V. Azarenka - 23.01.2013

V. AZARENKA/S. Kuznetsova
7-5 6-1

Q.  That first set was 77 minutes.  You said you were prepared for what Svetlana might throw at you.  It was a long set.  Just talk us through that first set.  It was close and good tennis.
VICTORIA AZARENKA:  I feel like at the beginning it was a little bit like play around, you know, a lot of back and forth.  I think we were both producing, you know, good tennis, but I felt like she was a little bit on top of me on the important moments.  I didn't really take advantage of that, and she really did.  So I felt like that was the main thing that she got that lead.
Then I turned it around and I took control in my hands and it was more up to me.  That's what I felt like was a turning point mentally and physically, you know, and everything else there.

Q.  You've played a lot of morning matches here.  Are you a morning person?
VICTORIA AZARENKA:  No.

Q.  Does this bother you?
VICTORIA AZARENKA:  I'm not a morning person, but when I don't have a choice, I don't have a choice.  I have to play.  If it would be my choice, I wouldn't be waking up before 11:00 (laughter).  It would take a long time to get out of my place.
But, you know, being a professional tennis player, you kind of cut all that stuff out and you try to be disciplined and professional.  Those are the kind of sacrifices you have to do.

Q.  As the No. 1 player on the women's side, do you think you should be having at least one night spot or a late afternoon start?
VICTORIA AZARENKA:  You know what, I don't really care about that.  It doesn't bother me.  It doesn't, you know, do anything to me.  Whenever I play, I play.  I just show up to do my job.  Night session, day session, I don't mind.
Of course, everybody loves to play night session to have so much attention.  But I feel like the crowd is always there, you know, the stadium's always filled up, so it doesn't really matter for me.

Q.  Any comments on Sloane in case she beats Serena, what you know of her game.
VICTORIA AZARENKA:  I think Sloane is a very, very talented girl.  I think over the last couple years you see her development, you know, as a tennis player.  Her game has come together.  She's all around player, very competitive.
I think she has a good potential.  It's just a matter of her, you know, getting all those details in place and really wanting to achieve great things.