Azarenka amazed at career turn-around

World number one eyes two more wins for year-end top spot.

ISTANBUL: World number one Victoria Azarenka is on the brink of one of her finest achievements as she needs only two wins at the WTA Championships, which start today, to become the year-end world number one for the first time.

However, she vividly remembers that not long ago there was a day when she nearly gave it all away.

“You have a moment when it just clicks and you get a better vision of where you are heading,” said Azarenka. “It clicked when I got a real understanding of what I wanted to do. I am as intense as I ever was, but maybe I manage it better.”

Azarenka can now even afford to lose one of her three round-robin matches and still achieve the season-end top spot.

Serena seeks to cap
comeback year

Meanwhile, Serena Williams may silence some of her remaining critics if she caps a tremendous comeback year by regaining the title at the WTA Championships.

Having won Wimbledon and the US Open, and an Olympic singles gold medal for the first time in the last few months, Williams is unofficial favourite to deny Azarenka and Maria Sharapova. Who gets that accolade will be decided over the next few days by Azarenka, who has been the ranking-topper for most of the year, and Sharapova, the former number one who achieved a career Grand Slam by winning the French Open in June.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2012.