season. Are you ready to have your revenge, something like that, this time? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, we do have a history. We played like 10 times I think against each other. The history is pretty long. But I think she's an excellent player. You know, she's very, very different from anybody else and very unique, I would say. I always feel like she brings out her best game against top players, and she really raised the level. You know, if she wins, I definitely need to be alert and step up my game to try to beat her. It's a good motivation to have revenge, but, you know, she still has to win the match. She has a pretty tough opponent. Suarez Navarro is very unpredictable. We'll see. Q. Also, it is reported that the women's players council will have a meeting in Istanbul later this month to discuss about the prize money increase for next year Grand Slams. Do you know actually about this? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Not really. I think it's just so recently, you know, been announced about it.  I'm not really good with following up on that. But, you know, if we have a meeting, I'm definitely going to attend, because I would like to be involved in our sport as much as I can. If there is anything, you know, we as the players can do to help, you know, the board and the tournaments, you know, to create a better tour for us, I'll be happy to do that. Q. If it turns out to be Marion, how difficult is she to play? Besides her game is unorthodox, she does all those shadow strokes and jumping around in between points. Is it hard to like not see that and just to do your own thing? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I would say it's impossible not to see that. (Laughter.) Yeah, as I said, she's very unique in her own way, you know, what she does and how she prepares, but I have to respect it. It's something that makes her play good, feel good. You know, it doesn't really matter for me, but you definitely cannot miss that. (Smiling.) Q. Going back to the match today, I saw at the end of the game you applauded Oprandi at the net. What do you think of her game today? She kind of gave you a little bit of a challenge late in the first set. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I think she's so unpredictable. It feels to me that sometimes she doesn't even know where she's going to go that it makes it even harder for your opponent to read. So, you know, with those tricky shots and a little bit weird shadow on the court, you know, it makes it a little bit complicated and a little bit more difficult to see the ball, to have the perfect rhythm as, you know, everybody prefers. But I knew she was going to do that. I'm just glad that after that little slack of the game I could adjust and really get on top of her and not to let her use those shots, you know, those tricky shots that she likes to do against me. Q. As the world No. 1, do you have a general idea about what needs to be done with the prize money stuff and what things you would like to see with the changes for next year? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, I guess everybody wants more money, so that's what we're going to try to do. How exactly it's going to be done, I guess, that's why we're going to have a meeting, to discuss that. I feel like all the players need to, you know, come together and speak their mind. After, we're going to discuss with the board, but I feel like it's not supposed to go out in the press or somewhere outside the doors before it's all discussed between all of us. Q. Last question should be a fun question for you. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Thank you. Q. So you're having a good week here in Beijing. Are you making any progress on your Chinese? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Well, oh, my God, I'm going to remember. One second. (Speaking Chinese.) Q.Got it. Thank you. VICTORIA AZARENKA: This is my new word that I learned from Li Na that she made all of us say. But I'm actually having the best week, you know, of all of my stays so far. It's been really great. I feel like every year the tournament is becoming better and better and more popular, which makes all the players feel good. You know, the fans are coming more. The attendance is so much bigger. That's what excites me the most to see. So far I have been playing great tennis, so I do enjoy my time here. Q. Can you translate the word? VICTORIA AZARENKA: It means "too expensive." (Laughter.) FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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