By Chris Oddo | Thursday, March 6, 2014
After three weeks in a walking boot, Victoria Azarenka will lace up her hitting shoes and try to make a run at Indian Wells.
Photo Source: Corleve
Victoria Azarenka has not lost at the BNP Paribas Open since 2011, but things haven’t gone exactly as planned at the event for her either, as the Belarusian was forced to withdraw from her quarterfinal match with Caroline Wozniacki with a right ankle injury last year. “I tried absolutely everything I could do, but I have been advised by the doctor, by my own team, that it’s just a very, very high risk already,” Azarenka said at the time.
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Fast forward a year, and the situation seems very similar for the two-time Grand Slam champion. Whether it’s a bad pedicure, a tumultuous tumble on the Wimbledon grass, or a sore back, it always seems to be something with Azarenka.
But this time, despite not being at 100 percent, Azarenka is taking things in stride, seemingly just happy to have the opportunity to play again after wearing a walking boot for three weeks after this year’s Australian Open.
After sitting with Azarenka at Wednesday’s media day at the BNP Paribas Open, Courtney Nguyen of SI.com reports that Azarenka just wants to keep it positive. Here’s a few choice snippets of what Azarenka told the media, according to Nguyen:
“When you hear for the first time from the doctor that you have to wear a boot for three weeks and the tournament is four-and-a-half weeks away you’re like, ‘OK, let’s see how it goes.’ I just wanted to stay positive and do the best job as possible.”
According to Nguyen, Azarenka still feels pain in the injury, but not enough to keep her out of action at a tournament that she has won once and been to the quarterfinals or better in four of the last four years.
“I want to do the best I can. What I expect for myself is to fight for every ball. The rest is a little bit of an unknown for me right now. The first match is going to happen. I’m going to go out there and I’m going to play. The most important thing for me is that my foot feels good. The rest you can practice it, you can get better at it, and I’m not worried about it.”
Azarenka, who has dropped to fourth in the rankings and is seeded third, will face American Lauren Davis in her first match (second round, after a bye).