As she bids to add a third Australian Open crown to her collection, Victoria Azarenka said she is looking to mirror the on-court movement of men’s world number one Novak Djokovic.
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Two-time Australian Open champion Victoria Azarenka steamrolled into the second-round of the Australian Open, defeating Alison Van Uytvanck of Belgium 6-0, 6-0 in just 53 minutes.
Azarenka is back to full fitness after a frustrating 2015 campaign, during which she failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals at any grand slam.
The 2012 and 2013 Australian Open champion started 2016 by winning the Brisbane International for her first tournament victory in 28 months.
Azarenka’s injury problems over the past two seasons have seen her drop down the rankings, and she is 14th seed for the tournament.
After celebrating her first-round win by dabbing, she celebrated her second-round victory over Danka Kovinic by – you guessed it – dabbing once again. “I really want to stay present and enjoy what I do”, she told reporters.
But fellow Serbian and former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic crashed out, the Serbian 19th seed going down 3-6 7-6 (7-5) 6-4 to little-known German Laura Siegemund. The less wear and tear is also key for Azarenka, as she will need to have a lot in the tank if she hopes to get to the later rounds of this tournament. “I’m looking for focus”, said Azarenka.
“I think I’m feeling in the best shape body-wise, you know, spirit-wise, everything-wise”. “I try to play every point like it’s my last”.
As for whether she was the in-form player in the women’s draw so far, Azarenka was not about to be seduced by such thoughts. For those who don’t watch American football, Azarenka explained that Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton popularized “dabbing” and “made it viral”.
“I think I served really well today”.
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“(But) I don’t really remember how I felt back then because I think it was different stage of my career”.
