MIAMI, (Reuters) – Nothing seems to faze teenager Victoria Azarenka, who lifted her first top tier title with victory over world number one Serena Williams in the Sony Ericsson Open final on Saturday.
With her third WTA tour win of the year, the Belarussian has stormed into the top 10 in the world rankings and is setting her sights on top spot.
“That’s the goal. That’s the whole reason I’m playing. I think everybody’s goal is to try to be number one.
“I’m not going to say, ‘I’m going to be there’, but I’ll try to do my best,” she said.
Her 6-3 6-1 victory over an injury-hampered Williams brought $600,000 in prize money — an amount that would overwhelm most young players but not Azarenka.
“I can spend it in one day,” she said with a grin. “You can buy a car, jewellery, a watch or whatever”.
It surely helps that with two tournament wins under her belt — from Brisbane and Tennessee — Azarenka has already had a taste of success and drives around Scottsdale, Arizona, where she lives, in a Mercedes.
The blonde-haired girl from Minsk, who moved to the U.S four years ago, has a maturity on the court beyond her years.