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BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL PRESENTED BY SUNCORPJanuary 1, 2014Victoria AzarenkaBRISBANE, QUEENSLAND V. AZARENKA/C. Dellacqua THE MODERATOR: Questions, please. Q. First match of the year. Any butterflies? Good to get it understand your belt or not really? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, it's great to just finally be out there. It was a long wait for the match. I couldn't wait to go out there. I'm so excited to play. So it was good to be there in front of the crowd and play competitive. That's what I love to do. Q. Is it hard to wait until Wednesday to play your first match? You have a bye; you got here early. VICTORIA AZARENKA: I didn't get here early because of Thailand, but I think just I take it as it comes. If I play Wednesday, I play Wednesday. I just try to adjust and prepare myself for whatever schedule I'm going to have. To think, Oh, should I play earlier or should I play later, it doesn't really matter because I'm not the one who is doing the schedule. I think it's important just to kind of prepare yourself mentally the best way to go at any time. Q. You looked pretty animated toward the end of the second set and keen it wrap it up. You were fist pumping. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, I'm competitive. I don't think it's something new about me that you never seen me fist pump or pumping myself up. But I was just getting into it. I think towards the end it's important to just be the same way as you started the match and to keep that pressure, because in the end anybody can come back. They're loose. They have nothing to lose. Actually that's what kind of happened in the last game. Casey went for some amazing shots and that's it. But I'm glad I wrapped it up after that game. Q. What happened in the service game where you could have served it out? Did you just sort of lose focus? Was she playing out of her skin for that matter? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I think I just kind of maybe waited a little bit for her mistake and she obviously went for it. She hit some amazing shots close to the lines. You don't expect to wait for a mistake on this level. You have to go and finish it. But I felt like I could have been a little bit just more aggressive, just to put a little bit more pressure. I felt I served well, but, you know, during the point could have been a little bit more aggressive. Q. How important is this week in terms of getting a idea of where your game is at? VICTORIA AZARENKA: First match I think, you know, you can't look for perfection in the first match because you will always be a little bit rusty and still feel a little bit of hesitation there and there. Overall, if you look overall, I think it was a good match. I took my chances on the important moments. I did few mistakes, but that's very normal. But overall I think the game was pretty good. From here you can only start to build up your form. Q. You talked on court about being emotional. What are those emotions stepping back on court? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Just happy. Just really happy to be back. Just so motivated and excited just to play tennis. You know, it's been a while since I felt that way, and I just feel really happy. No matter what it is on the court, I just feel really happy. Q. Recharged a little bit after Istanbul? VICTORIA AZARENKA: Yeah, you know, I think as I said back then, it just takes some time to kind of go through the tough moment and realize what you got to work on. I had great off‑season, and I'm just ready to go like I was today, and I'll be for the next full year. Q. When you come to a tournament like this so close to a Grand Slam, do you watch the matches to get an idea how they're going? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I actually never really watch matches, women's matches. I don't know why. Actually, there are some matches that are really interesting, and I just don't know why I don't watch. But I like to watch men's matches. I think it's just because when you're off, you don't want to see or kind of be in the same kind of competition, I guess, so you want to have your mind a little bit off. But I do love to watch tennis. Q. Is there anything you worked on in the off‑season that you're trying to find here ahead of the Australian Open? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I work on everything all the time. You know, I think it's important to just improve every little detail you can to kind of put yourself on a different level, raise your average level, because there is not something different I can really do. I worked on my movement as I always do, on my fitness a lot, because that's the time where you can really put in work and prepare yourself for the full year. Q. You're obviously on Jelena's side of the draw. There has been a lot of focus on yourself and Serena and Maria. Do you think Jelena is a danger? VICTORIA AZARENKA: I had no idea about that, and I don't really care until I really play somebody like Jelena. I think you cannot underestimate any opponent in the draw ever, in any tournament, because we've seen a lot of surprises. If you underestimate, you can just lose your focus. I always try to put my opponent as a 50/50 when we go on the court and just try to be better that particular day. Q. So you won't be underestimate Stephanie Voegele? VICTORIA AZARENKA: That's the Swiss girl, right? Yeah, I played her a couple matches. She's very talented. She's a young girl with a lot of the talent, great groundstrokes, and I'm sure she's very motivated. When you play against top players when you're young you have nothing to lose and they always play their best tennis. I got to be ready. Q. One of your rivals got engaged last night in Sydney. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Oh, my God, I still haven't text her yet because I was focused on my match, but I saw the news, and I got to say I'm really happy for her. If she will remember, and I don't know if she will, I called it last year when I saw her in the locker room. I said, you'll be engaged by the end of the year. Technically, I was right. So I don't know if she'll remember, but definitely happened. I even remember the spot in the locker room would I said that. I'm a psychic. Q. What month of the year was that? VICTORIA AZARENKA: It was in Brisbane. It was here, right here. I said, Hey, you know‑‑ we were talking about something, about relationships, and she was asking, Are you in a relationship? I said, No. And I was like, And you are obviously. You're going to be engaged. She as like, No. I was like, Yeah, you will be. So I was right. Q. Rory has set a decent standard with the size of that rock. VICTORIA AZARENKA: Damn, he's wining a lot of stuff. He better buy her a big rock. That's why she said yes obviously. How can you say no to that rock? I'm joking. They seem really happy and I'm really happy for them. FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports |
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