Ms. Azarenko noted at her last press-conference that ‘the season is starting well: far better than the end of the last’. Fans are frustrated by Victoria’s defeat at the Australian Open but Azarenko knows herself, and can gauge her form. Last year, she reached the quarterfinal of the event before being knocked out but her defeat by Cibulková is far from an unequivocal failure, as her play was notably fine.
Of course, there is more to tennis than statistics. It may seem that Ms. Azarenko has taken a step back, but her loss was due in part to bad luck rather than lack of talent or effort. The Melbourne event is the first in the current Grand Slam series and Victoria is making progress. She underlines, “In comparison with last year, the difference is great. I think that my attitude and approach to matches and tournaments have changed. I’m more honest with myself, training seriously and being realistic. I’m keen to improve and never want to give up on a match. I just need to analyse each match and work hard.”
By Dmitry Kamarovsky
