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Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka was glad that she managed to win a tight second round match in Madrid as he noted that she needs matches ahead of the French Open. Azarenka, now ranked at No. 17 in the world, took a break from tennis after Miami.
After a month off, Azarenka returned to action in Madrid, where she started her beat Viktorija Golubic before overcoming Tamara Zidansek with a 3-6 6-1 6-3 score. "I feel she started really, really well. The longer the match went on the better I was playing and the more comfortable I felt.
I think my attitude was really good today to try and find solutions and go for my shots, take control in my own hands. I don't have a lot of matches under my belt so those type of things are really important," Azarenka said after her victory over Zidansek, per the WTA Tour website.
Azarenka recovered from a slow start to beat Zidansek
Zidansek got off to a strong start to the match, having broken Azarenka in back-to-back games to take a 4-0 lead. Azarenka got one break back in the fifth game but couldn't back the second as Zidansek served out for the first set in the ninth game.
After losing the first set, Azarenka had a chance to break Zidansek early but she missed out on four break points in the second game. However, blowing four break points didn't impact Azarenka, who broke Zidansek in the fourth and sixth games to open a 5-1 lead, before serving out for the second set in the seventh game.
After winning the second set, Azarenka got off to a strong start to the third set as she claimed back-to-back breaks to open a comfortable 4-0 lead. Azarenka failed to serve out for the match in the eighth game but earned her third break of the third set in the ninth game when Zidansek was serving to stay in the match. Azarenka plays Amanda Anisimova next.