Feeling more like a spectator than a two-time defending champion, Victoria Azarenka conceded she had no answers to Agnieszka Radwanska’s cunning and craft at the Australian Open on Wednesday.
Playing a brand of tennis that former world No.1 Chris Evert claimed had “never been seen before on this court”, Radwanska pummelled the second seed 6-1 5-7 6-0 in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
“She was passing amazing today and getting to every ball,” Azarenka said.
“She guessed so many of my shots. But I felt like at one point I was being too predictable.
“She was just doing everything a little bit better than me. I was just watching. I was like a spectator a little bit.
“I don’t know, my game wasn’t there today as I wanted it to. But she definitely played really well.
“I can’t take away what she’s done today.”
The defeat snapped Azarenka’s 18-match winning streak in Melbourne and denied the Belarusian the chance to become the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1999 to complete an Open hat-trick.
“You can look at it as a lost opportunity. There’s nothing else I can do right now,” she said.
“But I’ll be fine tomorrow. I’ll be working tomorrow. It’s not the end of the world.”
Commentating for ESPN, Evert hailed Radwanska a tennis genius and said now that she’d taken care of the titleholder, the 24-year-old might go all the way.
“She is the best player on the WTA Tour who has not won a grand slam. Maybe it’s her time,” Evert said.
“Her court instinct and anticipation is awesome. I’ve never seen so much finesse and craftsmanship.
“The men don’t play like this. Come to think of it, even the top women don’t play like this.
“Just the versatility in her game. She’s not a power player but she’s coming up with some power also.
“She’s showing us a new brand of tennis that we haven’t seen on this court, at times even toying with Azarenka.
“She’s playing the perfect match. The question is can Radwanska keep up this brand of tennis for two more matches?”