Victoria Azarenka: It’s a huge honor for me to cut the ribbon
Former Champion Victoria Azarenka overcame Dominica Cibulkova in three sets to move into the Second Round of the Miami Open.
“It’s a huge honor for me to be able to be the first player to cut the ribbon, let’s say, let’s say it that way,” noted the Belarusian. “I knew I would be playing the first match last week. You know, the tournament asked me if I would be happy, and I was really happy that they asked me to play. It’s incredible stadium. As I said, the facilities are amazing, and I hope this tournament is only going to grow. Yeah, I was really honored to play.”
“She’s a big fighter,” Azarenka said of Cibulkova. “Even though we know each other pretty well, I feel that we haven’t played in a few years. I feel the last time was actually in Miami but five years ago or so.
“She’s a very dangerous opponent, because no matter how many, she comes off confident or not confident against top players, she’s always bringing a little bit of a next level and good game. She’s a big fighter. So I knew it’s not going to be easy, for sure.”
She next faces Caroline Garcia, seeded 19th at the event. “Well, we played, I think it was the first match, only match we played last year in Cincinnati, actually quite a close match,” said Azarenka. “I had a lot of opportunities in that match.
“She’s a very talented player. She has a lot of skills, has a lot of speed on the ball. She has kind of a fast-like arm with her forehand. A lot of power and spin. She can serve really well. She’s a dangerous player, definitely.
“It will actually be interesting for me to play against her, looking backward from the last year.”
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2TnxAQb
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