US Open Azarenka struggles to find guaranteed satisfaction

Women’s world number one eyes improvement despite making last-four.

NEW YORK: World number one Victoria Azarenka moved within two wins of her second Grand Slam title of the season, but admitted she might never be satisfied with her career.

The 23-year-old, who captured the Australian Open this year, is the first Belarusian to make the last-four in New York, achieving the feat with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-6 (7/5) win over defending champion Samantha Stosur.

Victory also allowed her to maintain her world number one spot.

But happiness appears to be a long way off for the statuesque, Monte Carlo-based girl from Minsk.

“I feel like I will never be satisfied, you know, sometimes, that even though I’m at the peak of my career right now, I feel like I want to do better,” said Azarenka. “The ambitions are really high, but I don’t like to jump ahead too much. Now I just try to execute being a good player, improve myself, my physical aspect, and the result is second for me right now.”

Azarenka, who was playing in her first US Open quarter-final, weathered a 75-minute rain delay in the first set to win for the sixth time in as many top-level matches against Stosur.

“She played amazing. The level was so much harder today. She made me play my best.”

In the final set tie-breaker, Azarenka raced to a 4-0 lead after Stosur sent a forehand beyond the baseline but the Aussie battled back to level at 5-5 on an overhead smash winner.

Azarenka seized a 6-5 lead on a drop volley after Stosur’s shot struck the net cord and plopped over and won the match when the Australian sent a backhand wide after two hours and 23 minutes.

Ferrer through after seven-hour encounter

Meanwhile, in the men’s draw, Spain’s David Ferrer reached his fourth Grand Slam quarter-final of 2012 when he beat Richard Gasquet 7-5, 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 in a rain-hit US Open last-16 tie which took over seven hours to complete.

Ferrer, the top-ranked Spaniard in New York in the absence of the injured Rafael Nadal, saw off 13th-seeded Frenchman Gasquet in two hours and 54 minutes of playing time.

But two lengthy rain delays meant the tie was prolonged.

“The rain made it very difficult,” said Ferrer. “But the fans have been great and I wanted to win it for them.”

The 30-year-old Ferrer took a 7-1 career lead over Gasquet into the last-16 tie, having also triumphed at the same stage at the Australian Open this year.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 6^th, 2012.