World No 1 Victoria Azarenka outclassed her Chinese opponent Li Na in every way at the Australian Open final on Saturday. The Belarusian played cards close to her chest in order to ensure that no game slipped by after entering into a crucial stage of the deciding third set. After the match was completed, Li accepted her defeat gracefully by saying that age was fast catching her up. Azarenka celebrated her victory in silence that has raised many eyebrows with some thinking that it could be due to her controversial victory against U.S. teen sensation Sloane Stephens during the semi-final match.
Li must have been disappointed with the repeat of the result during the Australian Open 2011, which she lost to Belgian player Kim Clijsters. Perhaps, the tournament Down Under has proved to be unlucky for the oriental player for sure. Azarenka had the last laugh after she comfortably defeated Li without paving way for any speculative gaming. Ardent fans have lost their heart to Li for sure because of the brave front put on by her even after persistent knee injury. Eventually, it must have prompted her in making several double faults that should have been controlled.
“Maybe if I’m not falling down, it’s another story,” Li said of her defeat. “You never know. But the truth: I was falling down, so nothing can change.”
The win ensured Azarenka, an extremely talented 23-year-old from Belarus, to maintain the No. 1 ranking shadowing Serena Williams, and it was sheer proof to Azarenka’s tremendous assets of resilience and control considering all the debacles and odd powers blocking her path on and off the court last week.
However, she must have been very gritty in accepting her mistakes and correcting in the next match in a scintillating display of quality tennis.
“She’s solid, she’s tough,” her coach, Sam Sumyk, said. “I know that, and I knew that before. I wasn’t really worried about that part.
“We sat up and spoke about this last night. I’m not looking for credit, but our conclusion was, let’s do everything we can to let the racket talk.”
Players winning finals display extreme levels of reaction such as falling onto the ground, crying inconsolably and/or hugging their near and dear. However, none of the reactions were produced by the girl from Belarus much to the surprise of everyone. One thing that mattered to her the most was defending her 2012 title and she did it with pure elegance.
Azarenka must have been happy with the way all the things have gone her way. It was only the second set of the match that Li Na won taking the match to the third set. All the Belarusian had to do was to control the third set and wait the Chinese to make mistakes. Eventually, her win was worth the wait after she won emphatically over her opponent.
Making it to the elite club of active tennis players, Azarenka is now the fifth player to successfully defend her title after Serena Williams with 15; Venus Williams, 7; Maria Sharapova, 4; and Svetlana Kuznetsova, 2.
