Azarenka Hopes To Find The Zone In Australia

Written by: Bob Larson Tennis on 3rd January 2014

Brisbane International Tennis Tournament

Azarenka Hopes To Find The Zone In Australia

epa04006716 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus celebrates after winning her semi final match against Jelena Jankovic of Serbia during the Brisbane International tennis tournament at the Queensland Tennis Centre in Brisbane, Australia, 03 January 2014. EPA/DAVE HUNT AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT EDITORIAL USE ONLY |

It’s very uncommon for the first tournament of the season to feature four women who has claimed the No.1 ranking to reach the semifinals, but that what occurred in Brisbane when current No. 1 Serena Williams and three other players who have reigned as queens of the sport made it to the final four.

Some players would rather have an easier field in trying to warm up for majors, but not Victoria Azarenka who says she prefers quality every time out. She’ll need it when she faces Williams in the final.

“I don’t think it’s ever too early,” Azarenka said. “I always want to play against the best players every week. That’s what I’m here for, to go every day and try to beat the best. If you want to win big titles and big tournaments you got to play against the best players, so I feel great about having that challenge every time I step on the court. If there is no challenge it seems boring and unmotivating.”

Azarenka realizes that if she is going to win her third straight Australian Open title, that she is going to have to play at a higher level against Williams than she showed overall in her wins over Stephanie Voegele and Jelena Jankovic in Brisbane, both of which were hard fought and harrowing three set wins.

At some point she is going to have to find her way into the proverbial zone, which she reached in 2012 when she crushed Maria Sharapova for her first major crown at the Aussie Open.

“You can never predict that,” she said: You can never think, Okay, right now I’m going to be in the zone. It just happens. The things you go through, sometimes how you pull out the match when you’re down or when you have to save a match point, it’s tough to explain what was going on in that moment because it’s a feeling. The thoughts that go through your mind are like thousand thoughts. Boom, boom, boom. Sometimes you’re just like, Okay, well, the ball comes. So it’s very tough to predict and explain how you feel in that moment. You just know because it feels good.”

The 24-year-old Azarenka was the only player to score two wins over Williams last year. But once again, Williams showed her champion’s mettle in inching past Sharapova in the other Brisbane semi. Williams bested Azarenka in the US Open final, so now it’s on the Belarussian to once again show she can stay with her in 2014.

“That’s the goal.” Azarenka said. “That’s the goal for sure, you know, to keep challenging, to keep trying to do the best you can and try to win.”

Topics: 10sballs, Brisbane, Jelena Jankovic, Serena Williams, Sports, Tennis, Tennis News, Victoria Azarenka