[Mustafina]

I don't know how I feel about her decision to play Brisbane instead of Sydney.

On one hand, it gives her one week of rest before the Australian Open and she gets to pit herself against the best of WTA.

OTOH, she really needs all the points she can get if she wants to remain #1 and the Sydney field is definitely not as crazy.

All in all, I'm just hoping for some great tennis from Vika and hopefully some mouthwatering clashes (with Caro or Petra).

[Igor_Biscan]

Not bothered about the points, I'd have preferred her to play sydney or no warm ups at all in order to get a longer pre-season in. Sydney would have been an easier warm up too.

[Natural Joe]

Maybe she thinks that competing with the best at the start of the season is more important than anything else. I hope it'll turn out to be the right decision.

Azarenka is very proud of her season.

After Maria Sharapova´s declarations, Victoria Azarenka also took part in the quiz on the WTA web site

After Maria Sharapova's declarations, Victoria Azarenka also took part in the quiz on the WTA web site. Vika is also very proud of her season.

“I’m really satisfied. I finished 2011 as number 3 in the rankings and now I find myself occupying the first position. It doesn’t seem a great jump in the ranking, but actually we all know that there is a big difference. It wasn’t the only variation of the year, I also changed as a person. I’m more mature and self confindent and these evolutions make me very proud. The whole year has been very satisfying for me, I tried to bring some news, some positive some other less. But in the whole the negative aspects are a few, so I can’t complain. To me it was a great pleasure and I really very happy.”

The world number one has just come back from holiday.

“I want to enjoy the free time I have, I don’t have any bonds on the wake up time or training. I can sleep as much as I want, but not excessively. I’ll be back soon to consult with my team and I’ll start to prepare and work in sight of next year.”

http://www.tennisworldusa.org/Azaren...tm_source=t.co

PS: Don't forget to vote: http://www.wtatennis.com/page/PlayerAwards2012

[kaoru-no-kimi]

Originally Posted by Mustafina

I don't know how I feel about her decision to play Brisbane instead of Sydney.

On one hand, it gives her one week of rest before the Australian Open and she gets to pit herself against the best of WTA.

OTOH, she really needs all the points she can get if she wants to remain #1 and the Sydney field is definitely not as crazy.

All in all, I'm just hoping for some great tennis from Vika and hopefully some mouthwatering clashes (with Caro or Petra).

Honestly, unless something unexpected happens to Serena at the beginning of next season, I think it's inevitable that Vika will lose the number 1 spot to her sooner or later, so I'd rather she not really concentrate on her ranking at all and just get the best preparation for the slams that she can.

[Natural Joe]

Victoria Azarenka: The Humble Recordholder

LINZ, Austria - It was a banner year for prize money earnings on the WTA, with the first two $7 million-plus seasons in the history of the game. But for Victoria Azarenka, who now has the all-time single season prize money record with $7,923,920, life is still in perspective, as she described in Linz last month.

"Money is important because without money you cannot buy anything in this world, and you cannot really eat without money - but money will not make you happy," Azarenka commented. "For me the most important thing is to have my close people around me, like my family. Money is something that will make life easier, but it's not something that will make you happy like people can.

"My family had a tough life before I started earning a lot of money. We know how to live without money. My parents did the best they could to raise me well and I appreciate it. I had a passion for this sport, and the rest came with it."

Azarenka also talked about the difference between her attitude on and off the court. "On the court I'm a tennis player and off the court I'm just a regular person - I think that's how it's supposed to be. It's not like I have different personalities though - I just take my job really seriously. I feel good on the court - I'm focused and intense, and that makes me play my best. But off the court I'm much more relaxed. I like to have fun, I like to joke around, I like to be a regular person."

Before this year, never before had more than one player earned more than $5 million in a single season - this year three players achieved the feat, and they were three of the four highest single season earnings of all time:

ALL $5 MILLION-PLUS SEASONS IN WTA HISTORY
1. $7,923,920 - Victoria Azarenka (2012)
2. $7,045,975 - Serena Williams (2012)
3. $6,545,586 - Serena Williams (2009)
4. $6,508,296 - Maria Sharapova (2012)
5. $5,429,586 - Justine Henin (2007)
6. $5,145,943 - Petra Kvitova (2011)
7. $5,035,060 - Kim Clijsters (2010)

http://www.wtatennis.com/page/OffCou...997025,00.html

[Natural Joe]

Stars of the court ready for catwalk show

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and American Serena Williams will take part in a Thai fashion show ahead of their exhibition match in Hua Hin this month.

World No. 1 Azarenka and third-ranked Williams will meet in the Hua Hin World Tennis Invitation on Dec 29 and will also participate in several actitives, Suwat Liptapanlop, president of the Lawn Tennis Association of Thailand, said yesterday.

Apart from visiting tourist spots in the resort town and learning Thai cooking, the two stars will also join a fashion show called the 'Orchestra of Thai Silk', he said.

Azarenka and Williams will both take to the catwalk at the InterContinental Hua Hin Resort on Dec 28.

"I had a great time in Hua Hin last time. I hope it will be just as great this time," Azarenka said.

Following her exhibition match in Hua Hin last year, she went on to win her first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open. It will be Williams' first match in Thailand, although she has visited before.

"I am really looking forward to it. I've heard a lot of fantastic things about Hua Hin," said Williams, who won Wimbledon and two Olympic gold medals this year.

Tickets are available at Thai Ticket Major. For more information, call 02-262-3456 or visit www.thaiticketmajor.com.

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/spor...tm_source=t.co

[Natural Joe]

Azarenka: 2012 success tough to repeat
Tennis.com | Sunday, December 09, 2012

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka tells reporters in Brazil during an exhibition tour that that it will difficult to repeat her success in 2013.

“There’s more pressure as it will be a new year,” she said. “What happened in 2012, I established a high standard, it will be difficult to repeat. But at least I’m motivated to try, let’s take one day at a time and see what happens. … When I wake up, I start to wonder how I can improve my game, what the new day might bring. I like [being No. 1], I worked very hard for it, but it’s not all I see.”

http://www.tennis.com/news/2012/12/a.../#.UMTH9VF1K-g

[Natural Joe]

Victoria Azarenka to play in Mexico in 2013
By Abhimanyu Nagpal 20-Dec-2012 11:30

World No.1 Victoria Azarenka has confirmed that she will be competing at the WTA event in northern Mexican city in 2013.

Australian Open champion – Victoria Azarenka who is also the top ranked player in the world, will be competing in the northern Mexican city WTA event in 2013.

The director of the event –Hernan Garza confirmed that Azarenka will be present the event in a press conference. The prize money offered for the tournament will be $235,000.

14th ranked Maria Kirilenko, former US Open runner up –Vera Zvonareva and 36th ranked Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova will all also be present at the event. The director is also hopeful of attracting another top 10 player to the event.

“We’re happy about what we’ve achieved over these five years of the tournament. Every year we’ve had a better response and high-level players,” Garza said.

Timea Babos is the defending champion at the event, the Hungarian had overcome third seed Sorana Cirstea and also French Open finalist Sara Errani at the event in 2012. Russian Pavlyuchenkova is also a two-time champion at the event.

http://www.tennisearth.com/news/tenn...tm_source=t.co

[SilverSlam]

really? well I guess more random choices have been made by her so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

[Natural Joe]

Azarenka arrives
Published: 27/12/2012 at 12:00
AMNewspaper section: Sports

Top-ranked Victoria Azarenka of Belarus arrived in Thailand yesterday to take part in the Hua Hin World Tennis Invitation on Saturday.

Azarenka, who arrived from Qatar with US rapper Redfoo, a member of music duo LMFAO, also played in the exhibition event last year.

"I am very happy to be back to Thailand again," she said. "I had a great time last year in my first visit to Thailand."

She will play against China's Li Na and take part in several activities.

Li, the 2011 French Open winner, replaced American superstar Serena Williams who was forced to withdraw from the event due to a foot injury.

The Chinese will arrive in Bangkok tomorrow for her first appearance in Thailand. She will participate in a fashion show of Thai silk along with Azarenka tomorrow.

Tickets at 1,500 baht are available at Thai Ticket Major outlets or call 02-2692-3456 or visit its website www.thaiticketmajor.com

http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/spor...tm_source=t.co

[nastya]

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/spor...tm_source=t.co

[Jimmie48]

He's 37? I thought he was in his late 20s

[Exordes]

Originally Posted by Jimmie48

He's 37? I thought he was in his late 20s

I thought that was general knowledge.. ...Redfoo aka Stefan Kendal Gordy was born on September 3, 1975. He is the eighth and youngest child of Berry Gordy Jr. (b. 1929), a legendary founder of Motown Records. His mother is a Finnish American Nancy Leiviskä, and "leiviskä" is an archaic Finnish word for "talent" that are used in some biblical phrases.

[Spiritof42]

Originally Posted by Jimmie48

He's 37? I thought he was in his late 20s

Does that mean you no longer approve of their budding romance?

[LUVMIRZA]

Do we have any pictures of Redfoo hugging or kissing Vika...i mean in a romantic way? Untile then I wont c this as a budding romance between them