MIAMI, (Reuters) – Having been forced to retire from the Australian Open while one set up over Serena Williams, Victoria Azarenka is eager to finish off the job when she meets the world number one today at the Sony Ericsson Open.
Azarenka reached her first top-tier final with victory over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova on Thursday, completing her rapid rise to the elite of the women’s game and giving her a chance to put her previous disappointment against Williams behind her.
“I am glad to have another chance to play against her, because in Australia we couldn’t finish,” she said.
“I got very sick before the match and it was just kind of a bad luck, because I played really well against her.
“I won the first set but I had no more energy. I couldn’t keep up anymore.”
At Melbourne Park, Azarenka almost fainted as she started feeling dizzy and struggled to maintain her balance.
She took a medical break after almost vomiting into her hands and tried to keep out of the sun by stumbling into the shade at the end of each point.
After some resistance, she eventually heeded advice to retire but her performance left an impression on Williams.
