US Open: Victoria Azarenka - "It was a relief"
Serena Williams still has to wait for her 24th major win. Victoria Azarenka, on the other hand, can hope for a third Grand Slam success on Saturday. She will face Naomi Osaka , the 2018 winner, in the 2020 US Open final.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit: Sep 11, 2020, 12:47 pm
It was only a few seconds, but to Victoria Azarenka it felt like an eternity. Was her crashing serve an ace at match point, or was it just barely out of bounds? The incorruptible video evidence, demanded by her opponent Serena Williams, had to decide at the end of a furious, rousing US Open evening. Azarenka looked nervously up at the huge scoreboard in Arthur Ashe Stadium, briefly closed her eyes tightly in the unreal silence, trembled "a little" with excitement. But the next moment the drama was over, the hit was confirmed - and Azarenka blown away: "It was a relief, an amazing moment," said the 31-year-old Belarusian later, after her memorable 1: 6, 6: 3, 6: 3 semi-final victory against Williams (38), who continues to pursue the eternal Grand Slam title record (24 / Margaret Court) in vain.
A seemingly endless nightmare of Azarenka in the duels with the formative figure of modern women's tennis was also over: By September 10, 2020, the "street fighter" (New York Post) had not won a single of ten Grand Slam duels with Williams, the finals in 2012 and 2013 in the Big Apple were bitterly lost to the American. Now, however, Azarenka can actually take another sensational hit on her somewhat older days in the tennis circus, but she has to overcome another, very high hurdle in the final against the formally strong Japanese Naomi Osaka. Osaka, 2018 US Open winner in the legendary final against Serena Williams, beat American Jennifer Brady 7: 6 (7: 1), 3: 6 and 6: 3 in the first semi-final on Thursday. “The hardest thing always comes at the end,” said Azarenka.
Azarenka in custody battle
But it had come a long way for the former number one. Unexpectedly far. Because after pregnancy, maternity leave and a paralyzing, public custody dispute over her son Leo (3) from 2017, Azarenka had already been secretly written off as a competitor for the big titles. Azarenka slipped deep in the pecking order of the industry, also because she couldn't play at many big tournaments because of the family turmoil. Her comeback efforts were bumpy, in 2018 and 2019 she never got past the third round as a lone fighter at the Grand Slam tournaments. The biggest success was the US double final a year ago, together with the Australian Ashleigh Barty.
Twelve months later, as a soloist, anything is possible again for Azarenka, the woman with the shrillest battle screams on Center Court. Even in the rump year 2020, in the Corona turmoil, she was not on track for a long time. Until the Masters tournament in Cincinnati began three weeks ago, which was also played on the New York tournament facility, Azarenka had not won a game this season. Then she surprisingly made her way to the final of the preparation tournament, here too Naomi Osaka should have been the opponent, but the Japanese withdrew due to a thigh injury.
With a lot of courage against Serena
After six more wins, after half a dozen extremely impressive appearances, Azarenka is facing the greatest victory of her eventful career. She doesn't want to be perceived “primarily as a mother” who has managed all of this, according to Azarenka, “but as an athlete who always believed in her dreams.” Azarenka also remembered the hour of the first Grand Slam coup against Williams of the Sturm und Drang time in tennis, in which she climbed higher and higher as a newcomer, up to the top of the ranking. And in which she “almost naturally” expected herself to be in Grand Slam finals. “Today, after all the experiences of the last few years, I only know what it really takes,” says Azarenka, “you need a lot of perseverance, willpower, courage and energy. It's like you have to climb an eight-thousander. "