Victoria Azarenka slams journalist for mistranslating her comments after big win over Jessica Pegula at Australian Open
Azarenka retorts back at journalist who mistranslates her Eurosport interview after her quarterfinal win at the 2023 Australian Open
Follow Us
Victoria Azarenka at the 2023 Australian Open (via Getty Images)
Victoria Azarenka, who won the Australian Open in 2012 and 2013, defeated world no. 3, Jessica Pegula in the quarterfinals of the 2023 Australian Open. This is her best record in the down under since 2016 when she last entered the quarterfinals. Azarenka has reached the semi-finals in Melbourne after an entire decade.
The Belarusian beat Pegula in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1, to reach the last four. Azarenka’s aggressive gameplay, and more confident mindset, forced the American into a corner and led to the former’s win. In her interview with Laura Robson on Eurosport, she said that she doesn’t “think of herself as an underdog” and she goes on to the court with “big ambitions”.
Journalist Jose Morgado mistranslated her words to imply that Azarenka viewed herself as an underdog. The two-time Grand Slam winner slapped back at the comment saying “Also not sure that’s what I said”. Fans applauded her for correcting the journo. They also condemned the reporter for his irresponsible journalism and misquotes.
Some of the fan reactions are mentioned below:
The journalist later clarified his mistake, explaining the reason behind the misquote, after he was called out about it.
Also read: Karen Khachanov’s win at the Australian Open leaves many red-faced
Azarenka reaches the Australian Open semi-final after a 10-year drought
The 24th seed at the 2023 Australian Open, last reached the semi-final and won the tournament in 2013. The 33-year-old found a way to excel again after such a long time. She entered 2023 with a ranking of 27, but her win-loss record was troubling. After working on herself, she finally managed to overcome her difficulties.
Her hard work and change in strategy helped her compete against Pegula. To emphasize, this was her first win against a Top 5 player since 2012. Vika’s comeback is stronger than before. With a change in attitude and playing style, she has once again managed to maintain a winning streak.
Azarenka is set to face US Open champion Elena Rybakina in the semi-finals. Rybakina defeated leading contenders, Iga Swiatek and Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets to reach the semi-final in Melbourne Park. The match will take place on Thursday, 7 pm EST (5.30 am IST), at the Rod Laver Arena.
In case you missed out:
Stay Updated!
Tanisha Mohanty
(172 Articles Published)