BNP Paribas Open: Victoria Azarenka vs Agnieszka Radwanska – Preview
World number 9, Victoria Azarenka of Belarus will take on Agnieszka Radwanska in the fourth round match at the 2011 BNP Paribas Open in California.
Seeded 8th here, Azarenka had easy sailing into the round of sixteen. In her first match the Belarusian defeated Ekaterina Makarova in straight sets 6-4, 6-3. Azarenka looked in supreme touch as she used her strong backhand
to great effect and completed the victory in only 1 hour and 38 minutes. In the third round play she came across Agnieszka’s younger sister Urszula and outclassed her by strong ground shots and aggressive baseline play.
I will play a tough next match for sure,” the 8th seed said in a post match interview. “Of course I think all players participating in the competition, they want to stand still. I am the same. I want to play, but it’s
not enough to just want to play.” Azarenka has played near to perfect tennis so far in the competition.
On the other hand Radwanska has been tested physically and mentally right from the beginning. She prevailed 7-6, 6-4 in the opening challenge at the US $ 4,500,000 event and then had some nervy moments in a thrilling three set
second round match when Maria Kirilenko made a strong comeback despite trailing by 1-0. The Pole admitted that she needs improvement in some aspects of the game ahead of her important clash for a place in the quarterfinals.
Looking at their head-to-head stats, Azarenka is certainly the more successful of the two players with 5 wins in seven meetings with the Polish. She has emerged victorious in the last three clashes with the current world number
10, Radwanska. In their most recent meeting at 2011 Fed Cup, she secured a win in straight sets 7-5, 7-5. Previously, in 2010 she downed Radwanska twice, first at Dubai Duty Free and then at Eastbourne.
Prediction: Both players are equally matched. Azarenka occupies 9th position in WTA world rankings whereas the Pole is ranked 10th in the world. An epic and exciting encounter is expected
between the two players. Although Radwanska hasn’t recorded a win against the Belarusian since 2009 Doha Ladies Open, she should not be under estimated as she has improved significantly over the past few years. Being the more consistent in the running season,
Radwanska might be able to pull off a victory in three tight sets.
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