"Grateful for that" says Azarenka after hard-fought win over Hon

Prep events for grand slams are always important and Victoria Azarenka does not mind matches getting tough because it allows her to test herself before the big event. Such was the match against Hon where Azarenka faced some stiff competition from the Australian, especially in the 2nd set. After the match Azareank credited her opponent for the effort saying:

“I felt like I played well, but there were some occasions where I kind of got myself a little bit into trouble with hesitation. But I have to give it to Priscilla; she really defended well and kind of got me into that mode of not committing fully."

Azarenka went on further and said:

“I’m glad that I was able to finish strong, and some of those moments like this are important also in the beginning of the season, when you (have) some tight moments to overcome. So I’m actually grateful for that.”

She will face Iga Swiatek in the next round, a player against whom she has a 1-0 record and on the match she said:

"I think she feels pretty comfortable here, being defending champion. We had before a really interesting match, and she has progressed a lot since then, so I’m looking forward to that battle. She’s definitely one of the upcoming, rising, super-talented players, so it’s gonna be a tough challenge, but I’m always up for it.”