Azarenka upbeat after thrashing Serena in Thailand

World number two Victoria Azarenka battled back from an injury-plagued season to defeat top-ranked Serena Williams 7-5, 6-3 in Thailand on Saturday.

The Belarusian 24-year-old is hoping her victory at the exhibition match in Thailand will set the stage for a strong performance at the upcoming Australian Open.

Victoria Azarenka

“It’s a great warm up before going to compete and start the year,” she told reporters in the seaside resort of Hua Hin. “It’s always really fun because we take each other to the limit.” A jet-lagged Williams, who arrived in the kingdom a day later than Azarenka, shrugged off her defeat.

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