AZARENKA INTO 3 ROUND OF THE MIAMI OPEN 2015

After missing the Miami Open the past two injury-plagued years, two-time winner Victoria Azarenka made a triumphant return Wednesday. The 25-year-old from Belarus, who won titles in 2009 and 2011, beat Spain’s Silvia Soler-Espinosa 6-1, 6-3 on stadium court in the first round of the Women’s main draw. 

 “It’s been unfortunate the last couple of years for me, but I love this tournament,” Azarenka said. “You know, the field is very strong for me all the time. I’m just happy to play anywhere I can.” She smiled, and then continued. “Coming back to a place where I have a lot of memories, it’s always nice,” she said. “I’m just looking forward to build my momentum here again and try to play as many matches as possible, but really to improve my level.” After playing a strong first set Wednesday, she fell behind 3-1 before rallying.
 “I’m glad I could turn it around and play well when I needed to, but I just would like to see a little bit more consistency from my game,” she said. 
“Most important for me is just one number: I’m trying to be No. 1. I don’t want to settle for anything else.” Azarenka will face No. 20 seed Jelena Jankovic, runner up at Indian Wells and “always a dangerous player,” in the second round. After Wednesday’s win, she thought back to the first two matches she won at the Miami Open. “I was, like, ‘Oh, my God! I made it to the third round,” she said. “It felt like I won a Grand Slam. Being here at 25 feels a little different. Definitely, you evolve. Now, it feels so much different than when I was here at 19.”